Magazine
PHMSA publishes advisory bulletin on pipeline safety
Perhaps in an effort to convince Congress to lay off, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) just issued an advisory bulletin to promote the implementation of pipeline safety management systems (PSMS) by regulated pipeline owners and operators.
Choosing the best boom for vacuum excavators
A clean sewer system creates a healthier community. Sewer cleaners are used to efficiently remove blockages and prevent buildup. Breaking up blockages often demands a combination approach that includes the use of a boom.
Dual conductor barrels keep HDD interceptor project on target
In a complex HDD interceptor crossing, Amici Engineering Contractors used telescoping conductor barrels and pneumatic pipe ramming to navigate poor soils and ensure successful bore alignment. The 7,600-foot reclaimed water main installation along a waterway was completed with precision using multi-stage casing and reaming techniques.
Fiber drives HDD growth as big-rig pipeline work returns
Underground Infrastructure's 27th Annual HDD Survey shows strong fiber-driven growth for small and mid-sized drill rigs, while large rig activity is rebounding as pipeline work picks back up across the U.S. Contractors remain optimistic, despite continued labor pressures and rising competition.
HDD industry faces challenges as cities push back on fiber drilling disruptions
As fiber installation accelerates across the U.S., some cities are banning HDD due to rising incidents of utility strikes and safety risks. This month's editor’s log explores how industry veterans and the HDDA are working to protect the future of directional drilling through safety, training, and a cultural shift.
Preparing brick masonry manholes for bonded rehabilitation systems
Brick masonry manholes made from clay or shale brick and laid with portland-cement mortar are still used in North America. Although typically historical, they are often found in manhole rehabilitation projects.
New partnerships expand trenchless technology reach in North America
SIPP Americas has secured exclusive rights to distribute Resiline pipe rehabilitation products across North America, while Reline America adds Integrity Inspection Solutions to its installer network. Both moves aim to expand the availability of trenchless solutions for aging water and wastewater infrastructure.
Underground construction activities grow in Central America, Caribbean
The volume of underground construction activities in the Central America and Caribbean region will significantly accelerate due to an acute need of modernization of local energy infrastructure. Also, the need for solutions to frequent regional blackouts and energy shortages is driving work.
Jeremy Wagner leads NASSCO through eventful year
Having originally joined the wastewater industry on the software development side more than 20 years ago, Wagner is now president and CEO of PipeLogix, a pipeline inspection software company based in Palm Desert, Calif.
Inside Infrastructure: Pipeline safety debate continues, construction fully engaged
The issue of pipeline safety, especially with regard to preventing damage to underground facilities during excavation, is a longstanding priority of the excavation construction industry. Although pipeline safety legislation has traditionally been bipartisan, battles over climate change and other peripheral issues have polarized the pipeline safety debate and obstructed efforts to move a bill through the legislative process and enacted into law.
Fiber optics and forests: Mosaic Technologies weaves fiber beneath Wisconsin’s Northwoods
In the forests of Northwest Wisconsin, Mosaic Technologies is laying nearly 400 miles of fiber to connect over 2,500 addresses, overcoming rugged terrain and tight deadlines to bring high-speed internet to remote communities.
Fort Wayne, Ind., tunnel project uses Vortex inserts to protect sewer system
Fort Wayne City Utilities is constructing a five-mile-long tunnel deep beneath the city to reduce combined sewer overflows into local rivers. Part of its Tunnel Works program, the project includes nine drop shafts, five of which feature IPEX’s Vortex Flow Inserts designed to minimize odors, prevent corrosion and improve wastewater quality before treatment.
Bridging the digital divide: Fiber installation brings innovation to the Pennsylvania Turnpike
In Pennsylvania, a groundbreaking fiber optic installation along the Turnpike is tackling two challenges at once: expanding the state’s digital backbone and closing the broadband gap in rural communities. With innovative micro-trenching methods and all-season materials, the project is on track to deliver 325 miles of new connectivity infrastructure by 2026.
Editor’s Log: Easy come, easy go
In this month’s Editor’s Log, Editor-in-Chief Robert Carpenter reflects on the fleeting nature of federal infrastructure funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, warning that recent budget proposals could undermine years of progress unless states and cities step up to meet the challenge.
How to get more hours out of your heavy equipment
Extend the life of your heavy equipment with smart practices that cut costs and boost productivity. From using high-quality fluids to operator training and preventive maintenance, Volvo Construction Equipment’s Tony D’Angelica outlines four key strategies to help fleets get more hours—and value—out of every machine.
Rehab News
Saertex multiCom Sustainability is an integral part of the corporate culture at SAERTEX multiCom and embedded in its DNA. Trenchless pipe rehabilitation using SAERTEX-LINERS makes a valuable contribution to protecting the precious resource of drinking wate..
NASSCO Tech Tip: QC sampling for lateral lining installations
The installed properties of mainline CIPP are affected by the installation process. This phenomenon has been referred to as natural parameter variation. To ensure the installed CIPP exhibits the necessary physical properties after curing is completed, field samples are prepared during installation and then sent to a testing laboratory for testing flexural modulus, strength and wall thickness.
Utility and communications construction update
While the final plan for tariffs from the Trump Administration is unknown, the initial rollout shocked investors and caused a flurry of market activity. This will likely continue until a stable plan that is being strategically implemented has been negotiated.
Congress renews efforts to improve pipeline safety law
The Trump administration appears to be more interested in energizing the federal pipeline safety regulator than the Biden administration ever was. President Trump in late February nominated Paul Roberti to be the administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), a position that Biden left open for his four years in office.
Nebraska communities unite to build regional wastewater system, opening path for growth
Sarpy County and five cities in Nebraska completed the first phase of a major wastewater project, overcoming geographic barriers to expand sewer service and unlock regional development.
New Products - April 2025
In the latest New Products column, Underground Infrastructure highlights Bobcat’s new lineup of heavy-duty loaders and excavators, John Deere’s advanced 850 X-Tier Dozer and SmartDetect Digital system, and SPMR’s real-time utility work order platform – each designed to boost performance, safety, and efficiency in underground utility construction.
Editor’s Log: Miles and miles to go
In this month’s Editor’s Log, Editor-in-Chief Robert Carpenter examines the persistent challenges facing major cities like Chicago in managing stormwater and sewer infrastructure, highlighting why even billions in federal funding still leave critical gaps.
Rehab Spotlight: Trenchless technologies offer new solutions for pipeline rehabilitation
This Rehab Spotlight highlights innovative trenchless technologies from Danby, HammerHead, NuFlow, MaxLiner, Reline America, and more, offering structural and CIPP solutions for aging underground infrastructure.
UI Awards 2025: Top projects, technologies honored during Underground Infrastructure Conference
UI Awards 2025 recognized leading underground infrastructure achievements, including major sewer, fiber, water and rehabilitation projects, at the annual awards dinner during the Underground Infrastructure Conference.
Griffolyn pre-liners improve reliability in trenchless pipe lining
Griffolyn reinforced pre-liners offer added protection and reliability during CIPP trenchless pipe rehabilitation, helping prevent resin washout, liner buckling, and installation delays in water and sewer infrastructure projects.
Newsline April 2025
ASCE gives stormwater and wastewater infrastructure near-failing grades; Houston completes key segment of 72-inch water line upgrade; Newsom fast-tracks underground utility rebuilds after wildfires; Massachusetts blasts Trump for halting lead pipe funds — all in the latest issue of Underground Infrastructure’s Newsline!
NASSCO Tech Tip: Force main and siphon inspection and maintenance
EPA CMOM, as well as local and state regulatory agencies, urge collection system inspections, and two of the more difficult assets to inspect and maintain are wastewater force mains and siphons. Luckily, today there are currently more options than ever to better manage these assets.
Canada aims to speed up infrastructure development, rehab
Canada intends to speed implementation of its ambitious plans for massive development and renovation of its underground infrastructure, in order to raise its efficiency and achieve a net-zero emissions target by 2050.
Drilling through coral in South Florida
Mears Group overcomes South Florida’s coral rock drilling challenges with Vermeer’s Bit Boss system, enhancing HDD efficiency in dense urban environments like Miami and Coral Gables.
Understanding the ‘competent person’ and this critical role
Excavations are integral to underground infrastructure construction, but they pose significant dangers for workers when improperly planned or managed. On average, more than 20 workers die from trench cave-ins each year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- 290-mile gas pipeline expansion proposed across Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina
- City of Albuquerque halts fiber optic construction in response to damage, complaints
- Body retrieved day after fatal trench collapse at Bakersfield, Calif., job site
- $227 million Garnet Valley water project advances, set to create 73,000 jobs in Nevada
- Pasadena, Calif., undergrounding project could take 500 years to finish
- Gehl and Mustang offer world’s largest skid loader
- Growing Pains and Gains
- Authorities investigating trench collapse that killed worker in Ashburn, Va.
- City of Albuquerque halts fiber optic construction in response to damage, complaints
- Pasadena, Calif., undergrounding project could take 500 years to finish