Blog, Industry News
Geotechnics for Trenchless Construction
November 1-3, 2016 (November 4 half day field demonstrations)
Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO USA
This course provides an in-depth, comprehensive review of geotechnical engineering and design required for successful trenchless construction projects.
The course will focus on the following topics: trenchless technology and microtunneling fundamentals; soil characterization for trenchless methods; rock characterization for trenchless methods; groundwater conditions; ground settlement and heave; problematic ground conditions and improvement techniques; and geotechnical data and baseline reports.
Activities will include: soil and rock characterization and behavior; soil conditioning and slurry; rock cutting; and abrasivity and wear. Please visit the web site for further details.
Blog, Industry News, trenchless people, trenchless projects
Want to see something cool? Watch this time lapse video of a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) launch for the Michigan Ditch Tunnel Project in the City of Fort Collins, Colorado, put together by Lithos Engineering.
https://youtu.be/RAiZYRgbyo0
Project information:
Owner – City of Fort Collins Utilities
Prime Engineer – Stantec
Tunnel Engineer & Construction Management – Lithos Engineering
Tunnel Contractor – BT Construction
Site Work Contractor – Hydro Construction
Survey – Acklam
TBM – Akkerman
Blog, Industry News, trenchless products
October 6, 2016 – LAKE MILLS, Wisc. – HammerHead Trenchless Equipment, a Charles Machine Works 
company, has introduced the powerful, new HammerHead HydroGuide® HG1200 winch optimally designed to be more efficient and easy to use in pipe-bursting, slip-lining or slitting applications. This new iteration of the popular HydroGuide line of winches features a patented, self-deploying hydraulic downrigger, improved performance and additional safety features.
While other winches on the market require manual assembly of heavy, bulky components, the HG1200 makes setup easy with its industry-changing hydraulic downrigger. With the touch of a button, users are able to automatically deploy the boom down hole and can fine-tune the depth up to 18 feet without having to jack up the machine. With the hydraulic boom, setup and teardown take just minutes, which saves valuable time on a job site.
A key feature of the new HG1200 winch is its precision controls. Not only can users adjust the boom to any depth, but they also have total control of the line speed and pressure. Pull force can be set anywhere between 0.5 to 12 tons, and the line speed can be set anywhere between 0 to 111 feet per minute.
“We know job conditions and specifications can vary greatly so we created a machine that can be infinitely adjusted within its parameters to fit each individual job exactly,” said Josh Hood, HammerHead product line manager. “This level of control is critical to the success of gasline slitting applications, which was a driving factor in the improvements we made from the previous version. We worked to create a winch with the necessary power and agility for a wide range of situations to ensure customer success.”
The HG1200 winch is powered by the Kubota D1105, a vertical, water-cooled, four-cycle diesel engine that complies with Tier 4 emission regulations. This lightweight, dependable engine increases the unit’s performance and fuel efficiency. The radial piston motor provides a smoother, more consistent pull.
The HG1200 has several configuration options available from the factory to meet specific customer needs:
- Optional Tracks – The optional track-mounted HG1200AT reaches difficult areas on your job site that the standard, wheel-mounted units cannot.
- Electrical Strike Identification system (ESID) – The optional ESID system is designed to provide additional safety on the job site when working near adjacent underground utilities.
- Hydraulic levelling jacks – The hydraulic option allows users to easily adjust downhole access, improving project efficiency.
The HammerHead HydroGuide HG1200 winch is available directly from HammerHead Trenchless Equipment 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 1: New HammerHead HydroGuide HG1200 winch.
Photo 2: Optional track-mounted HG1200AT.
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Written by: Desiree Willis, Technical Writer, 253.872.4490
Robust Machine Tackles DigIndy Network of Tunnels in Autumn Launch
On Tuesday, September 6, 2016, one of the longest-running Robbins TBMs embarked on its most extensive project yet. The 6.2 m (20.2 ft) Main Beam machine, owned by the Shea-Kiewit (S-K) JV, is boring the 8.5 km (5.3 mi) long White River Tunnel as the first in the next phase of the DigIndy wastewater tunnels below Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. In addition to that work, the machine will bore the Lower Pogues Run, Fall Creek, and Pleasant Run Tunnels—a scope of work totaling about 28 km (17 mi) through limestone and dolomite rock.
The rebuilt Robbins hard rock TBM was first used in Indianapolis on the 12.5 km (7.8 mi) long main tunnel, called the Deep Rock Tunnel Connector (DRTC). On that tunnel, the speedy machine achieved world records in its size class of 6 to 7 m (20 to 23 ft), including “Most Feet Mined in One Day” (124.9 m/409.8 ft); “Most Feet Mined in One Week” (515.1 m/1,690 ft); and “Most Feet Mined in One Month” (1,754 m/5,755 ft). “It’s nice to start the job with a machine that has already been proven and successful,” said Stuart Lipofsky, Project Manager for S-K JV.
However the DRTC was far from the TBM’s first job. The machine, originally built in 1980, has been used on New 
York City’s Second Avenue Subway, as well as projects in Massachusetts and Canada. Once the machine has completed the DigIndy network of tunnels, it will have bored more than 51 km (32 mi) of tunnel—an achievement making it one of the hardest working Robbins TBMs ever put into service. “The age of the machine wasn’t a concern for us, it was a positive. We knew it could perform in harder, abrasive rock,” said Lipofsky.
The machine was launched from the 67 m (220 ft) deep White River shaft following a refurbishment that included new motors, gearboxes, electronics, and other elements. As of the last week of September, the TBM has bored over 300 m (1,000 ft) of the White River Tunnel. About one mile into the White River Tunnel, the drive will bifurcate eastwards to bore the 2.7 km Lower Pogues Run Tunnel in front of Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis. The machine will then be backed up to the bifurcation point before continuing north for completion of the White River Tunnel.
As the machine bores, Robbins continuous conveyors remove muck in an extensive system that was highly successful at the DRTC. Much of the conveyor structure remains the same for the new tunnels, with new horizontal and conveyor belting provided. The conveyors will wind through curves as sharp as 300 m (1,000 ft) in radius, as the tunnels follow the path of the White River overhead.
The S-K JV has until 2021 to complete the White River and Lower Pogues Run tunnels for local owner Citizens Energy Group, and until 2024 to complete all the tunnels. The use of one TBM was seen as a positive: “The use of one machine was more efficient for our crews. The schedule allowed us to run with one TBM and we feel we can do it with one machine. It also was a less costly option than running two machines in terms of the owner funding the project,” said Dan Martz, vice president for J.F. Shea. Once complete, the EPA-mandated deep tunnel project will reduce the amount of raw sewage overflows and clean up tributaries along the White River.
Image 1: The S-K JV stands proudly in front of the cutterhead for the 6.2 m (20.2 ft) diameter Robbins TBM currently boring the DigIndy tunnels.
Image 2: Robbins continuous conveyors will remove muck from the windy route that follows the White River overhead and contains curves as sharp as 300 m (1,000 ft) in radius.
Blog, Industry News, trenchless products
Electro Scan Inc. has completed data integration between its flagship sewer condition assessment solution and the 
Innovyze® InfoMaster for Sewer product.
Electro Scan’s breakthrough technology evaluates 360-degrees of a pipe wall to accurately locate and measure defects in gallons per minute (GPM) or liters per second (l/s).
Recent studies indicate that 70-100% of defects are typically not found by legacy inspection techniques, such as closed-circuit television (CCTV) inspection, smoke testing, dye flood testing, laser profiling, and acoustic sensors.
Recommended to assess and certify pre- and post-rehabilitated pipes, a new chapter was recently added on Electro Scanning Inspection to the industry’s leading training manual, Operation and Maintenance of Wastewater Collection Systems, Seventh Edition, Volume One (2015), in accordance with ASTM F2550.
“We are delighted to integrate our game-changing pipe condition assessment solution with the leading business analytics solution for the wastewater industry,” states Chuck Hansen, Founder and CEO, Electro Scan Inc.
“The Innovyze® family of smart network modeling and asset management solutions continues to be the standard platform for existing and emerging diagnostic tools,” said Paul F. Boulos, Ph.D., BCEEM, Hon.D.WRE, Dist.D.NE, Dist.M.ASCE, NAE, President, COO and Chief Innovation Officer of Innovyze.
“We look forward to offering this new layer of condition assessment data to help our clients in their sewer rehabilitation decisions,” continues Boulos.
Electro Scan’s Critical Sewers® cloud application allows for up-to-the-minute monitoring of sewer evaluations, lining projects, point repairs, and new construction projects, while crews are still in the field.
Clients can easily identify pipe-specific problems before rehabilitation project acceptance.
Wirelessly transmitted to the Company’s award winning cloud application, defect flows are reported in minutes and incorporated into Innovyze® InfoMaster for Sewer product for display and analysis.
Since Electro Scan’s advanced low voltage conductivity technology does not rely on operator interpretation, third-party data analysis, or independent judgment, a key advantage is its ability to automatically provide specific location, size, and estimated flow for each defect and total pipe.
Customers wishing to utilize Electro Scan’s decision support data must be licensed users of Innovyze® InfoMaster for Sewer and Electro Scan’s Critical Sewers® cloud application, including associated integration module.
Once data is accessible, Electro Scan defect flows may be highlighted by location and severity by Innovyze® InfoMaster for Sewer, including the identification of defective joints, cracks, and leaking service connections, compared to CCTV inspection results.
Electro Scan and Innovyze® users can show pipe defects ranked by highest GPM and gallons per day per inch diameter mile (GPD/IDM), utilizing Innovyze’s 1D and 2D modeling and mapping features within Innovyze® InfoMaster for Sewer product.
Plans include the integration of Electro Scan’s 4-in-1 water leak detection probe with Innovyze® InfoMaster for Water to assess pressurized water mains.
About Innovyze
Headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado, Innovyze® is a leading global provider of wet infrastructure business analytics software solutions designed to meet the technological needs of water/wastewater utilities, government agencies, and engineering organizations worldwide. Its clients include the majority of the largest UK, Australasian, East Asian and North American cities, foremost utilities on all five continents, and ENR top-rated design firms.
About Electro Scan
Headquartered in Sacramento, California, Electro Scan develops and markets advanced pipe condition assessment products, field services, and cloud applications that automatically locate, measure, and report defects in sewer, water, and gas pipelines.
Contact:
Carissa Boudwin
(916) 779-0660
info@electroscan.com
