Industry News, trenchless people
Brownsdale, MN – April 11, 2019 – Akkerman Inc., a premier trenchless underground construction systems manufacturer, attained the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) ISO 9001:2015 for its quality management system at its sole manufacturing facility in Brownsdale, MN.
Following an independent audit conducted by SAI Global, the certificate was issued on January 18, 2019.
The scope of the certification applies to the design, manufacture, sales, and services of on line and on grade tunneling and pipe jacking products for the underground sewer, water, gas, and electrical utilities industries.
Akkerman embarked on the implementation of its quality management system in 2015 with consulting assistance from Enterprise Minnesota who was integral to the system’s execution.
Justin Akkerman, Akkerman operations manager, remarks, “Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health recognized us through the Minnesota Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program for our safety program in 2010. Having our management system certified to ISO 9001:2015 was a natural progression to strengthen the business.”
Akkerman furthers, “Not only does our comprehensive quality management system benefit our employees through procedure efficiencies and repeat-ability, but our customers can also feel confident in knowing that the equipment that we manufacture is subject to the highest standards and continuous improvement at every step in the manufacturing process. Our ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System ensures that from design conception to final product testing, our equipment is produced with quality and value at the forefront.”
Established in 1973, Akkerman develops, manufactures and supports advanced guided boring, microtunneling, pipe jacking, sliplining and tunneling underground construction solutions that accurately install a variety of pipe in an extensive range of ground conditions and project challenges. Akkerman systems are available for purchase, lease-to-purchase, or rent from our rental fleet. Contact us to partner with you on your next project at 800.533.0386 and visit akkerman.com.
Industry News, trenchless products
PELLA, Iowa, April 11, 2019 – The right-sized mixing system is key for drilling operations. With a redesigned, slim rectangular profile tank, the new Vermeer MX300 mixing system helps horizontal directional drilling (HDD) contractors optimize productivity and offers customizable mounting configuration options. Equipped with a 23 hp (17.2 kW) Kohler ECH 7300 EFI gas engine that outputs 350 gpm (1,324.9 Lpm) of flow, the MX300 mixing system power unit can be paired with up to two tanks at once to help decrease time spent mixing and refilling drilling fluid tanks. The unit’s narrow rectangular tank design also helps maximize fluid volume, and a small footprint can help with convenient transporting and storage.
“The Vermeer MX300 mixing system is an upgrade to the MX240 model,” explained Tod Michael, product manager of trenchless products at Vermeer. “With the ability to use one pump with one or two tanks, the MX300 is scalable to a contractor’s jobsite needs from small bores to large-diameter and longer-distance HDD applications in varying soil types.”
The new Vermeer mixing system can be paired with a 750 gallon (2,839.1 L) or 1,000 gallon (3,785.4 L) tank and works with a variety of horizontal directional drills. It features a wide-mouth hopper and suction hose for the convenient pouring of drilling additives. The tapered bottom of the rectangular tank design helps prevent additives from settling, building up and assists with efficient drainage. At a width of just 40 inches (101.6 centimeters), the MX300 can be mounted to transport two tanks inside a standard-sized enclosed truck.
The MX300 comes with a 16 gallon (60.6 L) fuel tank and is convenient to service with access to the roll jets through the top of the tank and two drainage points that are operated by two accessible valves.
For more information about the Vermeer MX300 mixing system, visit Vermeer.com or contact your local Vermeer dealer.
About Vermeer Corporation
Vermeer delivers a real impact in a progressing world through the manufacture of high-quality underground construction, surface mining, tree care, agriculture and environmental equipment. With a reputation for durability and reliability, that equipment is backed by localized customer service and support provided by independent dealers around the world. To learn more about Vermeer, products, the dealer network and financing options, visit Vermeer.com.
Vermeer Corporation reserves the right to make changes in engineering, design specifications; add improvements; or discontinue manufacturing at any time without notice or obligation. Equipment shown is for illustrative purposes only and may display optional accessories or components specific to their global region.
Please contact your local Vermeer dealer for more information on machine specifications.
Industry News, trenchless people
Active NASTT volunteer, instructor and past Board Chair, George Ragula recently visited the NASTT Student Chapter at Rutgers University in New Jersey to speak with them about trenchless technology and the gas industry.
George stated that is was a very interactive and informative session for the students. He gave a detailed presentation of the 36” world record gas CIPL renewal and there were a lot of questions. The students were curious as to how and when George got started in trenchless, his motivation and how he came up through the ranks at NASTT when he first joined in 1993.
The students also expressed interest in developing a trenchless curriculum as part of a Masters course and he offered his help and guidance. They discussed the fast growing pace of this particular industry. The students feel positive about this niche in the construction industry and many hope to pursue a career in trenchless.
Industry News, trenchless people
Laney Group, Inc. (“Laney”) and Innovative Pipeline Crossings, Inc. (“IPC”) have signed a teaming agreement, under which they will cooperatively pursue projects that require a combination of their services and expertise. Laney provides an integrated suite of Engineering, HDD, Direct Pipe® and Project Management solutions internationally. IPC, a Bothar Group Company, provides Direct Pipe®, Auger Boring, Pipe Jacking and Microtunneling solutions throughout Canada. Laney and
IPC will strategically augment each other’s existing capabilities in their respective markets.
Laney Group, Inc. has a long history and is an established leader in HDD and Direct Pipe® Installations internationally. As part of a recent management change and a industry acquisition, Laney now delivers integrated Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Project Management Solutions to serve our clients in the trenchless industry and beyond… Worldwide. Per Todd Miller, Laney Group CEO, “First and foremost, IPC and Bothar are both world-class companies led by world-class leaders. We are thrilled to be partnering with IPC to be able to deliver a comprehensive suite of trenchless solutions to our
international clients in a world-class manner. We look forward to the next steps”.
With a proven track record of successful projects, IPC is currently one of the largest Direct Pipe® contractors in Canada. Notable accomplishments include simultaneous DPI operations in British Columbia and Ontario in 2017 and a Performance World Record for drilling 218m in 24hours.
IPC was acquired by the Bothar Group of Companies in November 2018, one of the largest Microtunneling contractors in the world. Since the acquisition, IPC has been expanding its range of operations into other disciplines such as Auger Boring, Pipe Jacking and Microtunneling.
This cooperation agreement allows both companies to collaborate on a full range of trenchless installation technologies and solutions in North America and internationally. Combined technical experience, access to specialized equipment and utilization of engineering knowledge and experience will enable both parties to provide the best technical and most costeffective solutions to clients across the range of trenchless solutions.
Peter Hennig – CEO of IPC, Inc.: “A trustful relationship between the senior management of both entities will allow for a successful future in this alliance. I’m very excited for both of our companies and our employees. New opportunities, paired with each of our experiences and available resources, will open up the path to exciting new horizons.”
For further information, please contact:
IPC Contact details: info@ipipecrossings.com
Laney Group, Inc. contact details: info@laneydrilling.com
Industry News, trenchless projects
XRE Machine completed National Priority Water Line set to go Live in March
Excavation of Turkey’s longest water tunnel came to an end on December 18, 2018. To get there, a 5.56 m (18.2 ft) diameter Robbins Crossover (XRE) TBM and the contractor JV of Kolin/Limak had to overcome dozens of major fault zones and water pressures up to 26 bar. The completed national priority water line is set to go into operation in March 2019.
The 31.6 km (19.6 mi) long Gerede Water Transmission Tunnel is an urgently needed project due to severe and chronic droughts in the capital city Ankara. Its final leg, a 9.0 km (5.6 mi) section of extremely difficult ground including sandstone agglomerate, limestone and tuff, was just one section in the middle of a tunnel widely considered to be the most challenging ever driven by TBMs in Turkey. “I’ve had the chance to study and visit the majority of mechanized tunnelling projects in Turkey since the 1980s. The Gerede project is one of the most challenging projects among them,” said Dr. Nuh Bilgin, Professor of Mine and Tunnel Mechanization at Istanbul Technical University and Chairman of the Turkish Tunnelling Society.
The Robbins XRE TBM was called in to complete the tunnel, which was at a standstill after using three Double Shield TBMs from another manufacturer. Those machines encountered incredibly difficult geology including massive inrushes of mud and water. The Kolin/Limak JV had to develop a new strategy given the unexpected ground conditions. They contacted The Robbins Company, who suggested a Crossover (Dual-Mode Type) TBM for the remaining section of tunnel. “The Crossover TBM provided great ease and versatility during the entire project with frequently changing ground conditions. The TBM was equipped with features such as increased thrust, two-speed gearbox, and modular screw conveyor. It was capable of giving the necessary responses in different geologies, which was our most important asset in achieving our goal,” said Barış Duman, Project Manager for the Kolin – Limak JV.
“The challenging part for us was to design and manufacture a TBM that could complete the difficult section of the Gerede Tunnel where two other competitor TBMs had failed,” said Yunus Alpagut, Robbins representative in Turkey. The specialized machine was designed to statically hold water pressure up to 20 bar, a failsafe that none of the standard Double Shield TBMs had been equipped with. A convertible cutterhead was also provided that was designed for ease of conversion between hard rock and EPB modes, and with cutter housings that could be fitted with either disc cutters or tungsten carbide tooling. To cope with difficult ground, the Gerede machine was also equipped with the Torque-Shift System, multi-speed gearing allowing the machine to function as either an EPB or a hard rock TBM. This function is done by adding another gear reduction–heavy duty pinions and bull gears accommodate high torque at low speed, allowing the machine to bore through fault zones and soft ground without becoming stuck.
The Crossover machine was assembled in spring 2016 after crews excavated a bypass tunnel to one side of one of the stuck Double Shield TBMs. An underground assembly chamber allowed the machine to be built in the tunnel using Onsite First Time Assembly (OFTA). “The logistics of getting components through the existing tunnel were the most challenging thing. The assembly chamber was 7 km (4 mi) from the portal. The water inflow of 600 l/s (159 gal/s) made it difficult to get the materials to the machine,” said Glen Maynard, Robbins Field Service Site Manager.
Despite the challenges, the machine began boring in summer 2016 and within the first 50 m (160 ft) of boring had successfully passed through the section that buried the original Double Shield TBM. The machine was required to be used in EPB mode as it encountered water pressures up to 26 bars, alluvium, flowing materials, clay and a total of 48 fault zones. Water pressure was lowered by draining the ground water through the rear shield probe drill ports, which were equipped with normally-closed ball valves. Probe drilling was done on a routine basis to get through the ground conditions. “Together with the difficult geological conditions the travel time to reach the TBM within the tunnel had effects on TBM performance. Despite this constraint, the tunnel excavation achieved a best day of 29.4 m (96.5 ft), best week of 134.6 m (441.6 ft) and a best month of 484 m (1,588 ft),” said Duman.
“We had many challenging areas with water and high pressures up to 26 bar along with alluvial material in fault zones. Ground pressure on the shield body caused squeezing conditions in clay. In these regions, we were able to quickly pass through by keeping the TBM advance rate, cutterhead rpm and screw conveyor rotation speed at the ideal level. Ultimately, we think our decision to select a Crossover TBM was correct,” continued Duman.
With tunneling complete, the pipeline is on track to open in March 2019. The tunnel will convey water from the Gerede River to Çamlıdere Dam, which provides potable water for the Ankara city water system.
Image 1: To achieve their recent breakthrough, the Kolin/Limak crew, including Barış Duman – Project Manager of Kolin – Limak JV (7th from left), had to guide the Crossover XRE TBM through multiple fault zones and withstand water pressures of up to 26 bar.
Image 2: The Robbins team and contractor JV of Kolin/Limak pause during Onsite First Time Assembly (OFTA) of the TBM more than 7 km (4 mi) from the tunnel portal.
Image 3: Geology encountered in the Gerede tunnel included a mix of volcanic rock including tuff, basalt, and breccia, giving way to sedimentary formations like sandstone, shale, and limestone, all punctuated by fault zones that contained clay and alluvium.
Image 4: The Crossover TBM launched in summer 2016 and within the first 50 m (160 ft) of boring was able to pass through a difficult fault zone where one of the original, non-Robbins Double Shield TBMs was stuck.
Image 5: The Gerede Water Transmission Tunnel is considered by many to be the most difficult TBM-bored tunnel in Turkey.
Brownsdale, MN – April 11, 2019 – Akkerman Inc., a premier trenchless underground construction systems manufacturer, attained the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) ISO 9001:2015 for its quality management system at its sole manufacturing facility in Brownsdale, MN.
