Blog, Industry News, trenchless products
OKAHUMPKA, Fla., November 3, 2016 – Vac-Tron Equipment is excited to introduce a whole new line to their 
vacuum excavation equipment. It’s the new CV (Competitive Vac) Series. This series offers the performance you have come to expect from Vac-Tron Equipment while keeping the cost of operation to a minimum.
Standard equipment:
CV GT models: Powered by 27 HP Kohler EFI gas engine, 580 cfm @ 15 Hg, Wet/dry filtration with cyclonic separation, 500 or 800-gallon debris tank, 7 Series Claw Door, Hydraulic rear door with auto engage safety latch, 200 – 300-gallon water capacities, 3500 psi @ 4 gpm, Water knife and clean-up wand, 30’ x 3” vacuum hose.
CV SGT High CFM models: Powered by a 37 HP Kohler gas engine, 1000 cfm @ 15 Hg, Wet/dry filtration with cyclonic separation, 500 or 800-gallon debris tank, 7 Series Claw Door, Hydraulic rear door with auto engage safety latch, 200 – 300-gallon water capacities, 3500 psi @ 4 gpm, Water knife and clean-up wand, 30’ x 4” vacuum hose.
Optional reverse pressure is also available.
For more information about our CV Series, contact Vac-Tron Equipment at 888-822-8766 or visit us at www.vactron.com.
Blog, Industry News, trenchless people
Further expands to support drillers around the world.
THOMPSON, CONNECTICUT USA, October 26, 2016 – Numa, the world’s leading designer of DTH hammers
and bits, has announced the addition of Andrew Robertson to its international sales team. Based in Scotland, Andrew will be responsible for driving sales and supporting International customers in the field.
“With the further growth of Numa’s international presence, we continue to invest in supporting drillers with the latest DTH technology and best expertise available in the marketplace,” said Numa President, Ralph Leonard. “The addition of a drilling expert like Andrew Robertson further reinforces our strong commitment to that strategy.”
Andrew commented, “I am excited to join Numa and look forward to working with the team to deliver the world’s leading drilling technology. Having a wealth of experience in DTH drilling, I’m excited to support drillers with such a respected company that prides itself on top quality products and service.”
Andrew comes to Numa with over 11 years of experience in the down hole hammer and bit industry. Most recently he held product and sales roles with Atlas Copco in support of the company’s DTH product line. In this position, he traveled throughout the world to support dealer sales, provide field support, handle warranty claims, and assist with R&D projects.
Prior to his position with Atlas Copco, Andrew worked as a Sales Engineer with Numa distributor H & F Drilling in Scotland. During this time, he developed first-hand experience with Numa hammers and bits by supporting drillers on job site throughout Europe.
ABOUT NUMA
Numa designs the world’s leading rock drilling technology with over 100 DTH Hammer and Bit products serving 11 different industries. Our products are capable of drilling vertical, horizontal, and reverse circulation holes from 3½ to 48 inches (89 – 1219 mm) in diameter and are used in 105+ countries. We have built our customer-centric reputation on providing the highest value in products, performance, and personal service available in the rock drilling industry.
Blog, Industry News, trenchless products, trenchless projects
Swiftly-Assembled Machine to bore Emergency Water Supply Tunnel
After an Onsite First Time Assembly (OFTA) lasting just 2.5 months, Atlanta Georgia, USA’s newest TBM, dubbed “Driller Mike”, made its initial startup on October 13, 2016 and ramped up to full production two weeks later. Atlanta’s Mayor Kasim Reed and city officials gathered with local and national media to celebrate the occasion. The 3.8 m (12.5 ft) diameter Robbins Main Beam TBM is now boring the 8.0 km (5.0 mi) Bellwood Tunnel after being walked forward 100 ft into a starter tunnel. The Bellwood Tunnel path will travel from an inactive quarry and run below a water treatment plant and reservoir before ending next to the Chattahoochee River.
The project was green-lighted by the City of Atlanta’s Department of Watershed Management due to the city’s 
current emergency water supply shortage. The PC/Russell JV, the project’s construction manager at risk, sub-contracted with the Atkinson/Technique JV to operate the TBM and will oversee construction of various intake and pumping shafts as well as final lining operations. The project is of utmost importance for the City of Atlanta, explained Bob Huie, Sr. Project Manager for the PC/Russell JV. “Right now, the downtown area’s emergency water supply is approximately three days. With the tunnel the supply will increase to between 30 and 90 days. To be a part of the city’s emergency water supply solution is huge. This tunnel will protect the city for a very long time.”
With the tunnel on the fast track, swift TBM assembly was key. The OFTA process involved coordination by multiple
crews at the large quarry site. “The OFTA went very well. The overall assembly process was well organized and supervised by the Atkinson/Technique JV and Robbins. We had a good team of folks to put it all together,” said Huie. He continued: “This is a unique job where there’s a lot of people with a variety of backgrounds, but everyone came together to make the OFTA happen.”
The Robbins TBM is now excavating in granite, with at least 300 m (1,000 ft) of zones in three separate areas that will require continuous probing. In a section directly below an existing reservoir, monitoring will be particularly crucial to ensure no water inflows occur. The Robbins machine will also be required to negotiate several curves: “We have one curve in the first 300 m (1,000 ft) and the main 370 m (1,200 ft) radius curve is 1,800 m (6,000 ft) in. We plan to do short TBM strokes in this section—about 20 cm (8 inches) to 30 cm (1 ft) shorter than normal to get through the curves,” said Larry Weslowski, Tunneling Superintendent for the PC/Russell JV.
Excavation is scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2018. After final lining, the tunnel will be filled with 
water and the quarry site will become Atlanta’s largest reservoir and park, totaling hundreds of acres. While the park site is a bonus for residents, the water storage capacity it will provide is critical. Nearly 1.2 million customers, including 200,000 passengers who pass through the world’s busiest airport every day, count on the water supply each time they turn on the tap. “If the city were to lose water supply for a day, the estimated economic impact would be at least USD $100 million per day. If you consider that this is a USD $300 million project, that seems a pretty good investment in comparison to what could happen,” said Huie.
Image 1: The Robbins Main Beam TBM, dubbed “Driller Mike”, was launched on Atlanta, Georgia, USA’s Bellwood Tunnel in October 2016.
Image 2: Robbins Field Service stand proudly in front of the completed Main Beam TBM after an Onsite First Time Assembly lasting just 2.5 months.
Image 3: The 3.8 m (12.5 ft) diameter Robbins Main Beam TBM will bore the 8.0 km (5.0 mi) Bellwood Tunnel through granite rock with potential zones of water inflows.
Image 4: Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed (left) and Atlanta City Councilman Andre Dickens (right) attend the TBM’s launch ceremony to kick off the Bellwood Tunnel excavation.
Desiree Willis
Technical Writer
Email: willisd@robbinstbm.com
Direct: 253.872.4490
Blog, Industry News, trenchless people
The Annual International No-Dig Conference is the flagship of ISTT’s education and training effort. The 34th 
International No-Dig Conference & Exhibition was held in October in Beijing, China at the National Agriculture Exhibition Center. The Center is a state-of-the-art facility located in the heart of Beijing.
The China Society for Trenchless Technology hosted the conference. Mr. Wang Fuming, Chairman of the China Society stated, “Beijing, the capital of the People’s Republic of China, is a vibrant, dynamic city with a rich history and may attractions. Beijing is not only a must-see place to visit, it is also a key center of trenchless activity in China. Many major trenchless and underground construction companies are headquartered in Beijing. Trenchless also has played a significant role in meeting the challenges of underground construction in a heavily urbanized area with minimum social and economic impact and disruption.”
During the conference, ISTT held their annual board meeting where Dr. Samuel Ariaratnam, the past chairman of 
ISTT, completed his tenure and Mr. Enrico Boi became the chairman, along with Mr. Jari Kaukonen as vice chairman. Mr. Enrico Boi is from the NASTT (North American Society) and Mr. Jari Kaukonen is from FiSTT (Finnish Society).
Blog, Industry News, trenchless people
PELLA, Iowa — Vermeer has created a partnership with the Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) — 
Iowa’s largest two-year college serving more than 75,000 students — to certify the Vermeer HDD CircuitSM training program. Individuals who complete the two-week, instructor-led program will be classified as a certified horizontal directional drill (HDD) operator.
“Vermeer and DMACC are particularly excited about the potential benefits to our growing veteran population,” commented Rob Denson, president of DMACC. “The fact that the HDD Circuit training program is a certified addition to the DMACC curriculum offerings means that veterans can use their GI Bill benefits to cover the cost of the HDD Circuit program tuition and lodging to attend the two-week instructor-led program that provides a mix of classroom time with hands-on experience in a small-group learning environment.”
“DMACC has worked with Vermeer on a number of training initiatives focused on building the pipeline of skilled workers for its operations, but this is the most far-reaching effort to date,” said Denson. “Instead of training people to work at Vermeer, this innovative program is training individuals to work in the HDD industry, with skills that can be applied anywhere in the country or the world. These are high skilled jobs that provide outstanding career opportunities for individuals willing to train. DMACC is very proud to be able to certify this program.”
“This is the first-of-its-kind certified HDD operator training program in the nation,” said Dave Wisniewski, vice president, Underground products at Vermeer. “While other training programs may provide a certificate of completion, each student who successfully completes the Vermeer HDD Circuit training program will be certified as an HDD operator from an accredited college. This is important as more project owners are asking underground contractors to verify their HDD operators have received training.”
Vermeer HDD Circuit program will be taught by Vermeer trainers with extensive experience in horizontal directional drilling operation.
During each two-week course, students will be exposed to topics on HDD safety, jobsite evaluation and setup, drill operation best practices, underground utility locating and potholing best practices, drilling fluid mixing and testing, proper bore and pullback techniques including the development of a bore to plan, as well as basic drill maintenance and inspection. Students will get approximately 40 hours of classroom time and 40 hours of hands-on experience — 20 hours locating and 20 hours operating the drill in the field.
“The HDD Circuit program develops drillers who can walk a bore, plan a bore, set up a bore and complete a bore,” said Tony Bokhoven, Lifecycle training manager at Vermeer. “We are creating an opportunity for a new generation of drill operators to have a career in a growing global industry. At a time when the horizontal directional drilling industry is experiencing a shortage of drill operators, the HDD Circuit program is an ideal training program to help veterans, students and others looking for a way to enter this growing industry.”
The goal of the training program is that each student who successfully completes the program will be a productive drill operator or crew member. HDD Circuit program students must complete and pass a written test and hands-on evaluation in order to complete the program and receive the certified HDD operator designation.
To learn more about Vermeer HDD Circuit program and register for a future training class, visit DMACC.edu, Vermeer.com or contact Vermeer at HDDCircuit@vermeer.com.
Blog, Industry News, trenchless people, trenchless products, trenchless projects
Highly Anticipated Photo Finish wraps up Tunneling at Massive Metro
On September 28, 2016, Bangalore’s last TBM for the city’s metro rail project broke through, marking the end of 
TBM tunneling on the Namma Metro phase 1. The Robbins-operated machine, known as “Krishna”, bored a 750 m (2,460 ft) drive through challenging conditions between Chickpet and Majestic stations. Cleanup and final commissioning of the tunnel will be completed in 2017, and is the last obstacle before owner Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) can open the Malleswaram-Majestic link. The TBM’s sister machine, “Kaveri”, completed a parallel tunnel in June 2016.
The success follows a gauntlet of challenges on the two tunnel sites. Due to severe delays on the original tunnel drives, Robbins was approached and asked to take over the operations of the remaining two competitor-manufactured TBMs in February 2015. After obtaining agreement from the project owner and the contractor, Robbins took over the responsibility for all aspects of the underground operations. “We provided a team of over 60 staff including TBM operators, TBM technicians, ring builders, a grouting team, and more. We were also responsible for running surface installations and equipment such as the grout batching plant, gantry cranes and power supply. Contractor Coastal Projects Ltd. (CPL) provided a team of people including surveyors, QC engineers, and loco operators who reported directly to our site management team,” explained Jim Clark, Projects Manager for Robbins India. 
The Robbins crew carried out tunneling operations while the Chickpet station was being constructed around them to mitigate delays incurred before they took over project operations. The project’s most difficult challenges included a low overburden and unconsolidated ground along the alignment, and the discovery of several uncharted wells directly on the alignment. Difficult ground frequently prevented proper pressurization during cutting tool replacement, requiring a grout solution to be pumped in to fill voids and left to cure. Initially the curing process took up to 36 hours, but with improved application methods this was reduced to a 12-hour curing time.
Another challenge involved the sensitive building structures along the tunnel path. Issues with surface vibration, explained Clark, required that cutterhead speed be limited to 1.8 RPM during the day shift and 1.2 RPM during the night shift. Despite the obstacles, the TBMs advanced at rates of up to 50mm (2 in)/min in highly weathered rock.
“This is an industry first, wherein a TBM manufacturer has utilized their in-house expertise and knowledge to take on this level of responsibility for a project,” said Clark, addressing the magnitude of the successful breakthroughs. “The fact that it was ‘a first’ and we were successful in bringing this high-profile project back on track is a great achievement for The Robbins Company.”
Now that tunneling is complete, the North and South runs of the Namma metro will be connected–a line that, once in service, will carry an estimated 40,000 passengers daily. It is anticipated that Phase One of the metro will be opened in its entirety in 2017.
vacuum excavation equipment. It’s the new CV (Competitive Vac) Series. This series offers the performance you have come to expect from Vac-Tron Equipment while keeping the cost of operation to a minimum.
