Technology
Georgia halts McLemore Resort expansion over wastewater violations
Georgia regulators have halted new construction at McLemore Resort after wastewater permit violations and two sewage spills, according to reporting based on state environmental records.
Exodigo acquires V&A to expand AI-powered infrastructure engineering
AI-powered subsurface intelligence firm Exodigo has acquired California engineering consultant V&A, combining civil engineering expertise with AI-driven utility mapping to help infrastructure owners reduce project risk and improve delivery.
Inside Team Fishel's race to deliver fiber for a major data hub
Team Fishel completed a 14-mile fiber installation for a major Maryland data hub in just eight months, overcoming solid granite, tight rights-of-way and an aggressive construction schedule.
Utility-safer trees can help protect underground infrastructure
Jason Rosell of West Bloomfield Township Water Utilities Department explains how strategic tree selection and placement can reduce damage to underground utilities, lower maintenance costs and improve long-term infrastructure reliability.
SpaceX plans 8-mile natural gas pipeline for Texas Starbase facility
SpaceX plans to begin construction on an 8-mile natural gas pipeline connecting its South Texas Starbase facility to a new fuel supply network. The Starpipe project will support the company's growing Starship launch program and planned on-site methane liquefaction operations.
FIBERSCOPE launches floating robot for flooded sewer inspections
FIBERSCOPE has introduced the TRACER X20, a floating pipe inspection robot designed for flooded, surcharged and silted sewer lines. The amphibious crawler enables utilities and contractors to inspect pipelines without dewatering, bypass pumping or waiting for water levels to recede.
SewerAI lands major investment to advance underground infrastructure analytics
SewerAI has secured new investment to expand its AI-powered platform for sewer inspection, condition assessment and rehabilitation planning as utilities and contractors increasingly turn to automation and data analytics to manage aging underground infrastructure.
EU project advances autonomous safety systems for underground construction
Autonomous loaders, drones and wearable safety sensors are being tested in tunnel and highway construction environments as part of a European initiative aimed at reducing worker exposure to hazardous conditions and improving jobsite efficiency.
Data center growth creates new era for civil contractors
Rapid AI data center growth is driving unprecedented demand for power, water, transmission and civil infrastructure projects across North America.
United Rentals launches AI equipment planning tool in ChatGPT
United Rentals has launched its AI-powered Equipment Agent in ChatGPT, allowing contractors and jobsite teams to access equipment planning and rental recommendations through conversational search.
Chicago gas pipe replacement plan could add billions in customer costs
An Illinois consumer advocacy analysis says alternative rehabilitation methods could reduce costs tied to Chicago’s large-scale gas pipeline replacement program.
Microbial corrosion threatens concrete sewer pipes, new solution targets bacteria
Microbial corrosion is accelerating damage in concrete sewer systems, but new antimicrobial solutions are being developed to target the bacteria driving the problem.
Rehab tech spotlight: Lining systems
New lining systems are advancing trenchless rehabilitation with faster curing times, improved corrosion resistance and expanded applications across pipelines, conduits and structures.
AI drives billions in investment for gas distribution pipeline upgrades
Artificial intelligence is driving billions in investment as utilities upgrade aging gas distribution pipelines with real-time monitoring, leak detection and predictive maintenance technologies.
Jacobs launches AI tool to help cities predict flooding, manage drainage systems
Jacobs has introduced an AI-based platform designed to help utilities and cities forecast flooding, manage stormwater systems and improve emergency response.
New Utility OX platform connects field, office data for utility contractors
Utility OX has launched a platform aimed at improving real-time visibility across utility construction jobs. The system connects field and office data to streamline workflows and support faster decision-making.
Texas811 launches real-time excavation detection to prevent utility strikes
Texas811 has launched a fiber-optic sensing system that detects excavation activity in real time, helping utilities identify unauthorized digging and prevent underground damage.
Griffolyn pre-liners improve CIPP performance in pipe rehabilitation
Griffolyn pre-liners are designed to improve CIPP pipe rehabilitation by preventing liner damage, reducing resin washout and enhancing performance in challenging underground conditions.
When and why manhole rehabilitation is critical to sewer system performance
Manhole rehabilitation plays a key role in reducing infiltration, preventing structural failures and improving long-term sewer system performance.
Exodigo secures Texas DIR contract for AI subsurface mapping, GIS services
Exodigo has secured a Texas DIR contract to provide AI-driven subsurface mapping, GIS and digital surveying services to public agencies, streamlining access to underground utility data.
PipeSense introduces real-time pig tracking system for pipelines
PipeSense has launched PipeTrack, a real-time pipeline pig tracking system that uses pressure monitoring and AI-driven analysis to improve visibility, reduce downtime and enhance safety during pipeline pigging operations.
Flowfinity launches IoT monitoring platform for municipal infrastructure
Flowfinity has launched its Streams platform to help utilities and municipalities integrate IoT sensor monitoring with operational workflows for improved infrastructure management and regulatory compliance.
New Purdue GPR model could reduce underground pipeline strikes
Purdue University engineers have developed a new ground-penetrating radar model that improves detection of underground pipelines and utilities, helping reduce excavation strikes and improve infrastructure mapping.
China deploys AI-powered ‘smart brain’ system for tunnel boring machines
China has developed an AI-powered “smart brain” system for tunnel boring machines that predicts geological risks and adjusts excavation settings in real time, potentially reshaping underground infrastructure construction.
The digital transformation of underground infrastructure monitoring
AI, IoT sensors and fiber-optic monitoring are reshaping how utilities manage buried assets. New digital tools promise real-time visibility, predictive maintenance and smarter risk management for aging underground infrastructure.
New products for underground utility and construction work
UI’s January New Products highlights new equipment and tools from Vermeer, Komatsu and General Machine Products, including a mobile equipment management app, a multifunction excavator and a fiber blowing workstation.
Raising QA/QC standards for in-building CIPP projects
Improving QA/QC documentation for in-building CIPP projects is becoming an industry expectation, helping contractors reduce risk, improve transparency and strengthen client confidence.
Florida water pipeline uses curved steel casing in microtunneling first
A Florida water transmission project is using curved steel casing to navigate constrained underground corridors without adding shafts. The approach offers a new option for microtunneling in dense utility environments where straight-line alignments are difficult.
ASTM F1216 updates reshape pressure pipe design for CIPP rehabilitation
Recent revisions to ASTM F1216 update how cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) liners are designed for pressure applications, correcting long-standing assumptions around hole spanning, internal pressure resistance, and groundwater loading.
Vermeer launches mobile app for fleet, equipment management
Vermeer has launched a new mobile app that lets contractors manage equipment, monitor telematics data and connect with dealers directly from the job site.
- Oil pipeline struck during fiber optic construction spills into L.A. storm drains
- Utility strike at center of Dallas explosion investigation
- Gas line strike destroys three homes in Ohio neighborhood
- $1 billion Ohio River Tunnel project awarded in Pittsburgh
- Las Vegas advances multibillion-dollar water pipeline expansion
- When and why manhole rehabilitation is critical to sewer system performance
- Inside Infrastructure: Utility locators warn of systemic failures in damage prevention process
- Senate passes PIPELINE Safety Act aimed at strengthening buried utility protection
- $104 million Lynchburg, Va., tunnel nears breakthrough beneath Blackwater Creek