Underground Construction articles from January 2006

Underground Construction archives from January 2006

Peaks and valleys.(Editor's Log)
January 1, 2006... In this issue of Underground Construction, our editors have prepared special state-of-the-industry reports that provide important and interesting information on two vital markets in underground construction. Managing Editor Rita Tubb presents a...

Southwest Gas donates equipment to Gulf Coast utilities.(NEWSLINE: The Latest Industry Developments)
January 1, 2006... In response to a plea for equipment from natural gas utilities in the Gulf Coast areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Southwest Gas has donated more than 500 hand-held leak survey instruments the company recently retired from service....

City of Houston fined for wastewater violations.(NEWSLINE: The Latest Industry Developments)
January 1, 2006... The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has fined the city of Houston almost $1 million for environmental violations at wastewater facilities around the city. The fines stem from 31 violations found during investigations of 11...

NASSCO holds semi-annual meeting.(NEWSLINE: The Latest Industry Developments)
January 1, 2006... The semi-annual NASSCO board of directors and membership meetings were held at the recent WEFTEC Conference in Washington DC. In its continuing effort to help educate the industry on pipeline rehabilitation, NASSCO sponsored the Sewer...

British Columbia hosts annual IPLOCA convention.(NEWSLINE: The Latest Industry Developments)
January 1, 2006... Companies active in the international pipeline construction industry recently convened in Vancouver, B.C. to attend the 2005 International Pipe Line Offshore Contractors Association convention. Some 600 attended the event at the Fairmount...

ARA offers more education at The Rental Show.(NEWSLINE: The Latest Industry Developments)
January 1, 2006... The American Rental Association's Construction U educational program leads off The Rental Show 50th Anniversary with more relevant and rental-specific content for those in general tool and construction rental businesses with light and heavy...

Cable, Sprint make a deal.(NEWSLINE: The Latest Industry Developments)
January 1, 2006... Cable companies--Time Warner Cable, Comcast, Cox Communications and Advance/Newhouse Communications--have joined forces with Sprint-Nextel to offer cell phone service. The deal will allow them to package television, Internet and wireless...

Congress turns to increasing natural gas production.(Washington watch)
January 1, 2006... High natural gas prices were apt to be among the first issues Congress had to deal with when it returned to town in early January. With continuing shut-in Gulf production keeping upwards pressure on gas prices, key members of both the House and...

Pipelines oppose re-regulation of gathering lines.(Washington watch)
January 1, 2006... Pipelines and gas producers are on different sides of the rekindled debate over whether FERC should re-regulate natural gas gathering lines in shallow waters in the Outer Continental Shelf. The debate over gathering lines goes back decades, and...

John Deere Construction & Forestry.(Equipment Spotlight: CRAWLER TRACTORS & SIDEBOOMS)
January 1, 2006... A key feature of the new J Series machines (models 450J, 550J and 650J) is a standard, infinitely adjustable blade pitch link. With only one wrench, the blade cutting edge angle can easily be adjusted to any position from 52 to 60 degrees to...

Midwestern Mfg.(Equipment Spotlight: CRAWLER TRACTORS & SIDEBOOMS)
January 1, 2006... The M16R sideboom designed and built by Midwestern Manufacturing provides a compact and powerful addition to the versatility of the rubber tire tractor. With a lifting capacity of 16,000 pounds, the fully hydraulic M16R enables the operator...

Liebherr construction equipment.(Equipment Spotlight: CRAWLER TRACTORS & SIDEBOOMS)
January 1, 2006... Liebherr's Series 4 dozer line features two new dozer models, the PR 724 Litronic and the PR 734 Litronic, which feature increased performance, reduced operating costs and greater operator comfort. The new hydrostatic driveline provides...

Worldwide Machinery.(Equipment Spotlight: CRAWLER TRACTORS & SIDEBOOMS)
January 1, 2006... Worldwide has developed a replacement winch system for Caterpillar sidebooms. The old mechanical system and its multitude of hand controls is replaced with a modern hydraulically actuated winch system that has only a single lever control. This...

Case.(Equipment Spotlight: CRAWLER TRACTORS & SIDEBOOMS)
January 1, 2006... The Case 1850K crawler dozer provides up to 185 horsepower, 671 foot-pounds of torque and 126 inches of track on ground. The advanced hydraulics and steering make for smooth operation, whether doing heavy dozing or finish grading. With...

Caterpillar.(Equipment Spotlight: CRAWLER TRACTORS & SIDEBOOMS)
January 1, 2006... The new T-Series Track-Type Tractors--D8T, D9T and D10T--are powered by Cat engines with ACERT technology that meet EPA Tier 3 and European Union Stage IIIa exhaust emissions regulations. All three engines feature an engine controller, which...

Wheeled excavators: expanded niche in NA markets.
January 1, 2006... Large excavators are most often thought of as the powerful track machines that do major excavation for open-cut water and sewer construction and highway work and other projects that require wide, deep excavations. Wheel excavators...

Trench grader fills, compacts in single pass.(First Look)
January 1, 2006... Wallace Specialty Equipment has introduced a new series of trench graders that fills and compacts trenches in a single pass. Trench Grader models are available for use with both tractors and skid-steer loaders. "Trench Grader equipment...

Gas distribution spending to top $8.9 billion in 2006.
January 1, 2006... The nation's gas distribution system has seen a number of changes over the past year. The wholesale price of natural gas rose from around $6 per Mcf in May 2005 to near $13 in early November, in large part because of the damage caused by...

DCA president's profile: Ken Gabrielse.
January 1, 2006... The year 2005 was an eventful one for America's utility contractors and especially for members of the Distribution Contractors Association (DCA). Increased levels of utility construction were driven by the telecommunication industry's...

Changes drive strong telecom market: analysts, carriers, contractors agree 2006 prospects positive.
January 1, 2006... As the new year begins, reports from the fast-changing telecommunications market is mostly good. Continuing consolidation, increasing demand for broadband services, deployment of fiber to or near customer premises, competition between...

PCCA: leaders remain, association and industry move forward.
January 1, 2006... When Deborah Clark, who was slated to be the 2005-06 president of the Power & Communication Contractors Association (PCCA), decided to spend more time ranching and less time contracting, the association faced a bit of dilemma. Austin...

Energy pipeline work finally looking up.(Construction Outlook)
January 1, 2006... The pipeline industry, a truly international business, is gaining more importance as the natural gas markets expand globally. These trends are strongly reflected in Underground Construction/Pipeline & Gas Journal's 2006 Worldwide Pipeline...

PLCA president's profile: Robert H. Westphal.
January 1, 2006... Robert Westphal, senior vice president of Michels Corporation, Brownsville, WI, will complete his term as the Pipe Line Contractors Association's president at the 58th annual convention, Feb. 9-13, at the Four Seasons Resort-Aviara, Carlsbad,...

Canadian pipeline construction: paints promising scenario.
January 1, 2006... At the International Offshore Pipe Line Contractors Association's annual convention in Vancouver, BC, attendees heard that the future for Canada's pipeline industry has never looked better. In fact, Barry Brown, the executive director of the...

Solving pipeline padding; problems in Alabama.(Rehabilitation TECHNOLOGY)
January 1, 2006... The hills of Alabama can be very challenging even for the most seasoned pipeline contractor. Neverthless, when CDX Gas, LLC (CDX) of Dallas wanted to construct a pipeline in the area, Progressive Pipeline, Inc. of Livingston, AL, was up to...

Big changes at Ultraliner: company undergoes major product, organizational expansion.(Rehabilitation TECHNOLOGY)
January 1, 2006... Ultraliner Inc., supplier of Ultraliner PVC Alloy Pipeliner, is expanding its presence in the underground infrastructure rehabilitation market with the addition of several new products, and is beginning to extend the availability of its...

Inspection, design, installation guidelines when relining sewer manholes.(U-Tech: Underground Technology Cutting Edge Technical Information For Utility Construction & Rehabilitation)
January 1, 2006... Sanitary sewer pipeline collection systems and manholes are a vital component in every city's infrastructure. These systems are designed to transport wastewater to treatment facilities. When infiltration enters the sanitary system through the...

Avanti Intl.(Product Focus)
January 1, 2006... Avanti International chemical grouts are the only 100 percent method to stop leaks in mainline sewers, laterals and manholes along with preventing erosion and hazardous waste migration. Since 1978, Avanti's product line has grown from...

Prime Resins.(Product Focus)
January 1, 2006... Groundwater infiltration into storm sewer lines through loose joints and cracks can wash soil from under roadways and cause potholes and cave-ins. These problems can often be fixed quickly, without excavation, by injecting Prime-Flex 920, a...

De Neef Construction Chemicals.(Product Focus)
January 1, 2006... De Neef Construction Chemicals has added epoxy production equipment to the company's manufacturing facility in Waller, TX, and seven new products to its Denepox line of epoxies. De Neef has always had unique epoxies for specialized...

Logiball.(Product Focus)
January 1, 2006... Logiball designs and manufactures Lateral Connection Test and Seal Grout Packers that are used to control infiltration in sewers. Lateral Packers are available for 6-inch through 30-inch mainlines for 4-inch to 6-inch laterals. Lateral packers...

Aries Industries.(Product Focus)
January 1, 2006... Aries grout test/seal panel, lateral packer panel and interconnect hose connection options make it easy to operate packers from almost any manufacturer. Aries offers grout reels with 500-foot or 700-foot capacities, with either Quad hose (four...

Strong Company.(Product Focus)
January 1, 2006... A pure fused calcium aluminate mortar, Strong-Seal High Performance Mix stops infiltration and restores structural integrity; however, it has been specifically designed for protection against microbiologically induced corrosion. Laboratory and...

Duke's Root Control.(Product Focus)
January 1, 2006... Duke's Root Control offers a chemical root control service designed to eliminate sanitary sewer overflows (SSO's) and stoppages caused by root intrusion in sewer lines. All products are EPA registered and approved for use in sanitary sewers....

RootX.(Product Focus)
January 1, 2006... RootX foaming root control is engineered to be a simple yet effective method for eliminating damaging root growth in municipal and residential pipelines. By simply adding water, RootX creates a powerful root killing foam which will reach to the...

CONTECH Construction Products, Apax Partners.(Business News: The Latest Industry News)(Company Profile)
January 1, 2006... CONTECH Construction Products Inc., a civil engineering site solutions products and services company, and Apax Partners, L.P., a private equity investment group, announced that funds advised by Apax Partners will acquire a majority ownership...

CertainTeed.(Business News: The Latest Industry News)
January 1, 2006... On Nov. 15, 2005, CertainTeed Corp. and more than 7,000 of its employees honored their commitment to health and safety by celebrating the first annual CertainTeed Health and Safety Day. "We have designated the day to reinforce CertainTeed's...

Paladin.(Business News: The Latest Industry News)
January 1, 2006... Paladin has appointed Jon R. Carlson to the position of president and chief executive officer. Carlson also will serve as a director of the company. Bill Van Sant will continue as chairman of Paladin's board of directors. In his new role,...

Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers.(Business News: The Latest Industry News)
January 1, 2006... Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers surpassed a major milestone at its two-day unreserved auction in Grande Prairie, AB. The Nov. 2-3 sale generated over CAD$47 million in gross auction sales, making it the company's highest-grossing Canadian sale to...

TBE Group.(Business News: The Latest Industry News)
January 1, 2006... TBE Group has appointed Clyde B. Johnson, SR/WA, as director for TBE's Right-of-Way Services Division. Based in TBE's Atlanta office, Johnson's responsibilities include business development for right-of-way acquisition/ relocation and outdoor...

Water Environment Federation.(Business News: The Latest Industry News)
January 1, 2006... J. Michael Read, a water quality professional from Oregon City, OR, has been elected president of the Water Environment Federation (WEF), an international technical, scientific and educational water quality organization. He was elected to the...

Kubota achieves 1 million units sold.(Business News: The Latest Industry News)
January 1, 2006... Kubota Tractor Corporation (KTC) has reached a retail milestone, announcing the sale of its one millionth Kubota unit sold in the United States. Gary Pittman, owner of a 1,200-acre farm near Dallas in Millsap, TX, recently purchased a Kubota...

PXPumps A/S.(New Products: The Latest Product Developments)
January 1, 2006... PXPumps offers a base range of wastewater pumps--models PXO, PX1, PX2, PX3 and PX4, in power range of 0.55 kW to 100 kW--to meet the market demands up to 100 kW in 60 Hz. All models can be configured for different power supplies for 220 to 600...

Footage tools.(New Products: The Latest Product Developments)
January 1, 2006... The new T752 Mini Tap XL portable saddle tapping tool with a tapping capacity of 3/4 inch to 2 inches is ideal for water works applications, especially when working in tight quarters. Weighing only 7.5 pounds, the T752 is 15-inches long and...

Mapping system is multi utility tool.(New Products: The Latest Product Developments)
January 1, 2006... Specto Civil Technology Inc., based in Mission, BC, Canada, provides surveying services and sells a range of technical products in the field of civil engineering for mapping underground utility infrastructures. The company launched the...

Locator identifies, protects newly installed utilities.(New Products: The Latest Product Developments)
January 1, 2006... Intromark Inc. announces a license has been signed with RoDon Corp for the Construction Site Utility Locator (CSUL). RoDon Corp is a major manufacturer of above ground high visibility mechanical locating devices relating to fire hydrants,...

PipeLogix.(New Products: The Latest Product Developments)
January 1, 2006... PipeLogix announces the redesign and enhancement of its flexiplayer program. The flexiplayer can be utilized and distributed by anyone with a flexidata DVS Module license to enable the sharing of recorded survey footage along with all survey...

Mastenbroek.(New Products: The Latest Product Developments)
January 1, 2006... Mastenbroek's new range of hard rock trenchers features a revolutionary method of cutting which provides increased productivity at lower cost. Unlike conventional trenchers where a rear mounted digging boom is pulled onto the rock face,...

Kenco.(New Products: The Latest Product Developments)
January 1, 2006... Some jobs such as hammering are normally so severe that utilizing a coupler system on your excavator is nearly impossible. Traditional pin grabbing coupler systems would literally be pulverized. The Kenco Hardrock Coupler is designed to...

WennSoft.(New Products: The Latest Product Developments)
January 1, 2006... WennSoft launched their new Mobile Pilot Program for field technicians. WennSoft has built alliances with HP, Psion Teklogix, Broadbeam and Cingular Wireless to deliver this unique program. The program provides the opportunity for field service...

MicroTesla.(New Products: The Latest Product Developments)
January 1, 2006... The Wireline Directional Steering Sensor is ideal for trenchless and oilfield related applications. Three sensor temperature ratings are available ranging from 125 degrees C to 175 degrees C. The MicroTesla Steering Module, or MSM, is...

John Deere Construction & Forestry.(New Products: The Latest Product Developments)
January 1, 2006... The new John Deere Worksite Pro RL66 and RL84 Roller Levels make grading, leveling and contouring with detail control a breeze for skid steer operators. These new attachments are a patented box blade with roller level that can do landscape and...

George Fischer Inc.(New Products: The Latest Product Developments)
January 1, 2006... The new Type 388 Metallic Butterfly Valve is now offered in two styles--cast iron wafer and ductile iron lug. Both configurations feature heavy-duty iron capable of withstanding rugged industrial use for increased service life. Typical points...

Calendar of events: 2006.(Business Cards)(Calendar)
January 1, 2006... 2006 Feb. 6-9 American Rental Association 50th Anniversary-The Rental Show Orange County Convention Center Orlando, FL Web: www.ararental.org/rentalshow Feb. 7-12 Distribution Contractors Association 45th Annual Convention...