Underground Construction articles from December 2004

Underground Construction archives from December 2004

UCT: industry benchmark.(Editor's Log)
December 1, 2004... The Underground Construction Technology International Conference & Exhibition emerged from a concept in 1995 with lofty ideals, a strong sense of mission and ambitious goals. But the conference faced an early uphill battle to establish itself....

OSHA regulates trench safety.(Newsline: for the latest industry developments)
December 1, 2004... Steep grades, groundwater or unstable soil are just a few of the hardships encountered on trenching projects. Some contractors don't use safe trenching procedures despite the fact that it's not tough to do. Not only do they endanger their...

Verizon to string fiber, receives award.(Newsline: for the latest industry developments)
December 1, 2004... Verizon Communications Inc. plans to string fiber-optic cable directly into homes, spending $1 billion initially to spool out cable to homes in a dozen markets, allowing it to feed voice, data and video into homes. Massachusetts is the...

Alaska wants a piece of the pipeline.(Newsline: for the latest industry developments)
December 1, 2004... At a hearing of the Legislative Budget and Audit Committee for the state of Alaska, Governor Frank Murkowski suggested that the state should be an owner of the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline or assume some of the risk if construction is ever to...

New WEF president named.(Newsline: for the latest industry developments)
December 1, 2004... Lynn Orphan, an active member of the Nevada Water Environment Association (NWEA), has been elected president of the Water Environment Federation (WEF), an international technical, scientific and educational water quality organization. She was...

Trencor trenchers make TV debut in "Mega Machines".(Newsline: for the latest industry developments)
December 1, 2004... Astec Underground was featured in three separate installments of TLC's (The Learning Channel) heavy equipment demonstration show "Mega Machines" earlier this fall. Trencor heavy duty trenchers and surface miners, which are manufactured by Astec...

Fiber-optic costs lower than expected.(Newsline: for the latest industry developments)
December 1, 2004... San Antonio-based SBC Communications expects the first half of its program to bring fiber-optic cables to neighborhoods will cost $4 billion through 2007, down from the projected $6 billion. The build-out will replace copper lines serving...

In memoriam.(Newsline: for the latest industry developments)
December 1, 2004... Scott Eliason, a leader in the Arctic pipe line while with the Houston Contracting Company, died suddenly in Anchorage, Alaska, of a heart attack on Oct. 9. He was 44 years old. Eliason is survived by his wife, Beverly; three sons; a...

QA/QC for Trenchless Technology discussed at GCTA.(Newsline: for the latest industry developments)
December 1, 2004... At the monthly meeting sponsored by the Gulf Coast Trenchless Association (GCTA) held on Oct. 13 in Houston, Gerhard Muenchmeyer, marketing director for Raven Lining Systems, presented proven approaches to preparing performance specifications,...

Annual contractors' reception held in Dallas.(Newsline: for the latest industry developments)
December 1, 2004... In conjunction with the fall meeting of the Distribution Contractors Association, Underground Construction and Pipeline & Gas Journal hosted the annual Contractors' Reception at the Crowne Plaza Suites Hotel in Dallas on Nov. 17. The...

Michels, Swerdfeger Stage Strong races in election.(Newsline: for the latest industry developments)
December 1, 2004... U.S. Senate hopeful Tim Michels of Michels Corporation, Milwaukee, WI, conceded defeat to his Democratic opponent, incumbent Russ Feingold. In a brief concession speech at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center, Michels congratulated Feingold,...

FCC spurs fiber construction.(Washington watch)
December 1, 2004... A Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decision in late October gave the four regional Bell companies a big regulatory incentive to start tearing up residential streets and laying fiber optic cable. In a decision that only two of the four...

Mastenbroek Ltd.(Trenchers)
December 1, 2004... Mastenbroek Ltd. is announcing the re-introduction of their model 1012 rock trencher. Originally built in 1988, the model 1012 has in recent years been out of production in favor of the larger model 1414. However, particularly in Europe, there...

Maxon Industries.(Trenchers)
December 1, 2004... The Parsons T130 Trencher, manufactured by Maxon Industries, is a walk-behind pedestrian handlebar trencher boasting many features for the utility contractor and rental operations. The T130 has increased horsepower with choices between the...

Vermeer Mfg.(Trenchers)
December 1, 2004... The Vermeer hydrostatic RT650 operator's station rotates 90 degrees allowing the operator to select five different positions. The attachment controls rotate with the operator keeping them within easy reach at all times. The RT650 also features...

Case.(Trenchers)
December 1, 2004... The Case 660 trencher trenches to depths of 72 inches and a width of 6 to 16 inches. The 67-horsepower unit gives operators the best of both worlds--a heavy-duty trencher along with power and excellent maneuverability. The unit is powered by a...

Ditch witch.(Trenchers)
December 1, 2004... The new RT36 and RT40 are upgrades of two of the company's best-selling trenchers ever: the 3700 and 3610, respectively. Both the RT36 and RT40 are equipped with quiet, clean-burning, 2004-compliant Deutz engines and a host of other...

Astec underground.(Trenchers)
December 1, 2004... Astec's newest addition to its line of trenchers, the 185-horsepower T560, offers contractors a variety of benefits. With a Cummins turbocharged diesel engine and 10-hour operating capacity, this workhorse delivers trenching power where it's...

Tesmec USA.(Cable Laying Equipment)
December 1, 2004... TESMEC's TRS-700B, designed for dirt and light rock application, features a 185 horsepower Cummins engine and weights 29,000 pounds. With a six-foot boom and 12-inch cup cutters, maximum digging depth in dirt is eight feet and six feet in rock....

Condux International.(Cable Laying Equipment)
December 1, 2004... Condux International, a manufacturer of cable installation equipment and tools for telephone, CATV, power utility, and electrical construction is now offering a new 9,000-pound hydraulic underground pulling trailer. Designed for installing...

Vermeer.(Cable Laying Equipment)
December 1, 2004... With a width of 35.5 inches, the compact SP11 walk-behind vibratory plow is ideal for irrigation and service-line installations such as cable TV, electric, phone, gas or water. The SP11, equipped with steel shielding and dual-wheel option,...

Ditch witch.(Cable Laying Equipment)
December 1, 2004... The compact hydrostatic 1330 Trencher features a reversible digging chain for dislodging rocks or spoils caught in the chain. Features include the hydraulic digging chain drive, a hydraulic oil cooler that requires less hydraulic fluid and a...

Roose Mfg.(Cable Laying Equipment)
December 1, 2004... The two-reel self-load trailer, the RR-250 from Roose Mfg. can carry two- to 125-inch diameter spools and has a 10,000 pound payload capacity. Manual hydraulic pumps are standard. Available options include a power rewind attachment reel brake....

Case.(Cable Laying Equipment)
December 1, 2004... The Maxi-Sneaker Series C, a compact, ride-on unit, delivers 37 horsepower and buries cable to a depth of 24 inches. The unit is powered by a four-cylinder, liquid-cooled Kubota diesel engine. Ideal for underground telephone, CATV, electrical...

Kiefer Industrial.(Cable Laying Equipment)
December 1, 2004... Kiefer cable trailers are made to last. Standard on all units are an 8-inch steel channel, cold formed frame and tongue with a 1/2-inch formed steel plate and five-position adjustable hitch. The fenders are formed from 10-gauge steel. Two...

Thomas Equipment.(Cable Laying Equipment)
December 1, 2004... For maximum reach, the Thomas 205 Vertical Lift Skid Steer Loader offers more performance than ever. The loaders multiple linkage vertical lift design achieves a maximum reach of over 31.5 inches at full height that makes easy work of high...

Ingersoll Rand.(Cable Laying Equipment)
December 1, 2004... Ingersoll Rand's WS Series Walk-Behind Saws have durable components, fast and reliable cutting and easy operation. Quality design features like the solid frame result in less vibration and longer blade life for straighter and faster cuts. The...

Astec Underground/Trencor.(Cable Laying Equipment)
December 1, 2004... The Astec 250-horsepower mechanical trencher utilizes the exclusive six-speed Trencor HD Powertrain transmission to provide trenching performance in any terrain. The 765HD will dig between 12 and 30 inches wide to a maximum depth of 8 feet. The...

Telecom: upgrades, repairs a hit & miss proposition.
December 1, 2004... Before the great telecommunications industry crash, many carriers had begun much-needed repairs and upgrades to aging outside plant infrastructure. In many areas, buried cable has been in the ground for 30 years or longer, and the quality...

Verizon: time for FTTP is now.
December 1, 2004... Utility contractors who survived the past four years are always alert for any good news, and word about new or planned projects that may result in potential contracts spread very quickly. As 2004 winds down and utility construction...

Bundled services: drive future of telecom.
December 1, 2004... At home and at work, telecommunications Companies bombard us with promotional information about bundled services--packed telephone, cable television and internet services with all the charges combined on a single monthly bill. Companies...

All about drill pipe: steel shortage, HDD market forces impact availability & design of drill pipe.(Directional Drilling)
December 1, 2004... Other than homebuilding, most construction markets have suffered through the recent economic recession/depression, but few were as severely hit as the horizontal directional drilling (HDD) industry. Manufacturers of directional drilling...

Utility was an HDD pioneer.(Directional Drilling)
December 1, 2004... Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) is so firmly established as an efficient method of trenchless construction that it is easy to forget that not long ago the procedure was perceived by many as an interesting but impractical novelty. Of...

River crossing challenges.(Directional Drilling)
December 1, 2004... Directionally-drilled river crossings--once considered an unproven and risky way to make utility installations--are routinely made today. Planning engineers know that horizontal directional drilling (HDD) usually is the best and sometimes the...

Static water line pipebursting: at McGuire Air Force Base.(Rehabilitation Technology)
December 1, 2004... Infrastructure deterioration is hard to escape. Many cities around the country are scrambling to repair, replace or rehabilitate dilapidated water and sewer systems. But the problem is not exclusive to cities, infrastructure deterioration is...

First look: RedZone introduces inspection, rehab products for various pipe sizes.
December 1, 2004... RedZone Robotics has developed two new solutions for inspecting and rehabilitating underground pipes and tunnels. Both will be unveiled at the 2005 Underground Construction Technology International Conference & Exposition (UCT) in January. ...

UCT means business: combination of information, products make UCT the can't-miss event of 2005.
December 1, 2004... Ideas, information and solutions will greet the attendees for the annual Underground Construction Technology International Conference & Exhibition scheduled for Jan. 25-27, at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. Billed as the...

New look but same mission for RehabZone.
December 1, 2004... From its introduction at the 2002 Underground Construction Technology International Conference & Exposition (UCT), the RehabZone has been an overwhelming success. This special area on the UCT exhibit floor is set aside to provide...

DCA, APCA planning annual safety meetings.
December 1, 2004... The 10th Annual Distribution Contractors Association Safety Congress will be held Jan. 25-26, and the annual American Pipeline Contractors Association Safety Managers Meeting will be held Jan. 26, in conjunction with UCT. The DCA Safety...

ASTM to hold round table on standards, last mile deployment.(UCT 2005)
December 1, 2004... As alternative installations solutions for the last mile or fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) have emerged, a new group of voluntary standards developed through ASTM International have concurrently evolved through industry cooperation. ASTM will...

CUIRE slates trenchless design & construction, HDD certification schools.
December 1, 2004... Two special trenchless technology engineering and inspection certification schools, organized by Michigan State University's Center for Underground Infrastructure Research (CUIRE), will be held during the week of UCT. The workshops are geared...

Registration opens for annual GCTA golf tourney.(UCT 2005)
December 1, 2004... The Gulf Coast Trenchless Association's 6th Annual UCT Golf Tournament is scheduled for Jan. 24. The tourney is held each year on the (lay prior to the start of the UCT International Conference & Exhibition. Proceeds from this popular event...

NASSCO continues special PACP training at UCT.(UCT 2005)
December 1, 2004... A special two-day, pre-conference training and certification program for pipeline inspection and assessment will be held Jan. 93-24 in Houston. The Pipeline Assessment and Certification Program (PACP) is a joint effort of NASSCO and the Water...

UCT 2005 educational program.(Calendar)
December 1, 2004... TUESDAY, JANUARY 25 Track I-A = Tutorial: Introduction To Sewer & Water Rehabilitation Techniques 8:30-8:55 a.m. Internal Joint Seals Speaker: Michael Cronin, Hunting HTI Rehab Stopping leaks and preventing future...

UCT 2005 products & services guide.
December 1, 2004... Ace Pipe Cleaning #1113 www.caryloncorp.com Circle no. 345 Advance Products & Systems #527 www.apsonline.com circle no. 346 ...

Michels Corporation.(Business: general industry reports)
December 1, 2004... Mike Prior has joined Michels Corporation as vice president and general manager of Michels Directional Crossings Co., Michels' Canadian-based directional drilling subsidiary. Prior is former vice president of engineering at Marine Pipeline...

McElroy Mfg.(Business: general industry reports)
December 1, 2004... McElroy Manufacturing has introduced a new Spanish language website to better serve its Spanish-speaking customers. The website is designed exactly like McElroy's fusion website but the text has been translated into Spanish. A panel of...

HOLT CAT.(Business: general industry reports)
December 1, 2004... HOLT CAT, the Caterpillar construction equipment and industrial engine dealer for South, Central, North and East Texas, named Dennis Hammer, product support sales representative to the HOLT CAT Irving area. In his new position, Hammer will act...

CONTECH Construction Products.(Business: general industry reports)
December 1, 2004... CONTECH Construction Products has acquired Central Supply Inc., a Mississippi manufacturer of corrugated steel pipe. The new company will be known as CONTECH/Central Supply and become a wholly owned subsidiary of CONTECH. Ellen James will...

ADS Environmental Services.(Business: general industry reports)
December 1, 2004... ADS Environmental Services, a full-service networked flow monitoring and intelligence provider, has been awarded a two-year contract from the Department of Watershed Management for the City of Atlanta. This contract, with three one-year...

Caterpillar offers full line of EPA certified off-road engines.
December 1, 2004... This fall, Caterpillar machines will roll off assembly lines with the latest in engine technology. The EPA certification of seven Caterpillar engine models allows early production of cleaner Tier 3 diesel engines. It also enables...

Carson Industries.(Business: general industry reports)
December 1, 2004... J. Leo Lovato has joined Carson Industries LLC, a manufacturer of grade-level enclosure vaults and drainage products, as vice president of sales and marketing. Lovato previously served as managing director, sales and marketing for the...

HOBAS Pipe: Chuck Mooney new east Texas area manager.(Business: general industry reports)
December 1, 2004... HOBAS Pipe USA has appointed Chuck Mooney as area manager for east Texas including Beaumont, Galveston and Houston, west to Byran/College Station and north to Texarkana. Mooney brings almost 40 years of experience in the piping market to...

Wolverine Tractor & Equipment.(Business: general industry reports)
December 1, 2004... Wolverine Tractor & Equipment Company, Southfield, MI, has purchased the assets of Contractors Machinery Company, Grand Rapids, MI, a Volvo Construction Equipment dealer, and has been appointed the exclusive authorized dealer for Volvo CE for...

Tyco Adhesives.(Business: general industry reports)
December 1, 2004... Tyco Adhesives, a part of Tyco Plastics & Adhesives, a unit of Tyco International Ltd., has appointed Eric J. Aulicino as vice president, Global Business Development. In the newly created position, Aulicino will report directly to Tom Salmon,...

Sanders Saws.(Business: general industry reports)
December 1, 2004... Sanders Saws announced the addition of Todd Forbush to its team of diamond tool and concrete cutting equipment sales staff. Forbush, the company's newest district manager, will be responsible for directly supporting customers in Kentucky, Ohio...

Case.(Business: general industry reports)
December 1, 2004... Case Construction Equipment, a brand of CNH, has been awarded its second U.S. military contract this year, this time by TACOM (Tank, Automotive and Armaments Command) to refurbish close to 100 MW24C wheel loaders for the Army. The goal of...

John Deere's new equipment training.(Business: general industry reports)
December 1, 2004... When it comes to servicing a new machine, equipment owners expect the dealer to get it right the first time. A unique procedure at John Deere does just that, by training both salespeople and technicians on the intricacies of the new model as...

Tunneling Seminar.(Business: general industry reports)
December 1, 2004... The Geotechnical Group of ASCE's Seattle Section is sponsoring the 22nd Annual Spring Seminar on "Tunneling in the Pacific Northwest." The seminar will be held on March 12, 2005 at the University of Washington's Seattle campus. Speakers include...

Vacmasters.(New products: the latest product developments)
December 1, 2004... The Vacmasters SYSTEM 4000 offers utilities and utility contractors the ability to pothole using supersonic air in any kind of soil, no matter how hard, wet, sunbaked or compact--even ground frost. The SYSTEM 4000 is installed on a 25,950 GVW...

Stone Construction Equipment.(New products: the latest product developments)
December 1, 2004... The new Stompers (models XH670, XH73 and XH840) are ideal for job site compaction for narrow trenches to areas requiring optimum impact. Each is powered by a 4-cycle Honda engine, which is fully EPA approved. The engine is easy starting and...

Slide Sledge Heavy Equipment.(New products: the latest product developments)
December 1, 2004... The new Slide Sledge Heavy Equipment hammer is designed for safer, faster and more cost effective maintenance of heavy, equipment. Inside the Slide Sledge hammer, a chamber of steel contains a fatigue-proof drive bar. The mechanism slides...

Utilicor Technologies.(New products: the latest product developments)
December 1, 2004... Equally at home on the road as its truck-mounted big brother, and employing the same robust, hydraulic coring equipment, the 48-inch wide Minicor skid steer mountable rotary cutting attachment from Utilicor Technologies can also be effectively...

Trenchercentral.com.(New products: the latest product developments)
December 1, 2004... Trenchercentral.com is a new industry specific website for contractors and equipment dealers to buy and sell equipment. Trenchercentral.com offers affordable classified advertising online which can be done at our convenience: only a few clicks...

Getting in sync with the market.(New products: the latest product development)
December 1, 2004... DCD Design & Manufacturing Ltd. and INROCK Drilling Systems continue to build on the successful business relationship they established 10 years ago. the focus of this relationship has always been on the maxi-rig owners, and the products...

Plastic trends.(New products: the latest product development)
December 1, 2004... Plastic Trends' STI Gasketed Sewer Fittings are now fortified against stress and breakage. The branch intersections of the company's tees, wyes and sanitary tees in the SDR 35 line have been strengthened. Wall thickness of the 4-inch branch is...

Hobas helps solve needs of Los Angeles ACIS project.(New products: the latest product developments)
December 1, 2004... The city of Los Angeles operates more than 620 miles of sewers, numerous pumping stations and four wastewater treatment plants. These serve over three million people plus commercial and industrial facilities. It should surprise no one that...

E-BEAM Services.(New products: the latest product development)
December 1, 2004... Standard polyethylene pipe (PE), that may have problems with rapid crack propagation and slow crack growth, can be economically treated by E-BEAM Services in a cross linking process that transforms the pipe into rugged, temperature and...

Pinpoint Laser Systems.(New products: the latest product development)
December 1, 2004... The new Microgage Universal Alignment Kit enables maintenance personnel and production teams to check and align their machine tools for improved operation and efficiency. Quick and precise measurements of machinery rail straightness,...

Sauereisen.(rehab products)
December 1, 2004... Sauereisen's "60-Minute Solution" is an efficient, safe and cost effective method of restoring manholes. This sequential process involves cleaning, substrate repair (by application of either a water infiltration barrier or resurfacing material)...

Cement Lining Company.(rehab products)
December 1, 2004... Cement Lining Company, an affiliated company of Cement Lining Corp. International, has been lining pipe, fittings, flanges and pipe spools for more than 40 years. The company's cement lining process, as well as their OD and ID coating services,...

Chemline.(rehab products)
December 1, 2004... Chemline's spray-applied coatings are specifically engineered for lining potable water tank and pipe applications. The new 100 percent solids, (Zero VOC) fast cure coating, CHEMTHANE 2240PW, can be applied in a single coat directly to a...

2005.(Calendar)
December 1, 2004... Jan. 3, Houston Pipeliners Association, H.E.S.S. Club, 5430 Westheimer Houton, TX, PH: (713) 627-2283; x316, Web: www.houstonpipeliners.org Jan. 25-27, Underground Construction Technology International Conference & Exhibition, George R....