Industry News, trenchless people
Staheli Trenchless is excited to announce the addition of Mark Hutchinson to their team!
Mark Hutchinson is a Senior Technical Advisor with over 38 years of experience in design and construction of municipal storm water, waste water, and CSO projects. He has developed, lead or facilitated teams of engineers, technicians, and inspectors to safely deliver high quality, functional projects under budget and on time. Mark uses his experience to mentor and problem solve – drawing on a variety of trenchless projects he has worked on including microtunneling, pipe bursting, CIPP, large diameter tunneling, hand tunnels, jack & bore, pilot bore, and HDD projects. He is also well versed in shafts, shoring & ground improvement design & construction utilizing slurry wall, secant piles, jet grout, caissons, H-pile, sheet pile, stone columns, compaction, and permeation grouting.
As Construction Division Manager for the City of Portland for over 13 years and project manager for another 20 years he oversaw completion of their CSO program and the transition to 20 plus miles a year of pipe rehabilitation utilizing CIPP, pipe-bursting, slip lining, open cut and spot repair from 6-inch to 120-inch diameter on a variety of pipe materials from brick pipe to cast iron. He has also used a variety contracting methodologies to achieve project goals, as well as dispute resolution methodologies to reduce construction claims and litigation costs. He is well known by most construction contractors in the Northwest and respected in all manners of construction management and inspection.
Mark’s energy, passion for trenchless technology and zest for life make him a pleasure to work with. He is a big family man with three children, and six grandchildren. He is active in his church and an avid fisherman and gardener. If you were to ask him where the fish are biting, he could easily tell you where and when he plans to go fishing next in one of his boats.
Mark will be working out of both of Staheli’s Lynnwood, Washington and Portland, Oregon offices.
Staheli Trenchless Consultants (STC) is a specialty engineering firm that focuses on the reduction of trenchless risk through trenchless engineering services including feasibility studies, geotechnical investigations, design and bid services as well as construction management and inspection services. STC provides these services for projects which include microtunneling, horizontal directional drilling, guided boring, auger boring, pipe ramming, pipe bursting, EPB tunneling and in-place rehabilitation such as sliplining and CIPP. STC is a certified WBE in Washington and Oregon.
Industry News, trenchless products
January 22, 2018 – LAKE MILLS, Wisc. – HammerHead Trenchless, a Charles Machine Works Company, has released the first model of its new XPR series of high-performance pneumatic hammers for pipe ramming and pipe bursting applications. The XPR series features a newly designed high-flow valve system that produces a more powerful impact. The first model to utilize this new technology, the 26XPR, is the most powerful pneumatic hammer in its class.
The XPR technology is a modification of the patented Air Reverse (AR) valve system standard on all HammerHead pneumatic hammers larger than 7 inches (180 mm). Both systems allow for the reverse function to be controlled above ground, greatly simplifying tool removal from pushing collets and burst heads, saving valuable time on the job.
The 26XPR, a 26-inch hammer, is the first model to be equipped with the performance-enhancing XPR technology. It has replaced the 24-inch AR model in the HammerHead line of pneumatic hammers.
“While our 24-inch hammer has proven to be durable and effective, we identified a need for a more versatile and higher performing tool,” said product manager, Josh Hood. “By designing a system that maximizes the air flow, we were able to increase forward horsepower while maintaining the highly desired functionality of the Air Reverse feature. We chose the 26XPR to be the first model to utilize the new technology to better bridge the gap between our 20- and 34-inch AR models.”
The 26XPR is capable of installing casing 24 to 84 inches in diameter and is suitable for use in drainage culverts, pipeline work, and HDD assist methods such as wash over casing installations, pipe assist or pipe extraction, and guided pilot bore ramming.
It is also effective in pneumatic pipe bursting applications of pipes ranging from 15 to 36 inches in diameter.
The hallmark of all HammerHead Trenchless pneumatic hammers, including the new 26XPR, is easy serviceability to minimize costly downtime due to tool maintenance. It features HammerHead’s patented clamped rear anvil and tail bolt designs, one-piece body and striker, and high-temperature replaceable wear rings.
HammerHead Trenchless produces 11 models of pneumatic hammers ranging from 4 to 34 inches, capable of ramming pipe diameters ranging from 4 to 180 inches or bursting pipe diameters from 4 to 36 inches.
While the 26XPR is the first model of the new XPR series, HammerHead Trenchless plans to expand the series in the future by equipping other sizes of hammer with the high-performance technology.
The 26XPR hammer is available from HammerHead Trenchless or from authorized dealers, worldwide. Authorized dealers can be found on the web at www.hammerheadtrenchless.com or by calling 800.331.6653. (International: + [1] 920.648.4848).
Photo Caption: The new 26XPR hammer features high flow technology increasing both power and productivity.
Blog
Michelle Macauley announces the formation of Macauley Trenchless, PLLC

Michelle Macauley brings over two decades of experience as a geotechnical engineer and as a subject matter expert in trenchless technology for water and wastewater conveyance projects. Joining Michelle as her operations manager and as a soon-to-be-certified Project Management Professional (PMP) is Jeff Macauley. Jeff is an army special operations combat veteran bringing over 25 years of experience in risk identification, risk mitigation and project management.
Michelle has more than 21 years of experience in geotechnical engineering, with a particular emphasis on trenchless design and involvement in the water/wastewater industry. Prior to starting Macauley Trenchless, Michelle was the National Trenchless Practice Lead for Jacobs Engineering and oversaw multiple trenchless projects across the company. Prior to working at Jacobs, Michelle was a senior geotechnical engineer specializing in trenchless design and construction with other Pacific Northwest geotechnical and trenchless design firms. Her trenchless expertise includes horizontal directional drilling, microtunneling, pipejacking, auger-boring, pipe ramming, pilot-tube microtunneling, and other technologies. In addition to her extensive project experience, she has been active in the North American Society for Trenchless Technology (NASTT), is currently serving on the Board of Directors for NASTT, and is a regular presenter at national trenchless conferences.
“I am so excited to begin a business pursuing my passion helping people evaluate the risks and benefits associated with trenchless design and construction.”
For further information please contact:
Michelle Macauley – michelle@macauleytrenchless.com
Jeff Macauley – jeff@macauleytrenchless.com
Industry News, trenchless people
Are you an engineering or construction management student? Is trenchless technology your passion or something you’re interested in learning more about? Networking is an important step in establishing relationships within the trenchless community. What better way to begin your trenchless career than to become an NASTT Student Non-Affiliated Member. NASTT is excited to offer this brand new student membership opportunity for you.
This student membership is open to any student actively enrolled full-time in a North American university or college that does not currently host an NASTT Student Chapter. The cost for this Student Membership is just $50.00 USD per year and grants you access to the full spectrum of member benefits, including unlimited technical paper downloads!
Join us and learn how you can broaden your network! For more information or if you have any questions, please contact Renee Corea, NASTT Membership Administrator.
Industry News, trenchless products
GSSI, the world’s leading manufacturer of ground penetrating radar (GPR) equipment, announces the addition of a new drill hole feature to the StructureScan™ Mini XT – the newest generation of GSSI’s popular all-in-one concrete inspection GPR system. The drill hole feature is a 3D data processing detection algorithm. The algorithm evaluates a user chosen cylindrical area that represents a potential or planned coring location. Scanning for all potential targets within the cylindrical area, the drill hole feature looks for targets that may interfere with a proposed coring location.
Available only within the StructureScan Mini XT user interface, the drill hole indicator is designed for concrete coring applications. In complicated slab situations, the drill hole feature can help users determine the safest location for coring concrete. However, this feature is not a substitute for careful analysis by a trained operator, and GSSI does not recommend that the user depend solely on this algorithm for drill hole interpretation.
Operators should receive special training prior to using this new aid. During training, customers can select areas that they believe are safe for coring while the feature is turned off, and turn the feature on to double check and confirm the initial mark outs.
The new drill hole feature will work with all StructureScan Mini XT’s already in the field, and only requires a software update of the system. New units will come with this user interface pre-installed.
About GSSI
Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc. is the world leader in the development, manufacture, and sale of ground penetrating radar (GPR) equipment, primarily for the concrete inspection, utility mapping and locating, road and bridge deck evaluation, geophysics, and archaeology markets. Our equipment is used all over the world to explore the subsurface of the earth and to inspect infrastructure systems non-destructively. GSSI created the first commercial GPR system nearly 50 years ago and continues to provide the widest range and highest quality GPR equipment available today.