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.
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.
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).
Blog, Industry News, The No-Dig Show, trenchless products
The North American Society for Trenchless Technology (NASTT) announced the 2022 Abbott Innovative Product & Services Award winners at the NASTT 2022 No-Dig Show at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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).
“Honoring those who successfully implement outstanding projects that can bring transformative change to trenchless technologies provides industry-wide recognition of their approach to address the needs and priorities of the industry and their customers,” said Matthew Izzard, NASTT Executive Director. “The Innovative Product & Services Award is a testament to the skill, ingenuity and vision of the creative teams that research, develop, design, market and operate these products.”
Winners
In the category for New Installation, the award was given to Boyd Tech, Inc. for its B-Tech Connections. A means to mechanically connect HDPE piping for pulling, pushing and transitions, B-Tech Connections provides a pipe-to-pipe connection wherein ID & OD remain the same. Either permanently locked or temporarily installed, connections are water-tight with a broad range of applications in trenchless and non-trenchless applications. Long life span, fast assembly times, make this connection method, efficient and cost-effective for any HDPE project or application. For more information, contact Sam Boyd, President at samboyd@boydtech.us or visit https://boydtech.us/.
In the category for Rehabilitation, the award was given to Insituform, an Aegion LLC brand, for its CIPP Carbon Filter System, a carbon filtration solution for CIPP steam-cured product that exhausts Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and accompanying odors. The innovative filtering system uses selected carbon and other filtration media in a filter canister design to capture the VOC. This device will significantly reduce or eliminate (depending on the diameter of the CIPP installation) the amount of VOCs from the emissions. Potential reduction of reportable greenhouse gas emission is greater than 90 percent. For more information, contact Dennis Pivin, VP Environmental, Health, Safety and Security, at dpivin@aegion.com or visit aegion.com
Finalists
NASTT also honors the finalists in each category:
New Installation
Ditch Witch for AT32 All-Terrain Direction Drill | ditchwitch.com
Herrenknecht AG for AVN 800 HR – MTBM | herrenknecht.com
LaValley Industries for PITPUMP™ powered by the EMPOWER™ electric generator | lavalleyindustries.com
Primus Line for Primus Line® Overland Piping | primusline.com
Subsite Electronics for Marksman™ HDD Guidance System | subsite.com
Rehabilitation
AppliedFelts for Envirocure | appliedfelts.com
Aries Industries for Wolverine 2.0 | ariesindustries.com
Electro Scan Inc. for Electro Scan KINGFISHER | electroscan.com
HammerHead Trenchless for Next Generation Bluelight LED CIPP System | hammerheadtrenchless.com
HK Solutions Group for Monoform PLUS | hksolutionsgroup.com
Nukote Coating Systems International LLC for 360 Ringtech Robotics | nukoteindustries.com
PipeFusion CIPP for PipeFusion Xtreme | pipefusioncipp.com
Waterline Renewal Technologies – LMK Technologies for UV T-Liner Shorty | waterlinerenewal.com
Presentations about each product were made at the Innovative Products Forum at the NASTT 2022 No-Dig Show and are available online via the NASTT YouTube channel. The winners will also be featured in the summer issue of Trenchless North America, NASTT’s essential read for trenchless professionals. 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.
Blog, trenchless people
Designation based on the company’s active Veterans Program
FORT MILL, S.C. – Sunbelt Rentals, North America’s premier equipment rental company, has been named a top 2022 Military Friendly® Employer in the nation. This is the second time in recent years they have received the distinction. Sunbelt Rentals received a Silver Designation, indicating the company meets the requirements and scored within 20% of the 10th ranking employer in this category — an achievement attained by only select companies.
Methodology, criteria and weightings were determined by VIQTORY with input from the Military Friendly® Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community. Final ratings were determined by combining an organization’s survey score with an assessment of the organization’s ability to meet thresholds for Applicant, New Hire Retention, Employee Turnover and Promotion and Advancement of veterans and military employees.
“Sunbelt Rentals is very proud to receive this recognition,” says Brad Lull, Executive VP of Central Operations, Sunbelt Rentals. “We value the work ethic and dedication of our military employees and are committed to growing our Veterans Program to support them. We operate our program on four foundational pillars: resources, recruitment, recognition and retention.”
Sunbelt Rentals has built a robust program aimed at recruiting and retaining veteran employees. The company focuses on aligning the skills that veterans gain during military service with a suitable position where they can thrive. Sunbelt Rentals values safety, action, teamwork and innovation — ideals shared by veterans. They help enrich the company’s culture and contribute to the “Power of Sunbelt” — the promise to offer a rental experience that’s defined by availability, reliability and ease.
Veteran ambassadors support military employees from onboarding and throughout their career at Sunbelt Rentals, serving as liaisons to the Veterans Program and its offerings. The program includes resources such as a hotline, administrative support, accommodation support and interagency coordination. Along with these resources, Sunbelt Rentals launched a uniform program, allowing military employees to show their service branch with a patch on company apparel.
“We are very intentional in our approach to recruiting and retaining those transitioning to life after service, at Sunbelt Rentals,” says Shane McKenzie, director, Veterans Program. “Every aspect of our program focuses on ways we can coach, mentor and develop veterans so they can have a thriving career in the civilian sector. We are proud of the successes we see our military employees achieve.”
“When I left the U.S. Marine Corps, I was looking for a company that had a work-life balance and would encompass my skill set from the military and my previous career. I immediately felt at home when I interviewed with Sunbelt Rentals,” says Daphne Manning, director, Customer Service Strategy and Planning.
Veterans interested in becoming Sunbelt Rentals team members can text “Sunbelt” to 51893 to see current job postings and receive alerts about opportunities in different markets.
Photo Captions:
Photo 1: Providing veterans with the resources needed to succeed in their careers is a top priority at Sunbelt Rentals and at the heart of the Veterans Program.
Photo 2: By operating on four foundational pillars — resources, recruitment, recognition and retention — Sunbelt Rentals is able to support its military employees in the civilian sector.
About Sunbelt Rentals: We MAKE IT HAPPEN! With a passionate team of 15,000 rental experts, a growing network of over 1,000 locations and an extensive equipment fleet that exceeds $11 billion, Sunbelt Rentals helps professionals and do-it-yourselfers get things done. With a highly diversified offering of equipment, solutions, and services available, we assist customers throughout North America extend their capabilities, complete projects on-time and handle times of crisis. No matter if you are in commercial, industrial, residential, or municipal industries, we are constantly advancing the idea of what an equipment company can do for its customers. Visit sunbeltrentals.com to find out what we can do for you.
About Military Friendly® Employers: Military Friendly® is the standard that measures an organization’s commitment, effort and success in creating sustainable and meaningful benefits for the military community. Over 1,500 organizations compete annually for Military Friendly® designation. Military Friendly® ratings are owned by VIQTORY, Inc., a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business. VIQTORY is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Defense or the federal government. Results are produced via a rules-based algorithm. The data-driven Military Friendly® lists and methodology can be found at https://www.militaryfriendly.com/mfcguide/.
About VIQTORY: Founded in 2001, VIQTORY is a service disabled, veteran owned small business (SDVOSB) that connects the military community to civilian employment, educational and entrepreneurial opportunities through its owned assets such as Military Spouse Magazine®, G.I. Jobs ® and Military Friendly ® brands. VIQTORY and its brands are not a part of or endorsed by the U.S. Dept of Defense or any federal government entity. Learn more about VIQTORY at www.Viqtory.com.
Blog, Industry News, trenchless people
Michael Byrne Mfg. names Dave Kauffman as Manufacturing Engineer. Dave has a B.S. in Business Administration/Management and brings over 25 years of experience in the Trenchless Industry. He received extensive training in fluid power at The Ohio State University’s – ATI. Dave began his career at American Augers; working his way up from saw operator, fabricator, assembler, Lead man, CIP manager, and manufacturing manager. He was then employed at Underground Professionals Inc., specializing in HDD repair, refurbishing, and parts sales. Prior to joining the Michael Byrne Mfg., Dave & a partner started D&L Underground Solutions, which specialized in parts sales, service, HDD repair, modernization & refurbishments.
Dave supplies a wealth of knowledge with hydraulic and can bus systems relating to the Mobile Construction industry. Dave brings a hands-on approach to implementing incremental improvements and problem solving for HDD and Auger boring equipment. Michael Byrne Mfg President Jim Weist adds, “Dave’s addition to the Michael Byrne Team brings another perspective from a respected industry leader with experiences hard to find today”.
For more information on Michael Bryne Manufacturing, visit their website at byrnegroup.com.
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.
