Brian Dorwart Inducted into NASTT Hall of Fame

Blog, Industry News, trenchless people

The NASTT Hall of Fame is pleased to welcome Brian Dorwart, Senior Consultant at Brierley Associates as its 2024 inductee. The Hall of Fame honors NASTT members who have made outstanding accomplishments and exceptional contributions to the advancement of the North American trenchless industry and NASTT.

As Trenchless Technology techniques were gaining popularity in the US during the late 70s, Brian Dorwart was working in the construction industry as a geologist, geotechnical exploration driller, and construction technician. Immediately following completion of his Master’s degree in Civil Engineering, he started work with a geotechnical engineering firm diving into technical analyses, and management of projects involving geology, geotechnical engineering, underground construction, and geotechnical instrumentation. Dorwart has provided expertise on projects ranging from heavy construction of pipelines, tunnels, dams, and highways, to light industrial buildings and dynamic machine foundations. His area of specialization is the interaction of ground to excavation tools and/or natural environmental processes and ground modification for construction. This specialization has been applied to trenchless technologies including directional drilling, small to large tunnels, soil/rock stability in shoreline protection systems, landslides, during permitting, design, and construction. His management experience includes developing strategies for bid preparation, risk based design, conceptual design, research and development, construction engineering, forensic analyses, and consulting.

Dorwart’s extensive range of expertise in trenchless technologies has contributed to the industry and knowledge base through an understanding of the interaction of subsurface engineering and geology, leaving a legacy of technological advances within the industry and projects throughout North America.

In addition authoring more than 20 papers for NASTT No-Dig Shows, Dorwart has contributed papers or articles to AWWA, GeoStrata, ASCE, ISTT, Trenchless World, UCT, Geotechnical Instrumentation News, Trenchless Technology, DCCA, Tunnel Business Magazine, Geosynthetics, ASTM Geotechnical Testing Journal, US Rock Mechanics Conference, and the Society of Mining.

Upon being told the news, Dorwart responded, “This is quite an honor. I’m honored to just have been considered.” He discussed his commitment to spreading knowledge, getting new engineers excited about trenchless and advancing the profession. “Knowledge is key these days. The more we can pass it around the better. Somebody helped us. Somebody encouraged us,” he remarked. Brian is dedicated to paying it forward having spent a lot of time in the industry, especially in the early 90s as part of the Northeast Trenchless Association and the formation of the Northeast Regional Chapter by helping folks solve problems. “I try to support the young people and get them involved in presenting papers. My name doesn’t need to be on it,” he said. “They’re doing the work and gaining the experience. That’s just part of being an engineer.”

Brian’s induction will be celebrated at the NASTT No-Dig Show on April 16 during the Casino Royale. Purchase your ticket when you register to attend the conference.

Warren Environmental Set to Establish Roots in Georgia with Relocation

Blog, Industry News

[Gainesville, Georgia] – Warren Environmental and Coatings, LLC (Warren Environmental), a leading manufacturer of proprietary epoxy products and patented application technologies, is excited to announce its strategic relocation from Massachusetts to Georgia this fall. This move reflects the company’s commitment to enhancing operational efficiency, expanding its presence, and better serving its Approved Applicator Network.

The new 15,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Gainesville, Georgia, offers numerous advantages for Warren Environmental. The decision to relocate was driven by several factors, including improved logistical capabilities and enhanced operational efficiency. The location in Georgia will facilitate faster shipments of products, enabling Warren Environmental to better serve its expanding Approved Applicator Network. In addition, the new facility will provide operational efficiencies regarding optimized layout and design, up-to-date infrastructure, and additional space to accommodate the increased production and storage needs.

Company President Brian Brandstetter expressed his enthusiasm about the move, saying, “This relocation represents a significant milestone in our company’s growth. Our new location in Georgia aligns with our long-term goals and enables us to provide our applicators and their clients with quality and readily available epoxy products.”

As Warren Environmental relocates its manufacturing facility, it remains committed to providing the same high-quality epoxy coating system and excellent service that its applicators have come to expect. The company assures all existing and prospective applicators, as well as their customers, that this relocation will have little to no impact on their current operations. The relocation process has been thoroughly planned to ensure a seamless transition without disrupting operations.

The official address of Warren Environmental’s new headquarters is as follows:

Warren Environmental and Coatings, LLC
1596 Fulenwider Road
Gainesville, GA 30507

About Warren Environmental

Warren Environmental is a leading manufacturer of proprietary epoxy products and patented application technologies. Since 1996, Warren has protected or rehabilitated private and municipal clients’ water and wastewater infrastructure throughout the U.S., with safe and effective epoxy coatings for all environments.

For more information about Warren Environmental and its relocation, please visit our website at www.warrenenviro.com or contact info@warrenenviro.com.

North American Society for Trenchless Technology 2023 Innovative Product Award Winners

Industry News, The No-Dig Show, trenchless products

North American Society for Trenchless Technology Announces 2023 Innovative
Product Award Winners

The North American Society for Trenchless Technology (NASTT) announced the 2023 Abbott Innovative Product & Services Award winners at the NASTT 2023 No-Dig Show in Portland, Oregon. The Abbott Innovative Product & Services Award celebrates companies with a state-of-the-art product or service making a significant impact in advancing the trenchless industry in the areas of rehabilitation or new installation.

The selected winners met the highest-level of standards for each category. Products were judged on Innovation (concept, method, development); Value (need, advantages, cost); and Impact (sustainability, social/environmental responsibility and potential).

“It has always been a goal to bring breakthrough innovative trenchless technology to the forefront of the profession,” said Matthew Izzard, NASTT Executive Director. “The Innovative Product & Services Award is a testament to trailblazers whose skill, ingenuity and vision impact underground infrastructure development and improvement techniques, promote sustainability and protect the environment.”

Winners

In the category for New Installation, the award was given to Ditch Witch for its AT120 All-Terrain Horizontal Directional Drill.  Built to boost jobsite uptime, the AT120 gives underground construction operators the power and stability needed to push through tough ground conditions, streamlining fiber, pipeline and utility installation projects. As the largest AT drill in the world, the AT120 improves jobsite efficiency for previous mid‐ and maxi‐size drill owners, as it uses less drilling fluid, resulting in decreased jobsite waste, minimized cleanup and reduced environmental impact. For more information, contact Jeff Davis, HDD Product Manager at jdavis@ditchwitch.com or visit ditchwitch.com.

In the category for Rehabilitation, the award was given to Sunbelt Rentals for| PumpSentri, an advanced standalone bypass monitoring system that can fully integrate into a bypass pumping system. PumpSentri Remote Monitor allows for continuous real-time pumping system information to be sent to a cloud‐based platform for data logging system pressure, suction vacuum, wet well surcharge, flow, vibration, and all the engine telematics. This new technology allows for remote monitoring, and the ability to see what cannot be seen in a bypass system in order for the crew to precisely dial in to bypass operations and mitigate any potential issues before they occur. For more information, contact Ladd Gould, National Strategic Customer Manager at ladd.gould@sunbeltrentals.com or visit sunbeltrentals.com.

 

Finalists
NASTT also honors the finalists in each category:

New Installation

Vermeer Corporation for Vermeer D550 HDD | vermeer.com

 Rehabilitation

CPM Pipelines for BulletLiner SystemTM FFRP | cpmpipelines.com

CPM Pipelines for Acquaint’s Acquarius | cpmpipelines.com

HammerHead Trenchless for HydraSlitterTM | hammerheadtrenchless.com

HammerHead Trenchless for RS BlueLine System | hammerheadtrenchless.com

QuakeWrap, Inc. for StifPipe® | quakewrap.com

SAERTEX multiCom LP for SAERTEX-LINER® H2O | saertex.com

Sewer AI Corporation for Sewer3D | sewerai.com

Presentations about each product were made at the Innovative Products Forum at the NASTT 2023 No-Dig Show and are available online via NASTT on YouTube. To learn more about NASTT awards, visit nastt.org/awards. The award is named for the late Joseph L. Abbott, Jr., an active NASTT member since its founding in 1990 and a champion of innovation.

NASTT Announces 2023 Outstanding Trenchless Paper Awards – Rehabilitation

Blog, Industry News, The No-Dig Show, trenchless projects

NASTT is pleased to announce the winners of the 2023 NASTT Outstanding Trenchless Paper Awards for New Installations and Rehabilitation. These awards recognize excellence by commending authors of the best NASTT No-Dig Show papers each year. The winning papers were presented at the NASTT 2023 No-Dig Show.

Download the winning papers bundle or the full conference proceedings in the NASTT Online Store.

Authors of both papers will give encore presentations at the NASTT 2024 No-Dig Show in Providence, Rhode Island.

NASTT 2023 Outstanding Paper – Rehabilitation

Emergency Trenchless Rehabilitation of the East Don River Trunk Sewer and the Highland Creek Interceptor.

Christopher C. Macey, Global Technical Practice Leader, AECOM, Winnipeg, MB

Bo Pajic, Program Manager, Capital Works Delivery, Toronto Water Division, Toronto, Canada

Kristy Gibson, Program Manager, Capital Works Delivery, Toronto Water Division, Toronto, Canada

 

About the Authors. The team that put together this year’s winning paper for rehabilitation is comprised of experts with the experience necessary to tackle an emergency situation during the COVID crisis. Kristy Gibson is a Senior Project Manager with the City of Toronto, where she has managed both linear and vertical infrastructure upgrade projects for Toronto Water since 2015. Bo Pajic is a professional engineer and has been with Toronto Water since 2010 and took the lead in developing the City-Wide planned Sewer Rehabilitation Program in 2015. Chris Macey, P. Eng. is a Vice President and the Americas and Global Technical Practice Leader for AECOM for Condition Assessment and Rehabilitation of Underground Infrastructure with more than 45 years of experience. 

“This project is important to showcase to the industry given its complexity and urgency, especially the Highland Creek site due to its proximity to the Scarborough Hospital,“ Pajic noted. “Trenchless methods allowed the repairs to be completed in a more expeditious manner when compared to open-cut replacement, which was critical during COVID.” Macey agrees. “This work was particularly critical and getting it done and getting the message out there means a great deal.” The City staff were also an important part of the team especially Richard Noehammer, William Shea, Garry Boychuk, Adam Zietara, Jian Lei, George Roknic, Irina Vasile. and Sarah Duff. Pajic and Gibson were thrilled to work alongside Macey, who In 2019 was elected to the NASTT Hall of Fame for his work in Condition Assessment and Rehabilitation. “We would like to thank Chris Macey for his steadfast contributions to the City of Toronto’s Sewer Rehabilitation Program,” they said.”As a leading industry expert, his knowledge and expertise on the Program and specifically in the completion of this emergency project was invaluable.”

Abstract. The East Don River Trunk Sewer (EDTS) and the Highland Creek Interceptor (HCI) Sewers are both critical sanitary sewers in designated ravine areas in Toronto, ON. Both sewers were originally constructed in the 1950’s and during the course of 2020 and 2021, they developed surficial sinkholes due to severe loss of ground into defects in the pipe and manhole structures.

The EDTS was a 1200 mm (48”) diameter pipe in very soft soils and the settlement had engaged 12 pipes with a maximum settlement of about 600 mm (2 feet). Its failure would have resulted in the direct discharge of large sewer volumes in the East Don River. The adjacent section had previously failed and showed signs of active deterioration as well due to loss of ground.

The HCI sinkhole was centered over a Maintenance Hole (MH) that was 9 m (30 feet) deep and had engaged 2 -900 mm (36”) pipes and approximately 4 – 1050 mm pipes (42”). The maximum amount of pipe settlement was about 400 mm (16”). Its failure would have engaged a bridge structure and would also have resulted in large sewage flows into the adjacent Highland Creek.

This paper captures the two separate emergency response efforts in 2021 and early 2022, where both locations were uniquely repaired using a balance of external ground stabilization techniques and CIPP lining with minimal ground disturbance. The HCI repair included MH lining and a single tapered CIPP tube shot with 4 different design sections (varying wall thickness and tube circumference).

NASTT Announces Abbott Innovative Product Award Finalists

Industry News, The No-Dig Show, trenchless products

The North American Society for Trenchless Technology (NASTT) is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2023 Abbott Innovative Product & Services Award competition.  The Abbott Innovative Product & Services Award celebrates companies with a state-of-the-art product or service developed or re-launched in the last 2 years making a significant impact in advancing the trenchless industry in the areas of rehabilitation or new installation. Finalists will be judged on innovation (concept, method, development); value (need, advantages, cost); and, impact (sustainability, social/environmental responsibility and potential).

VISIT FINALISTS AT THE INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS FORUM AND IN THE EXHIBIT HALL

Competitors must be in attendance at the NASTT No-Dig Show as an exhibitor or sponsor and present a product overview at the Innovative Products Forum on Monday, May 1 from 9:55-11:35 a.m. in room D140.  Attendees can visit exhibiting finalists in the Exhibit Hall. Winners will be announced immediately following the Forum at the Exhibit Hall Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at 11:40 a.m. Presentations from all the finalists will be posted online following the No-Dig Show.

 

NEW INSTALLATIONS

Ditch Witch | Booth 119
AT120  All-Terrain Horizontal Directional Drill
Submitted by Sean Hubbard, Marketing Communications Manager

Vermeer Corporation | Booth 714
Vermeer D550 HDD
Submitted by Madison Devin, Product Marketing Specialist

 

REHABILITATION

CPM Pipelines | Booth 108
BulletLiner SystemTM FFRP  AND Acquaint’s Acquarius
Submitted by Chris MacDonald, President

HammerHead Trenchless | Booth 308
HydraSlitterTM AND RS BlueLine System
Submitted by Jeff Urbanski, Sr. Manager, Marketing & Training

QuakeWrap, Inc. | Booth 634
StifPipe®
Submitted by Firat Sever, Pipeline Division Manager

SAERTEX multiCom LP | Booth 232
SAERTEX-LINER® H2O
Submitted by Thijs Teepe, North American Manager, Pressure Products & Training

Sewer AI Corporation | Booth 454
Sewer3D
Submitted by Eric Sullivan, Director of Business Development

Sunbelt Rentals | Booth 615
PumpSentri
Submitted by Ladd Gould, National Strategic Customer Manager

 

“The Abbott Innovative Product Awards represent a fantastic opportunity to showcase ambitious developments from the trenchless industry and celebrate the companies making a difference in the profession,” praised NASTT Executive Director, Matthew Izzard.  “NASTT applauds these new opportunities and the teams furthering product innovation.” To learn more about NASTT awards, visit. nasstt.org/awards.