Blog, Industry News
November 21, 2016
Woodard & Curran (#80 on the Engineering News-Record Top 500 Design Firms list) has acquired RMC Water & Environment (ENR #456), a 125-person, California-based, environmental engineering company focused on developing solutions to the complex challenges of using and protecting water. The acquisition of RMC expands Woodard & Curran’s national footprint to 26 offices in 12 states, and 48 clean water facilities across the country. The combined firm represents 1,000 engineers, scientists, planners, treatment facility operators, and support staff who expect to deliver more than $200 million in projects this year, strengthening its position as one of the top wastewater firms in the country and elevating it into the top 20 for water resources and supply.
“This marks an important milestone in Woodard & Curran’s history,” explained Woodard & Curran CEO, Douglas McKeown. “We have grown steadily since the firm was founded, maintaining our focus on supporting and empowering our people, working side-by-side with our municipal and private sector clients on some of the most important water and environmental challenges. We are thrilled to be able to bring the people of RMC into the Woodard & Curran team, and to be able to leverage their expertise and experience to benefit our employees and clients.”
“We were at a critical point in our growth,” said RMC President Alyson Watson. “Joining forces with Woodard & Curran allows us to expand our capabilities and offer more to our existing clients, and it gives us a national platform to deliver our expertise in water resources to many new clients.”
RMC was founded in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1998. With an impressive portfolio of large-scale projects, industry leadership in water recycling, and a strong reputation, RMC works for some of the largest cities in California on crucial water resource planning. The firm also provides water and wastewater design services to mid-size communities. Recent projects include preliminary design of the Santa Clara Valley Water District’s potable reuse program and design of wastewater treatment plant upgrades for the Cities of Brentwood and Yuba City. Earlier this year, RMC engaged Matheson Financial Advisors to initiate a comprehensive nationwide search for a merger partner that would provide the greatest benefit to both firms. Woodard & Curran was the clear choice, both in terms of service offerings and cultural fit.
Woodard & Curran was founded in Maine in 1979 to help clients address the needs arising out of the Clean Water Act. It has grown steadily since that time with a focus on water and environmental services. Today, the firm works with municipalities, companies, and institutions across a wide range of market sectors to anticipate and solve some of the most important water and environmental challenges in the United States. Recent projects include sewer collection system improvements for the City of Lawrence, MA, design of a wastewater treatment plant for Upper Montgomery Joint Authority in Pennsylvania, and contract operations of the South Sangamon Water District’s water treatment plant in Illinois.
“We have always been a values-driven organization,” said McKeown. “Our mission statement puts our people first, and our growth and success are a direct result of our focus on hiring exceptional people and empowering them to do what they do best. RMC’s history and approach are strikingly similar to our own. The match in values is easily as important as the overlapping set of skills and services across the two firms, and those shared values, expertise, and experience make for a very powerful combination.”
“We made a careful and conscious decision about who to partner with for this process,” added Watson. “Finding a firm that shared our values and had complementary strengths was very important to us. And we found that firm in Woodard & Curran.”
The firms will integrate capabilities beginning immediately, but in the near-term, RMC will retain its focus on serving its clients in California. RMC will operate under a co-branded identity through 2017 and then transition to operating as Woodard & Curran in 2018.
Woodard & Curran has offices in Enfield and Middletown, CT; Duluth, GA; Bangor and Portland, ME; Andover and Dedham, MA; St. Charles, MO; Bozeman, Butte, and Great Falls, MT; Cherry Hill and East Windsor, NJ; Elmira and White Plains, NY; Pittsburgh and Tunkhannock, PA; Providence, RI; and Casper, WY. RMC has offices in Irvine, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, and Walnut Creek, CA.
Blog, Industry News, trenchless people
The International Society for Trenchless Technology (ISTT) seeks an Executive Director to
manage the business of ISTT. ISTT plans to select an Executive Director by the beginning of
2017. Applications will be accepted immediately. Please see ISTT Executive Director Position
Description at www.istt.com.
Applicants should submit a resume along with a cover letter describing their qualifications for
the job to ISTT at info@istt.com. Applications are due by 15 December 2016.
ISTT was established in 1986 in the United Kingdom as a private limited company to advance
the science and practice of trenchless technology for the public benefit. ISTT and its 28
worldwide Affiliated Societies hold and sponsor training and education programs, studies and
research, and technical conferences and exhibitions promoting the use of trenchless
technologies for the public benefit. Please go to www.istt.com for more information.
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).
