Features
Tunnel Vision
By Michael Kozak, J.D. A welded PVC waterproofing system was recently applied to an underground rail segment being built in the Washington D.C., Virginia, and Maryland (DMV) area. The system was supplied by CETCO. Cr..
Demand for Broadband Supports Need for Fiber Optic Systems
EDITOR’S NOTE Eben Wyman is a veteran advocate for key underground utility and pipeline associations. He points out that maintaining an effective advocacy program is fundamental to the success of any organization interested in the happenings of the federal government. Zack Perconti is an associat..
Informative Seminars and Innovative Equipment Await UCT Attendees
Underground Construction Technology (UCT) returns to the Fort Worth Convention Center in Fort Worth, Texas, Monday, Jan. 24 with the pre-UCT kick-off of CUIRE Schools. The main UCT program runs Tuesday, Jan. 25–Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022. Taking place before the height of construction season, UCT is ..
NA, Global Energy Pipeline Construction Plans
By Jeff Awalt, Executive Editor As global markets claw their way back from the 2020 pandemic trough and energy demand continues to rise, oil and gas producers remain largely committed to fiscal restraint, prices have risen to multi-year highs and storage has yet to recover from historic lows. ..
Gary Oradat to be Named 2022 MVP
The Most Valuable Professional of the underground infrastructure industry will be honored at the annual Underground Construction Technology (UCT) International Conference & Exhibition, in Fort Worth, Texas, at a special luncheon on Jan. 25. The 2022 award, co-sponsored by the Underground Constructio..
HDD Legends Canon, Hair to be Inducted into Hall of Fame
Frank Canon When it came to understanding the impacts of proper drilling fluid use for HDD, Frank Canon’s name instantly springs to mind for thousands of veteran drillers. His homespun teaching style and humor, combined with years of practical experience, made Canon the renowned educator for drill..
HDD Reunion Returns to UCT 2022; Hall of Fame Inductees Announced
In conjunction with the Underground Construction Technology (UCT) International Conference & Exhibition, the second Horizontal Directional Drilling HDD) Reunion and the annual HDD Hall of Fame ceremony will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 26, at the Fort Worth Convention Center. Honored as the 2022 ind..
Inside Infrastructure: 2021 Shaping Up to be Landmark Year for Utility Construction
EDITOR’S NOTE Eben Wyman is a veteran advocate for key underground utility and pipeline associations. He points out that maintaining an effective advocacy program is fundamental to the success of any organization interested in the happenings of the federal government. Zack Perconti is an associ..
Mini-HDD for Placement of HDPE Pipe in Municipal Applications
By Dr. Lawrence M. Slavin A new set of guidelines for the use of mini-horizontal directional drilling (mini-HDD) has been developed by the Municipal Advisory Board (MAB) of the Plastics Pipe Institute (http://plasticpipe.org). Previously available as Technical Report TR-46, the new document, MAB ..
Utility Expo Includes New Name, Layout
Billed as the utility industry’s largest trade show for utilities and utility contractors, The Utility Expo (formerly known as ICUEE) will be held Sept. 28–30 in Louisville, Ky. The biennial trade show, known for equipment test drives and interactive product demonstrations, has been reimagined with ..
Suicide Serious Issue for Construction Industry
CIASP’s stated goals include increasing awareness about the risk of suicide within the construction industry and to develop suicide prevention resources and tools to create a zero-suicide industry.
Canopy Pilot-Tubes Provides Unique Project Solution
LRL Construction recently completed a project to replace a failing 6-foot-diameter corrugated steel drainage pipe under a busy two-lane U.S. Highway 101 in Manzanita, OR, a scenic, seaside village on the Pacific Ocean in the northwest part of the state.
HDD Reunion To Unite Past, Present and Future
When horizontal directional drilling began to spread like wildfire in the late 1980s and 1990s, it was obvious that this disruptive technology was forever changing the face of utility and pipeline construction.
Gold Shovel Reorganizes to Better Serve Industry
The Gold Shovel Standard program was established in 2016 to assist in efforts to protect the country’s buried utility infrastructure from accidental damage that can cut off vital services, is costly and poses serious safety risks to construction workers and the general public.
Hidden Beneath the Bed
Undocumented Obstacles Below Railroad Tracks Complicate Ramming Job
Steering Through Sandy Soils to Upgrade City Sewer System
The economy in Garden City, Kan., is strong with the recent opening of a Dairy Farmers of America plant. Approximately 4 million pounds of milk from regional farmers makes its way to the plant each day, which has led to expansion for many other companies throughout the area. To keep up with the expected growth from the dairy industry and retail stores being constructed nearby, Garden City is upgrading existing utilities to ensure they are prepared to handle current and future needs.
Consumers Energy Modernizes System with Saginaw Trail Pipeline
In Michigan, Consumers Energy is modernizing its natural gas system to improve safety and reliability, and a key element is replacing 78 miles of transmission pipeline that passes through three Michigan counties.
How to Select the Right Trench Protection System
How a utility contractor chooses to excavate on a job site can make all the difference in the project outcome. When you consider that 30 to 40 percent of all excavations lack the appropriate protective solutions, it should come as no surprise that projects are often over budget and overdue. When you add the very real risk of injury or death, a lack of proper protection makes no sense at all.
Rock, Weather, Tight Deadlines are No Match for Horizon Pipeline
Pipeline construction projects across America have flurried in recent years, with miles of natural gas line being added almost daily. The bulk of new lines is being constructed in the prolific Permian Basin, with midstream energy companies, like Targa Resources Corporation, expanding to support growing demand for natural gas and liquified natural gas (LNG) exports.
Trenching In Tennessee
Cleary Construction is involved in a major project to relocate and replace utility lines in Smyrna, Tenn. Moving the utilities is necessary due to a road widening project to improve traffic flow in this growing community located about 20 miles southeast of Nashville.
Unusual Sliplining Solutions Developed on Los Angeles Project
Rehabilitating or replacing large-diameter sewer lines in heavily populated areas always is a challenge: heavy traffic complicates work and causes disruptions and traffic delays, creating a ripple affect extending far beyond the construction zones.
Utility & Communications Construction Update
Strong revenue and profitability marked the first quarter of 2019 for the utility and communications industry, particularly among the publicly traded members of the Utility & Communications Construction Index (UCCI).
- 290-mile gas pipeline expansion proposed across Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina
- $227 million Garnet Valley water project advances, set to create 73,000 jobs in Nevada
- Construction underway for $1.4 billion, 60-mile water pipeline in Chicago
- HDD industry faces challenges as cities push back on fiber drilling disruptions
- Worker dies after trench collapse at sewer project site in Norwich, Conn.
- Gehl and Mustang offer world’s largest skid loader
- Growing Pains and Gains
- Authorities investigating trench collapse that killed worker in Ashburn, Va.
- Pasadena, Calif., undergrounding project could take 500 years to finish
- $227 million Garnet Valley water project advances, set to create 73,000 jobs in Nevada