Underground Construction articles from December 2005

Underground Construction archives from December 2005

So near, so far.(Editor's Log)
December 1, 2005... In some ways, it seems like such a long time ago, when telecom, gas, pipeline and even electric contractors (especially those with a heavy utilization of HDD technology) were clinging to their business lives, striving to get just one more job...

NACWA, NRDC seek EPA support on wet weather practice.(NEWSLINE: The Latest Industry Development)
December 1, 2005... The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) are urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to finalize the joint Guidance on Peak Wet Weather Flow Diversions as written....

Henkels & McCoy employees raise hurricane relief funds.(NEWSLINE: The Latest Industry Development)
December 1, 2005... Contributions made by Henkels & McCoy employees and matched by the company in the wake of Hurricane Katrina are being distributed among four charities: Catholic Charities USA, the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity and The Salvation Army....

Sewer plant design flawed.(NEWSLINE: The Latest Industry Development)
December 1, 2005... A key component in Jefferson County's sewer program in Birmingham, AL, is its pumping station, which is part of the $400 million upgrade to the Valley Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. In April, the plant floor buckled, sending up 18 feet of...

Study to assess wastewater system damage in Gulf Coast.(NEWSLINE: The Latest Industry Development)
December 1, 2005... Hurricanes Katrina and Rita left in their wake considerable damage to water and wastewater systems in the affected areas of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. While federal, state and local officials are working diligently to assess the...

Kinder Morgan, Sempra Energy negotiate for Rocky Mountain Pipeline.(NEWSLINE: The Latest Industry Development)
December 1, 2005... Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P. and Sempra Pipelines & Storage, a unit of Sempra Energy announced that they have entered into exclusive negotiations regarding a Memorandum of Understanding that will result in the Wyoming Natural Gas...

ITT industries offers funds, equipment to aid hurricane relief efforts.(NEWSLINE: The Latest Industry Development)
December 1, 2005... ITT Industries has pledged $250,000 to the Red Cross to fund immediate hurricane relief, and has made available fluid technology equipment for delivery to Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, including dewatering pumps and reverse osmosis...

ARA to give away Ford truck at The Rental Show.(NEWSLINE: The Latest Industry Development)
December 1, 2005... The American Rental Association will give one lucky member a 2006 Ford F-250 pickup truck valued at $42,000 at the 50th Anniversary of The Rental Show. The drawing for the truck will be held on the last day of the show. Only ARA general members...

Noise measurement standard developed.(NEWSLINE: The Latest Industry Development)
December 1, 2005... The Contractors Pump Bureau {CPB), a product group of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, has developed a voluntary industry standard for measuring sound levels emitted by portable dewatering pumps, including power supply units for...

In memorial.(NEWSLINE: The Latest Industry Development)
December 1, 2005... Ron Olitsky, president of Underground Service Alert of Southern California (USA/SC), died unexpectedly on Oct. 3. He was 64. Olitsky joined the Southern California one-call agency in 1980. Throughout his tenure there, he was active at many...

OSHA proposes new requirements for underground utility construction.(Washington watch)
December 1, 2005... The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) wants to revamp its 30-year-old rules on underground construction for utilities. Public comments are due in January and an informal public hearing is planned for March 6. The revised...

Astec underground.(Equipment Spotlight: TRENCHERS)
December 1, 2005... The RT960 trencher is powered by a turbocharged diesel engine that delivers 99.5 horsepower. A four-speed, "shift on the go" Hydrashift transmission makes gear changes quick and easy and enhances fine creep control sensitivity. Transport speed...

Ditch Witch.(Equipment Spotlight: TRENCHERS)
December 1, 2005... The RT55 is the most compact of the RT series. Its quiet, 60-horsepower, 2004-compliant Deutz engine produces cleaner emissions and minimal noise. This enables the operator to work longer hours in congested urban areas. The RT55 features the...

The Toro company.(Equipment Spotlight: TRENCHERS)
December 1, 2005... The Toro DD 619 trencher attachment features a powerful direct drive system, multiple boom length configurations, a heavy-duty nose roller bearing and a convenient chain tensioner. A larger hydraulic motor provides greater torque, a longer...

Vermeer.(Equipment Spotlight: TRENCHERS)
December 1, 2005... The 92,000 pound T858 Commander track trencher can shift 32.5 inches in each direction. This enhanced cutting capacity gives contractors additional access and the ability to trench alongside job site obstacles. The T858 also has a curved...

Astec underground.(Equipment Spotlight: CABLE LAYING EQUIPMENT)
December 1, 2005... The Astec 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,...

Vermeer.(Equipment Spotlight: CABLE LAYING EQUIPMENT)
December 1, 2005... Vermeer launches its first-ever family of ride-on trenchers with a track undercarriage. Lower ground pressure, increased traction in certain ground conditions, and greater stability are a few of the benefits the Vermeer RTX350, RTX450 and...

Roose Mfg.(Equipment Spotlight: CABLE LAYING EQUIPMENT)
December 1, 2005... The Model RR-250 Self-Load real trailer can carry two, 5,000 pound, 125-inch diameter spools with 62-inch inside working width. It is equipped with tandem osolating wheel system with Dexter Never-Lub axles. Two manual hand pumps are standard....

Condux International.(Equipment Spotlight: CABLE LAYING EQUIPMENT)
December 1, 2005... Condux's 9,000-pound hydraulic underground pulling trailer is designed for installing underground cable. The WDR505 is completely self-contained and transports easily to the job site. Features like anti-twist rope and modular extension arms...

Ditch Witch.(Equipment Spotlight: CABLE LAYING EQUIPMENT)
December 1, 2005... The 1030 walk-along trencher is designed for residential and short-run commercial service line work lines requiring trenches up to 6 inches wide and 30 inches deep. Choice of Kohler or Honda air-cooled overhead valve gasoline engines produces...

Kiefer industrial trailers.(Equipment Spotlight: CABLE LAYING EQUIPMENT)
December 1, 2005... Kiefer's ICD Series of cable trailers are available in sizes "icd" 100, 200,300 and 400. Standard features include: 6- or 10-inch steel channel cold formed frame and tongue; 1/2-inch formed steel plate five-position adjustable hitch; 7,000...

Arnco.(Equipment Spotlight: CABLE LAYING EQUIPMENT)
December 1, 2005... Arnco offers three models of the Reel-Master RM 3050 Series cable and duct reel trailer: RM 3050-35 (up to 3,500 pounds), RM 3050 60 (up to 6,000 pounds) and RM 3050-10 (up to 10,000 pounds). All models are designed to safely transport up to...

Loan actions questioned: contractors concerned about suspension of funds; RUS says policies unchanged.
December 1, 2005... The risk of not being paid for costs incurred and work performed on rural utility projects financed by the United States Department of Agriculture loans is a concern among some members of the Power & Communications Contractors Association. ...

Fiber build-out market: continues to gain momentum.
December 1, 2005... FTTP--fiber-to-the-premises--is a hot topic among companies who build and supply components and equipment for constructing telecommunications networks. And with good reason. Most organizations who rode the telecom wave of the telecom...

City offering broadband over electric grid.
December 1, 2005... Manassas, VA, is offering broadband communications services over the city's existing electrical infrastructure to more than 15,000 potential customers. The Washington, D.C. suburb is the first city in the United States to make broadband...

Private fiber networks offer viable alternatives: traditional service provides can't match the in-service pace of private companies.
December 1, 2005... Individuals, businesses of all sizes, educational institutions and government agencies want to be connected via high-speed broadband networks that bring advanced communications services, data and video transmission, and other benefits, just as...

New combo VacEx unit designed for keyhole projects.(First Look)
December 1, 2005... The McLaughlin Group is marketing a combination vacuum excavation/coring machine which is described as being specially designed for keyholing projects. The VT250DKH includes a vacuum excavation system that operates with high-pressure water...

NASSCO introduces manhole assessment program.(Rehabilitation TECHNOLOGY)
December 1, 2005... New standards for inspecting and evaluating the condition of manholes and other structures for accessing sanitary sewer systems soon will be complete, says Irv Gemora executive director of NASSCO, a national association dedicated to...

HDD integral to Baker Electric projects.(DIRECTIONAL DRILLING)
December 1, 2005... Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) has close ties with the electrical industry. In the 1980s the Electrical Power Research Institute recognized the need for a way to install underground cable that was less disruptive than excavation....

Shopping & drilling at the mall: HDD, piercing tools efficiently install new utilities inside active shopping mall.(DIRECTIONAL DRILLING)
December 1, 2005... The directional drilling equipment routinely used for installing underground utilities is turning up in some unusual places as project and property owners become more aware of the benefits offered by this versatile trenchless method. A...

HDD solves pipeline installation dilemma for Pemex.(DIRECTIONAL DRILLING)
December 1, 2005... Mears Group Inc.'s MearsMex office in San Pedro--Nuevo Leon, Mexico, recently completed a horizontal directional drilling project for Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) that took an already unique trenchless construction technique to new limits. The...

Saving the longest for last: Big Warrior selects big rig for gas pipeline installation.(DIRECTIONAL DRILLING)
December 1, 2005... Sometimes big jobs call for big machines. When Big Warrior Corp. based in Cleveland, AL, was faced with installing a 12-inch natural gas transmission line spanning 2,000 feet in solid rock, the company's horizontal directional drilling...

UCT: where all the pieces come together: combining cutting-edge trenchless techniques with innovative conventional methods.
December 1, 2005... For only the second time in its 12-year history, the Underground Construction Technology International Conference & Exhibition will be moving out of Houston to another city. The Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, GA, will host the 2006 UCT from...

RehabZone adds hands-on education to UCT; special interactive "pipes" exhibit added to 'Zone.
December 1, 2005... The next RehabZone will be in a new city and include several new features. Re RehabZone focuses on technologies for rehabilitating the world's underground utility infrastructure. It is a "show within a show" at the annual Underground...

Special sessions highlight UCT educational program.(2006 UCT Atlanta)
December 1, 2005... In addition to the benchmark educational program, several special programs and schools are being offered in conjunction with UCT: * A special pre-show program titled Sewer Rehabilitation Strategy Workshop will be taught by renowned engineer...

Atlanta's Robert Hunter to be honored at MVP luncheon.
December 1, 2005... The Gulf Coast Trenchless Association and Underground Construction magazine, has announced that Robert Hunter, director of the city of Atlanta's Department of Watershed Management, has been named the winner of the 2006 Most Valuable...

UCT 2006 educational program.(Calendar)
December 1, 2005... Program subjects and dates are tentative and subject to change. Visit our website, www.uctonline.com, for detailed and updated session information JANUARY 24-26 I Tutorials * Introduction To Sewer & Water...

UCT product & services.
December 1, 2005... Ace Pipe Cleaning #510 www.caryloncorp.com Circle no. 365 Advance Products & Systems #431 www.apsonline.com Circle no. 200 Advantica #829 www.advantica.biz Circle no. 201 Advantica offers Swagelining,...

Bobcat Company.(Business News: The Latest Industry News)
December 1, 2005... Bobcat Company, a business unit of Ingersoll-Rand Company, will be the anchor tenant of the North Dakota State University (NDSU) Center for Technology Enterprise, at the NDSU Research & Technology Park in Fargo, ND. A formal groundbreaking for...

Jason Consultants.(Business News: The Latest Industry News)
December 1, 2005... Dec Downey, a principal at Jason Consultants Group, was elected as ISTT Vice Chairman at The International Society of Trenchless Technology (ISTT) board meeting held in Rotterdam on Sept. 18. Downey has been the UKSTT (UK Society of...

Volvo Construction Equipment.(Business News: The Latest Industry News)
December 1, 2005... Wes Lee has been named vice president, Key Accounts, for Volvo Construction Equipment North America, Asheville, NC, the sales, marketing and product support subsidiary of Volvo Construction Equipment, Brussels, Belgium. Lee joined Volvo...

JCB.(Business News: The Latest Industry News)
December 1, 2005... JCB has been awarded a contract, expected to be worth up to $140 million, to supply the U.S. Army with a high-speed backhoe loader for military engineering tasks. The High Mobility Engineer Excavator (HMEE) vehicle has been designed to meet the...

North American Green.(Business News: The Latest Industry News)
December 1, 2005... North American Green's president of 20 years, Jim Niemeier, retired from the company in October. Niemeier joined North American Green at the time of its incorporation in 1985 and was responsible for business planning and management...

Road Machinery Company.(Business News: The Latest Industry News)
December 1, 2005... Javier Quintero has joined Road Machinery Company as account manager in Albuquerque, NM. In his new position, Quintero will be responsible for sales and rentals of new and used Komatsu equipment, as well as many other related construction...

Topcon Positioning Systems.(Business News: The Latest Industry News)
December 1, 2005... Ray O'Connor, chief executive officer of Topcon Positioning Systems of Livermore, CA, is this year's recipient of Toshiba's Business Performance Award. As the primary shareholder of Topcon Corp., Toshiba has benefited from the exponential...

Earth Tech.(Business News: The Latest Industry News)
December 1, 2005... Earth Tech Inc., a business unit of Tyco International Ltd., and a global provider of consulting, engineering and construction services, has named Randy A. Moore regional vice president in its North America Contract Operations business. He will...

Black & Veatch Corporation.(Business News: The Latest Industry News)
December 1, 2005... Black & Veatch Corporation announced that Dean Oskvig, chief operating officer of B&V Energy, the company's global Energy business, will become president and CEO of B&V Energy effective January 1, 2006. B&V Energy is the company's largest...

Kubota celebrates grand opening in Groveport, OH.(Business News: The Latest Industry News)
December 1, 2005... After two years of meticulous planning, building and mounting excitement, Kubota Tractor Corporation (KTC) celebrated the grand opening of its new Northern Division office, warehouse and distribution facility in Groveport, OH, on Aug. 24. ...

Caterpillar.(Business News: The Latest Industry News)
December 1, 2005... Caterpillar has signed definitive agreements to enter into a global alliance with JLG Industries to produce a full line-up of Caterpillar branded telehandlers. The alliance is a strong strategic fit for both companies and will give Caterpillar...

Perma-Liner names CFO & director of operations.(Business News: The Latest Industry News)
December 1, 2005... Perma-Liner Industries Inc., a supplier of cured-in-place pipe lining materials and equipment for trenchless sewer line rehabilitation, has named Eric Baum chief financial officer. Baum's career spans more than 10 years, with experience in...

Osborn hosts ribbon-cutting ceremony.(Business News: The Latest Industry News)
December 1, 2005... Osborn International, a manufacturer of power brushes and maintenance products, cut the ribbon on the company's new $8 million, 180,O00-square-foot manufacturing and distribution facility in Richmond, IN, on Sept. 13,2005. Osborn's newest...

Hyundai construction equipment.(New Products: The Latest Product Developments)
December 1, 2005... Hyundai's new wheeled excavators--R140W-7 and R200W-7--feature an improved Computer Aided Power Optimization management system (CAPO), which include: new mode controls for greater operator efficiency and a self-diagnostic display system that...

Leading edge attachments.(New Products: The Latest Product Developments)
December 1, 2005... DigNRip excavator bucket functions similarly to that of a trencher, for severe rock and frost removal. The ripper tooth tips are located at special computer generated positions that combines the contact positions associated with a rolling...

Thompson Pump's new 8-inch high air handling dry-priming pump.(New Products: The Latest Product Developments)
December 1, 2005... Thompson Pump & Manufacturing Co., in Port Orange, FL, introduces its new 8-inch high air handling dry-priming pump, the 8JSVW. With a 200-cfm priming system and 3-inch solids handling, the pump is versatile enough to handle wellpoint and...

CA[T.sup.3]--cable avoidance reaches a new level.(New Products: The Latest Product Developments)
December 1, 2005... Radiodetection is introducing a new generation of cable avoidance tools with groundbreaking features--delivering improved safety, faster surveys and simpler operation. Buried utilities (even previously located) can endanger construction...

Grindex.(New Products: The Latest Product Developments)
December 1, 2005... The new submersible Tubo pumps from Grindex are designed for drainage works in narrow spaces. The pumps have a central discharge, allowing them to be used in 8-inch and 12-inch tubes. Typical applications include drainage in filter tubes in...

Atlas copco construction tools.(New Products: The Latest Product Developments)
December 1, 2005... The GB 5800 hydraulic breaker attachment features Krupp percussion technology and a service weight of more than six tons. Accepting a hydraulic flow of up to 103 gpm at 2,610 of pressure, the GB 5800 delivers an impact rate of up to 460 bpm....

Yanmar America.(New Products: The Latest Product Developments)
December 1, 2005... The new models Vi045-5 and Vi055-5 mid size mini excavators have operating weights of 10,121 and 11,312 pounds canopy equipped. The stability of the new Universal series zero tail swing machines equal that of full size conventional excavators....

Raven lining systems.(REHAB PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2005... Raven A-61 is a solvent-free expoxy certified to meet the potable water requirements of NASI/NSF Standard 61 and IAPMO IGC 189-2003. A-61 boasts a 5-hour potable water return-to-service certification, the industry's quickest commercial hot...

AMerik supplies.(New Products: The Latest Product Developments)
December 1, 2005... The Top Hat system installs a polyester or vinylester impregnated corrosion resistant fiberglass insert into the lateral opening. An epoxy component achieves bonding on wet surfaces. Equipment for six- to 36-inch main lines is available. The...

Logiball.(New Products: The Latest Product Developments)
December 1, 2005... The 2001L packers help users pump chemical grouts reputed to be too sticky such as urethane. The mainline sleeve expands to create a minimal grout mixing chamber. The grout migrates freely along the restricted expansion of the body of the...

Calendar of events.(Calendar)
December 1, 2005... 2005 Dec. 14 Gulf Coast Trenchless Association General Meeting H.E.S.S. Club Houston, TX Web: www.gctaonline.org 2006 UCT Atlanta Jan. 24-26 Cobb Galleria Centre Atlanta, GA Contact: Shannon...