Magazine
RehabZone Updates Generate Increased, Diverse Participation
The RehabZone – the special “no selling” area co-located with the Underground Construction Technology International Conference & Exhibition (UCT) and dedicated to providing objective information about sewer infrastructure rehabilitation – has become a standard part of the annual UCT.
LAN Engineering Selected for North Texas Water Supply System
LAN Engineering has been selected as the consulting engineer for a $490 million reservoir and conveyance project in North Texas.
Waiting for The World to Reboot
The world has survived many horrific pandemics for thousands of years. No doubt we’ll survive this latest attack on the human race by the merciless microscopic coronavirus army, and we all pray the toll in lives will not continue to climb. What it will do to the long-term, worldwide economy and our way of life remains to be seen.
CASE Unveils Industry First Fully Electric Backhoe
CASE Construction Equipment has introduced the construction industry’s first fully-electric backhoe loader.
Lametti & Sons Completes Complex Microtunneling Project
Lametti & Sons recently completed a complex microtunneling project as part of a $5 billion infrastructure development in Rochester, MN.
Plastics Pipe Institute Cancels Annual Meeting
The Plastics Pipe Institute has canceled its annual meeting due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Underground Construction and Related Industries Respond to Coronavirus
While much of North America hunkers down to wait out the coronavirus pandemic, essential workers at companies throughout the underground construction industry are continuing to deliver vital services to customers.
TC Energy Proceeds with Keystone XL After Alberta Commits $1.1 Billion
Construction on the Keystone XL pipeline could begin as early as this week after the Alberta government committed more than $1 billion to the project.
AGC Survey Shows 28% of Contractor Projects Impacted by Coronavirus
A recent survey by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) shows that over 25% of contractor projects have been delayed or halted in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Construction Industry Calls on Local Leaders to Keep Work Sites Open
Construction industry organizations are asking local leaders to view construction work as essential and keep job sites open around the country.
Italy's Snam Takes Steps to Guarantee Gas Flows During Coronavirus Outbreak
Italian gas grid operator Snam has put in place emergency measures to ensure it can keep gas flowing during the coronavirus outbreak.
Caterpillar Global Operator Challenge Champion Crowned at CONEXPO 2020
Caterpillar's year-long Global Operator Challenge Competition wrapped up with nine teams from around the world competing at the company's exhibit at CONEXPO 2020.
No-Dig 2020 Postponed Due to Coronavirus
The 2020 No-Dig show has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
New Products
CASE Launches All-New B Series Compact Track Loaders and Skid Steers CASE Construction Equipment launched its next generation of compact track loaders (CTLs) and skid steers with the introduction of the B Series – five CTLs and eight skid steers spanning radial and vertical lift patterns, as well a..
Judge Approves $143M Natural Gas Explosions Settlement
A Massachusetts judge approved a $143 million class-action settlement Thursday for residents and business owners affected by natural gas explosions in Massachusetts in 2018.
Newsline
Feds to Fund Water Infrastructure Projects in Four States The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of $2.7 billion for infrastructure projects that help protect surface water and provide safe drinking water to communities across the country. The State Revolving Fun..
Reunion and Reflection
In late 2018, a germ of an idea was floated about that turned into a true gem of an idea – how about having a reunion for the horizontal directional drilling industry?
Two Federal Regulatory Actions Ease Pipeline Construction
Two key President Trump administration environmental regulators have made moves to wipe away potential barriers to new pipeline construction.
Vermeer Debuts New Horizontal Directional Drill
Vermeer has introduced a new product in its Navigator series of horizontal directional drills.
NACE International Postpones Corrosion 2020 Due to Coronavirus
The NACE Board of Directors voted Friday to postpone its annual CORROSION 2020 conference and expo following reports of coronavirus cases in the Houston area.
ClockSpring|NRI Announces New Chief Executive Officer
Clockspring|NRI has announced that Frank Firsching has been named the company’s new Chief Executive Officer effective immediately.
API Issues New Pipeline Safety and Sustainability Standard
The American Petroleum Institute (API) today issued a new standard for pipeline inspectors to enhance safety and sustainability during pipeline construction.
Eversource to Acquire Columbia Gas of Massachusetts Assets for $1.1 Billion
Eversource Energy announced that it has reached an agreement to purchase the Massachusetts natural gas assets of Columbia Gas for $1.1 billion from NiSource.
Fort Lauderdale Fined Nearly $2 Million for String of Sewer Leaks
The state of Florida is fining the city of Fort Lauderdale $1.8 million for a series of sewage spills that spilled over 200 million gallons of sewage from December 2019 through February 2020.
Utility to Pay $53M for Fatal Gas Line Explosion
A utility company will pay the largest criminal fine ever imposed for breaking a federal pipeline safety law — $53 million — and plead guilty to causing a series of natural gas explosions in Massachusetts that killed one person and damaged dozens of homes, federal officials said Wednesday.
New Products
LiuGong North America liugongna.com LiuGong North America introduced its first F-series excavator. The reduced tail-swing, 1.8-metric-ton, mini-class 9018F represents the smallest of the powerfully efficient, sixth-generation LiuGong F-Series models. Its compact dimensions and retractable underca..
FERC Boosts Natural Gas in Lieu of Alternative Fuels
An order issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in December against state subsidies for nuclear and renewable energy – called “out-of-market subsidies” – apparently gives a big boost to electric utilities using natural gas and the pipelines that feed them.
Municipal Funding, Reality and Candidates
This issue of Underground Construction contains our exclusive Sewer & Water Municipal Survey and Forecast. Information for the annual article came from our own survey and research combined with data from industry consulting expert FMI and our Washington D.C. correspondent Stephen Barlas.
Vermeer Introduces High-Capacity, Truck-Mounted Vacuum Excavators
Vermeer Corporation announced it has purchased a minority equity investment in and signed a distribution agreement with Vacuum X-Traction Products Inc. (VXP).
Texas Railroad Commission Adopts New Pipeline Safety Rules
The Railroad Commission (RRC) of Texas has adopted new natural gas pipeline safety rules regarding the type of natural gas distribution pipelines that are allowed to be installed.
- Intrepid Fiber breaks ground on fiber optic network in Superior, Colo.
- Excavator collides with I-95 overpass in Henrico, Va., causing multi-vehicle crash
- Shrewsbury, Mass., expands sewer inspections and cleaning efforts
- Two workers rescued after hours trapped in Mich. trench collapse
- Trump calls for Keystone XL pipeline revival, but developer has moved on
- Illinois overhauls Peoples Gas pipeline program, mandates focus on high-risk pipes
- Ameren Illinois to invest $140 million in natural gas pipeline replacement program
- Charlottesville, Va., to begin work on 24-inch water line for Rivanna River crossing
- Mass. governor slams Trump for ‘dangerous delay’ of $50 million in lead pipe replacement funds