Underground Construction
Mike Rowe Helps Launch National Excavator Initiative
The importance of the pipes, wires, and cables buried underground that support our daily lives is being “unearthed” with the help of Executive Producer, Host, and Author Mike Rowe and his animated alter ego micro Mike Rowe. Known from the hit TV series Dirty Jobs, Deadliest Catch, and his groundbreaking Facebook show Returning the Favor, Rowe is also CEO of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, a nonprofit organization that calls attention to America's skilled trade workforce and strives to close the skills gap.
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.
EPA Announces $2.6 Billion in Availability for Water Improvement Projects
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the availability of $2.6 billion in new funds to assist states, tribes and territories with improving drinking water and wastewater infrastructure across the country.
New INGAA Report Highlights Importance of Natural Gas to a Lower-Carbon Economy
Natural gas will remain a significant contributor to the energy portfolio and to economic growth in the United States over the next two decades, playing a key role in meeting low-carbon goals, a new study commissioned by the INGAA Foundation finds.
Markwest Agrees to Payment for Pipeline Installation Issue
A subsidiary of Marathon Petroleum's MPLX midstream partnership agreed with West Virginia regulators to pay $124,030 for environmental violations related to a pipeline installation.
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).
Fort Wayne Announces $100 Million in Utility Infrastructure Investments
City officials in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on Monday announced plans to invest $100 million in city neighborhoods for stormwater protection, sanitary sewer improvements, and water pipe upgrades.
Giacomo (Jack) Conte
NASSCO honoree Giacomo (Jack) Conte grew up literally learning the business from the ground up. As his career progressed, Conte quickly reacted to market opportunities and became a respected innovator and leader within the underground infrastructure industry.
Gas Distribution Replacement Work Continues Strong Pace
As recently as 2017, the federal Department of Transportation (DOT) estimated 30,000 miles of cast-iron pipe still carried gas in the United States, with the highest percentage of these mains located in older eastern cities such as New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
UCT 2019: ShowStopper Awards Presented to Stand-Out Exhibits at UCT
UCT 2019: ShowStopper Awards Presented to Stand-Out Exhibits at UCT
Breaking Records in a Conservation Park
Watercare Services of New Zealand engaged McConnell Dowell and McMillen Jacobs to increase the outfall capacity for its Army Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant. The project involved installing a new wastewater outfall, upgrading the existing pump station and building a new ultraviolet disinfection facility.
Call or Click for Safe Digging
Calling 811 before any digging begins starts the process of identifying and marking buried utility lines in the United States and preventing the damage, service disruption, injuries, potential fines and costly repairs that result from unintentionally hitting them.
Infrastructure Funding Chances, Opportunities Looking Up in 2019
It's uncertain whether infrastructure legislation will be approved in 2019, but the good news is that any bill will likely include water projects. This was not the case last year, when spending talk centered on roads and bridges instead of water and sewer construction.
22nd Annual Municipal Sewer/Water Infrastructure Survey
Underground Construction's exclusive annual survey revealed stronger budgets for many cities and growing expectations for a prolonged, stronger economy – but municipal personnel remain cautious.
Perma-Liner Celebrates 20 Years in Trenchless Pipeline Rehab Industry
Perma-Liner Industries LLC is celebrating 20 years in the trenchless pipeline rehabilitation industry, marking a milestone of innovation and perseverance in an ever-changing and growing industry.
Pipe Bursting Solution from Inside Park
In California’s San Francisco Bay Area, the Ross Valley Sanitary District faced several challenges on a project to rehabilitate or replace aging sanitary sewer infrastructure.
DCA President Jay Osborn Sees Opportunities for Industry Newcomers
Underground Construction met with DCA President Jay Osborn to discuss his career success from field to executive suite, his longtime involvement in DCA and his outlook for the contracting industry.
Feds Fund Houston-Area Stormwater Tunnel Feasibility Study
The Harris County Flood Control District, whose systems were overwhelmed by Hurricane Harvey in 2017, is set to begin a $400,000 study into the feasibility of constructing large-diameter, deep underground stormwater conveyance tunnels.
Hired for His Strong Back in 1957, Honored for Brain in 2017
ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. (AP) — When Willie Holsclaw started working for the Elizabethton Water Department, he didn’t really get a lot of respect. It was 1957 and the city did not have any backhoes in its fleet back then. All the water department needed was a man with a strong back to dig ditches in al..
DCA/AGA Workshop Dives Into New Issues, Workforce Development
The Distribution Contractors Association (DCA) and American Gas Association (AGA) recently held the Third Annual DCA/AGA workshop in Chicago. The workshop has grown in interest, attendance and in the range of issues addressed by a host of panels and speakers. These sessions discussed ways to improve..
Thieves in Mexico Build Tunnel, Steal Fuel
As reported by The Associated Press, authorities in central Mexico discovered thieves constructed a tunnel and camouflaged trucks aiming to steal and transport fuel from government pipelines. Police found the tunnel in the state of Guanajuato, earlier this month. This is not a new problem; thousands..
Decision Time for California Governor's Big Water Project
CLARKSBURG, Calif. (AP) — Atop a dirt levee his great-grandfather built in the 1800s to hold back California’s mightiest river, Northern California farmer Russell van Loben Sels looks out over the site of a new water project, one that would be the state’s most ambitious in a half-century. Promoted ..
AEM Launches Competition to Address $3.6 Trillion Infrastructure Problem in America
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) today announced the Infrastructure Vision 2050 Challenge— a three-phased, crowd-sourced competition to award a total of $150,000 in prizes for innovative ideas to overhaul the crumbling infrastructure that Americans rely upon to move people, materials..
Seeking Solutions For Undergrounding Electric Transmission
by Robert Carpenter, Editor-in-Chief Recently, I was honored to be asked by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to participate as one of about 40 industry members in a special workshop. The title of the event, Reducing Cost of Construction Underground Transmission Lines, is obviously an ex..
Rehab Products
REHAB PRODUCTS: TT Technologies, ID-TEC TT Technologies TT Technologies’ new winch boom is specially designed to aid in reversible pipe bursting operations. The new boom provides extra clearance in the manhole or exit pit to allow for the easy removal of the pipe bursting expander during reversibl..
Rehab News
Avanti appoints VP of operations Frank Aguilar has been appointed Avanti International’s vice president of operations and “integrator” of Avanti’s business endeavors. Aguilar has been part of the Avanti team for over 15 years, serving 14 years as technical product manager with responsibilities incl..
Currently at CUIRE: Research & Education
CUIRE-UTA Forms Committee to Research Integrating Underground Freight Transportation into Existing Intermodal Systems Led by the University of Texas-Arlington’s Center for Underground Infrastructure Research and Education, a Stakeholder Committee is being formed to oversee the planning and design ..
San Diego to Host WESTT No-Dig
The 11th Western Regional No-Dig Conference & Exhibition will be hosted by the Western Society for Trenchless Technology (WESTT), along with media partner Underground Construction magazine, from Oct. 26-27 at The Declan Suites San Diego in San Diego, CA. Attendees can join with contractors, enginee..
- OSHA cites Florida contractors for trench safety violations at sewer and excavation sites
- Biden-Harris administration invests $849 million in aging water infrastructure, drought resilience
- Cadiz to reuse steel from terminated Keystone XL pipeline for California groundwater project
- Texas contractor penalized by OSHA for repeated trench safety violations
- West Virginia approves $67 million for water, sewer projects