Underground Construction articles from January 2008

Underground Construction archives from January 2008

Growth hard to predict.(Editor's Log)
January 1, 2008... Growth is imperative for any business, in any market. It is a fluid concept, subject to not only internal directions and action, but also outside pressures and market nuances. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the underground construction...

Construction spending update.(NEWSLINE: The Latest Industry Developments)
January 1, 2008... Despite continued weakness in the residential construction sector, nonresidential construction spending in September increased 1.8 percent to a record $644 billion, according to a recent release of construction spending by the U.S. Commerce...

EPA recognizes storm water project.(NEWSLINE: The Latest Industry Developments)
January 1, 2008... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recognized the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, Berkeley County, WV, and the city of Martinsburg, WV, for their partnership effort to create an innovative rain garden to control...

Seattle pursues broadband.(NEWSLINE: The Latest Industry Developments)
January 1, 2008... Several years ago, the city of Seattle pursued the idea of a fiber optic network for residents, but it has yet to take any action. Meanwhile, rural Chelan County is busy building fiber to every home and business in the county, and hopes to...

Funding rehab projects pose biggest challenge to sewer industry.(NEWSLINE: The Latest Industry Developments)(Survey)
January 1, 2008... Funding for sewer rehabilitation projects is the biggest challenge to the sewer industry according to an online survey of more than 300 NASSCO (National Association of Sewer Service Companies) members conducted in September 2007. "It's no...

Microtunneling, pipe jacking compendium available.(NEWSLINE: The Latest Industry Developments)
January 1, 2008... A new microtunneling and pipe jacking compendium detailing the latest technology and developments is now available to engineers and contractors. Leading experts in their field, professional engineers James Thomson (lead author), Dr. Martin...

John Deere clarifies position on biodiesel.(NEWSLINE: The Latest Industry Developments)
January 1, 2008... Due to the variety of standards that exist in the diesel engine industry and in response to questions from various markets, John Deere Power Systems (JDPS) is officially clarifying its position on the use of biodiesel in its diesel engines. ...

Companies prepare for TxDOT cuts.(NEWSLINE: The Latest Industry Developments)
January 1, 2008... The Texas Department of Transportation's decision to cut parts of its 2008 budget has left some Central Texas engineering and construction firms preparing for the fallout that will come from the department's tighter engineering, consulting and...

In memoriam.(NEWSLINE: The Latest Industry Developments)(Obituary)
January 1, 2008... John Fabick III, regional vice president of Pipeline Machinery International, passed away Nov. 25, 2007, at age 78. Fabick began his career as a warehouseman at Pipeline Machinery at the age of 15 and held various positions until he became vice...

Bobcat: special-edition book marks 50th anniversary, compact equipment.(NEWSLINE: The Latest Industry Developments)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A recently released book details the colorful history of North Dakota-based Bobcat Company from the beginnings of the first compact loader to what has grown into a worldwide brand icon. Now, the compact equipment...

FERC staff gives REX East initial EIS clearance.(Washington watch)
January 1, 2008... In late November, the staff at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) published a draft environmental impact statement essentially clearing the proposed Rockies Express East (REX) project, slated to run 639 miles from Wyoming to Monroe...

Midwestern Mfg.(equipment spotlight: CRAWLER TRACTORS & SIDEBOOMS)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The M510C hydraulic sideboom attachment provides a lifting capacity of 10,000 pounds, maximum load of 8,500 pounds and working load of 8,500 pounds with a 4-foot overhang. The three-lever control system allows for...

Worldwide Machinery.(equipment spotlight: CRAWLER TRACTORS & SIDEBOOMS)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 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...

Case.(equipment spotlight: CRAWLER TRACTORS & SIDEBOOMS)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Case has upgraded its hydrostatic crawler dozers, including models 650K, 750K and 850K. The new engines provide increased displacement and torque rise and improved emissions controls. The Case K Series 3 crawlers...

RWF Bron.(equipment spotlight: CRAWLER TRACTORS & SIDEBOOMS)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The BRON 150P self-propelled Pipelayer is designed to perform efficiently in difficult, sensitive conditions. The 150P features full hydrostatic drive that gives full control of track speed and critical link controls...

Volvo CE.(equipment spotlight: CRAWLER TRACTORS & SIDEBOOMS)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Volvo Construction Equipment's new range of five pipe layer models, from 20 to 150 metric ton lift capacity offer 360-degree swing with full lifting performance and functionality at all radius positions. With a wider...

John Deere Construction & Forestry.(equipment spotlight: CRAWLER TRACTORS & SIDEBOOMS)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Well suited for earthmoving work requiring a 99-hp machine, the John Deere 605C Crawler Loader extends the company's crawler loader line to the under 100-hp class. The 605C uses the same rugged and reliable drive...

Caterpillar.(equipment spotlight: CRAWLER TRACTORS & SIDEBOOMS)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The new Caterpillar 953D and 963D track loaders features a fuel efficient engine with more power, a new load sensing hydraulics implement system and electro-hydraulic implement controls, responsive hydrostatic drive...

Unprecedented opportunities for pipeline construction continue to grow.
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Underground Construction's pipeline construction survey figures indicate that new and planned pipeline construction in North America remains strong. This year's figures show 46,072 miles of oil and gas pipelines are...

Savannah turns to microtunneling: trenchless methods protects, preserves city's historic areas.
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] The city of Savannah, located on Georgia's Emerald Coast between South Caroline and Florida, is one of the world's most beautiful cities, a place where visitors step back in time to the relaxed pace of the Old...

New gyroscopic guidance system developed for HDD.(FIRST LOOK)
January 1, 2008... A new gyroscopic guidance system developed specifically for horizontal directional drilling (HDD) has been introduced to the U.S. by SlimDril International. "The Drillguide GST utilizes highly-accurate (plus or minus 0.04 degrees)...

PCCA growth, activities continue to rise.(CONVENTION PREVIEW)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] The Power and Communications Contractors Association (PCCA) had a productive 2007, reports association president Herb Fluharty, Mears Group, who cites impressive membership growth, the launch of a Young Construction...

DCA experiences strong year.(CONVENTION PREVIEW)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] DCA 47th Annual Convention Feb. 12-17, 2008 Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa Indian Wells, CA Overall, business in 2007 was favorable for the Distribution Contractors Association (DCA) and its...

Underground damage occurs once every 60 seconds: statistics you can't afford to ignore.
January 1, 2008... It happens every 60 seconds--an underground utility is hit or damaged. The result can range from a minor headache to the loss of 911 and other vital services, and in extreme cases, loss of life. When these scenarios do occur, damage claims and...

Banner year for NASSCO.(Rehabilitation TECHNOLOGY)
January 1, 2008... NASSCO 32nd Annual Conventions Feb. 13-16 Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa Fort Myers, FL Since 1976, NASSCO (National Association of Sewer Service Companies) has been setting the industry standards for the rehabilitation for...

Arkansas contractor takes on collapsed sewer job in industrial park.(Rehabilitation TECHNOLOGY)
January 1, 2008... Take an industrial park with a 60-year-old clay pipe sewer line buried 10 feet below ground, add a road nearby that is highly traveled, and throw in a line break that has Seated a sinkhole big enough to hide a small car. The result?...

NASSCO offers CIPP inspector training.(Rehab News)
January 1, 2008... NASSCO's Inspector Training and Certification Program (ITCP) is a new standard national training and certification program that provides field construction professionals (i.e., consulting and municipal engineers, contractors) with comprehensive...

Envirosight, Vivax form strategic alliance.(Rehab News)
January 1, 2008... Envirosight, a world leader in video pipeline inspection, and Vivax, an innovator of push camera and locator technology, have announced a strategic alliance whose goal is to further the development of push camera technology, and to grow the...

CIPP Corp opens Buenos Aires office.(Rehab News)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CIPP Corp., headquartered in Hudson, IA, opened a new office Nov. 30 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Desler-SA has joined the CIPP Group of rehabilitation contractors to cover Argentina with the CIPP Corp. sewer...

Logiball.(Product Focus: GROUTING TECHNOLOGY & EQUIPMENT)
January 1, 2008... Logiball Lateral Test and Seal Packers are being used to grout leaking laterals up to 30 feet from the mainline sewer. Mainline diameter sizes from 6-inch to 30-inch mainlines with 4-inch to 6-inch laterals. Logiball has been manufacturing test...

Avanti Intl.(Product Focus: GROUTING TECHNOLOGY & EQUIPMENT)
January 1, 2008... 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...

CUES.(Product Focus: GROUTING TECHNOLOGY & EQUIPMENT)
January 1, 2008... Stop infiltration and inflow. If the structural integrity of the pipe, manhole or lateral service is not sound, then joint sealing with chemical grout is an efficient choice. CUES offers a full line of portable and truck-mounted grout...

Parson Environmental.(Product Focus: GROUTING TECHNOLOGY & EQUIPMENT)
January 1, 2008... Grout Pump for single component injection grouting is portable and highly reliable. It is also unmatched in performance, features and versatility. (800) 356-9023, parsonenvironmental.com [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Aries Industries.(Product Focus: GROUTING TECHNOLOGY & EQUIPMENT)
January 1, 2008... Aries grout 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 part) or Penta...

CETCO drilling products.(Product Focus: GROUTING TECHNOLOGY & EQUIPMENT)
January 1, 2008... CETCO EcoGrouter is a low cost, portable mini grouter that has been designed for pumping Volclay Granular Grout and Volclay Grout. The CETCO EcoGrouter is light weight, approximately 230 pounds. Now available as gas or electric! (800) 527-9948,...

Prime resins.(Product Focus: GROUTING TECHNOLOGY & EQUIPMENT)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Prime-Flex polyurethane grout products are used to stop leaks and to fill underground voids without digging. Designed for manhole, sewer pipe, and lateral grouting, these low viscosity injection resins are...

De Neef.(Product Focus: GROUTING TECHNOLOGY & EQUIPMENT)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] De Neef Construction Chemicals has seven products in its Denepox line of epoxies. The Denepox 1-40 is an ultra-low viscosity, long pot life injection epoxy or Dive Zone II, underwater epoxy paste available in a...

Duke's Root Control.(Product Focus: ROOT CONTROL)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Duke's Root Control Service is an effective, proven method for controlling every day sewer line root problems. Over 2,000 municipalities have used Duke's services in more than 100 million feet of sewer pipe. Duke's...

Douglas products.(Product Focus: ROOT CONTROL)
January 1, 2008... Vaporooter is a combination of herbicides that are placed in sewer lines as foam for the purpose of eliminating roots and preventing further destruction of sewer pipe caused by live tree roots. Only roots within the pipe and a very short...

RootX.(Product Focus: ROOT CONTROL)
January 1, 2008... 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...

Novel techniques expedite pipeline construction in Eagle Mountain Lake.(WaterWorks)(Cover story)
January 1, 2008... North Texas, where the area is in need of an estimated 600,000 acre feet of water to meet demand for the next 50 years, is working hard to avoid future water short-ages brought on by the region's booming population. One such effort now...

90-day turnaround assures water supply for north San Antonio.(WaterWorks)
January 1, 2008... Providing adequate supplies of clean drinking water is an ongoing challenge for American cities, one that can be affected by many different issues. Towns and metropolitan areas face crises of various levels of severity. From...

Pipebursting didn't burst the budget in Lansing, MI.(WaterWorks)
January 1, 2008... The city of Lansing, MI, and its local utility refused to stand by and become part of an overwhelming statistic. According to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Report Card 2005, America faces a shortfall of $11 billion annually...

CertainTeed/Saint-Gobain.(Business: THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS)
January 1, 2008... Twenty-two CertainTeed and Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics manufacturing sites in the United States recently received awards for safety performance in 2006 from The Society of the Plastics Industry's (SPI) Occupational Health and...

U-TECK.(Business: THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS)
January 1, 2008... The U-TECK division of R. E. Mason Enterprises, a manufacturer of products for state departments of transportation, municipalities, and the electrical, telephone and CATV industries, has appointed Russell Mason III as National Sales Manager. He...

Plastic Trends.(Business: THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS)
January 1, 2008... Frank Zadrozny has joined the sales team at Plastic Trends, headquartered in Shelby Township, MI, to lead the expansion of the company's sales and marketing to include the electrical distributor. Zadrozny's career in the electrical industry...

INTEC Engineering.(Business: THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS)
January 1, 2008... Heerema Holding and the Supervisory Board of INTEC Engineering have named Edward M. Smith as chief executive officer of INTEC Engineering. Smith's career includes 35 years in operator, contractor and developer roles in both new technology...

American Augers.(Business: THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS)
January 1, 2008... Greg Jeter has joined American Augers in the position of International Territory Manager for Asia and the Middle East. Jeter joined Astec Underground in 2004 where he internationally represented the American Augers, Astec Underground and...

Midwest Mole.(Business: THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS)
January 1, 2008... Midwest Mole has promoted Fredrick Mike Schmitz to foreman from lead man. Schmitz has been with Midwest Mole Inc. for more than three years. Daniel Dudley has been promoted from intern to project engineer at Midwest Mole. Dudley has been...

ADS.(Business: THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS)
January 1, 2008... ADS LLC has acquired Condor Solutions Inc., a research and development company headquartered in Huntsville, AL. "The acquisition of Condor Solutions is further evidence of our commitment to technological advancements. Condor Solutions...

Tectonic.(Business: THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS)
January 1, 2008... To accommodate strong growth in its metro NYC and Mid Hudson regions, Tectonic has relocated the Long Island City (LIC) office to a larger facility. The facility doubles the capacity for housing the increased staffing recently hired to meet...

Subsite equipment.(Business: THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS)
January 1, 2008... The Charles Machine Works announces the addition of Schmetz Messtechnik of Menden, Germany, as an official dealer of Subsite electronic locating equipment, which is used to locate and identify underground utilities at construction jobsites....

French trencher sales for Mastenbroek.(Business: THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mastenbroek, the British manufacturer of trenching and ancillary equipment for the utilities industries, has sold a second 20/14 rock trencher through its distributor in France, Socodima. The latest sale and strong...

IDEX Corporation, Nova Technologies.(Business: THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS)
January 1, 2008... IDEX Corporation has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Nova Technologies Corporation (NTC), a provider of metering technology and flow monitoring services for the water and wastewater markets. ADS LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary...

CONTECH construction products.(Business: THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS)
January 1, 2008... Jeffrey S. Lee has joined CONTECH as senior vice president and chief financial officer. Lee will assume financial and information technology management aspects of the company's operations and provide leadership for CONTECH's strategic business...

Sauereisen.(Business: THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS)
January 1, 2008... Sauereisen, a manufacturer that provides product distribution of corrosion resistant materials, is partnering with Resinar Matereais Compostos, a Brazilian manufacturer of protective coatings, to provide corrosion-resistant materials to protect...

Coble Trench Safety.(Business: THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS)
January 1, 2008... Coble Trench Safety (CTS), a Greensboro-based company specializing in the rental and sales of trench safety equipment, as well as OSHA-compliant training classes, and the rental and sales of traffic safety equipment has opened a new branch in...

Introducing Utilimetrics.(Business: THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS)
January 1, 2008... The Automatic Meter Reading Association (AMRA) announced that it has changed its name to Utilimetrics--Alliance for Advanced Metering and Data Management Solutions as part of its new mission, during the association's international symposium in...

Big pipeline corrosion is target for new specialist team.(Business: THE LATEST INDUSTRY NEWS)
January 1, 2008... To help municipal public works agencies manage underground infrastructure assets more effectively, Oakland-based V&A has established the Civil Infrastructure Assessment Group (CIAG), a team of specialist firms offering capabilities for...

New CAT hydraulic hammer delivers high productivity.(New Products: THE LATEST PRODUCT DEVELOPMENTS)
January 1, 2008... The new Caterpillar H180D S hydraulic hammer is designed to deliver superior breaking productivity and minimize downtime. The piston and tool have been increased in size 15 percent. The hammer weighs 8,600 pounds and is matched to Cat 345C and...

Reef Industries/Terra Tape.(New Products: THE LATEST PRODUCT DEVELOPMENTS)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Terra Tape offers an approved and specified warning system to prevent the dangers of digging into buried lines without service interruptions, unnecessary loss of revenue and repair expenses. Available in seven...

Dura-line.(New Products: THE LATEST PRODUCT DEVELOPMENTS)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] PinPoint MicroDuct locatable individual HDPE conduit (Microduct) is designed to be installed in new or existing 3/4- to 2-inch conduit for fiber optic applications with the use of blowing equipment. PinPoint...

Cutting edge technology/ Barr & Paatz.(New Products: THE LATEST PRODUCT DEVELOPMENTS)
January 1, 2008... The CUTET soil and drainage pipe cutter is designed to cut PVC pipe commonly used for soil drains, vent pipes, storm water and drainage systems, using a standard cordless drill as a power source. It virtually eliminates the risk of leaking...

American Augers.(New Products: THE LATEST PRODUCT DEVELOPMENTS)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The P-500/G2 is a skid mounted, self powered, stand alone mud pump that is the designed for use with mud motors, large reamers or whenever more mud volume is needed down hole. Standard features are a Caterpillar C-15...

New slide rail tool increases speed, ease of installation.(New Products: THE LATEST PRODUCT DEVELOPMENTS)
January 1, 2008... Contractors using PRO-TEC's Slide Rail Systems can now increase the speed and ease of installing the entire system by using a new, exclusive Panel Installation Tool (patent pending) available from PRO-TEC Equipment. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Cues.(Rehab New Products)
January 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The OZII Camera with Laser Diode Measurement System combines the latest laser beam technology with an advanced digital video caliper for precise measurement of pipe joints, cracks, defects, debris and other...

Envirosight.(Rehab New Products)
January 1, 2008... QuickView, the pipeline zoom inspection camera that offers distance-to-target measurement, now also measures pipe diameter and manhole depth with the push of a button. Users of the patented QuickView can now instantly know the size of the line...

Calendar of events.(Calendar)
January 1, 2008... 2008 Jan. 21-25 World of Concrete LV Convention Center Las Vegas, NV Web: worldofconcrete.com Jan. 29-31 UCT 2008 Cobb Galleria Convention Centre Atlanta, GA Contact: Karen Francis PH: (281)...