Industry News, trenchless people
A visit to No-Dig Live 2018 is free of charge and a must for anyone involved in the installation or refurbishment of underground utilities.
What’s on at No-Dig Live!
- Case study presentations from leading contractors
- Patrons Panel event
- Irish focus day featuring speakers from Irish Water, Northern Irish Water and Aecom
- Live indoor and outdoor demonstrations with over 120 exhibiting companies
- The UKSTT Gala Dinner & Awards Ceremony Wednesday 19th September
- Visitors from over 25 countries during the 3-day event
- Young Professional Trenchless Challenge
Learn more and register online here!
Industry News, trenchless projects
The City and County of Denver has designed the 33rd Street Outfall Storm Sewer to reduce flooding concerns between Downing Street and the Platte River along 33rd Street and the surrounding neighborhoods. The project is being released in four phases over three years, and BTrenchless has completed the first two phases, installing the storm sewer from the Platte River to the intersection of 33rd and Blake.
The pipeline is a combination of large box culverts, 120” HOBAS pipe, smaller reinforced concrete pipe, and steel casings. The highlight of the first phase was construction of a precast 11’ x 8’ concrete box culvert across Brighton Blvd. while maintaining a constant flow of traffic. The second phase included a 220’ long tunnel, ten foot in diameter, under the Union Pacific Railroad Yard and the RTD Commuter Rail. It also included side-by-side 96” diameter steel tunnels under Blake Street and a 450 foot long, 51” HOBAS storm lateral via a microtunnel method.
The diversity of this project allowed BTrenchless to utilize three different types of tunnels and capitalized on the vast resources of both people and equipment to successfully complete this complex and high profile project. In the course of the first two phases, nine different crews and four different superintendents had a part in the overall success of the project, each capitalizing on their various areas of expertise.
Click on photos to view larger images. Be sure to notice Morty the Tunnel Rat in the top photo supervising the project!
Industry News, trenchless projects
Massive Metro Project Will Improve Traffic and Rail Congestion in One of India’s Largest Cities
On June 11, 2018, a Robbins Crossover XRE destined for Line 3 of India’s Mumbai Metro arrived in Mumbai port following a successful factory acceptance test in April. The machine, combining features of a hard rock Single Shield TBM and an Earth Pressure Balance Machine, is one of two 6.65 m (21.8 ft) Crossover machines that will bore under contract UGC-01. Operation of these two machines will be carried out by Larsen & Toubro, part of the Larsen & Toubro -Shanghai Tunnel Engineering Co Joint Venture (L&T-STEC JV). The Robbins Company will provide key personnel for the initial boring phase. “During the factory acceptance testing, we observed that the machine and back-up system are robust enough for hard rock tunneling,” stated Palwinder Singh, Head of Tunnel Operations for L&T-STEC JV.
During the bores, consisting of parallel 2.8 km (1.7 mi long) tunnels, geologic conditions will include mixed ground and possible water pressures up to 2 bar. According to Singh, “A Crossover XRE was chosen because of the expected geology,” which includes basalt rock and transition zones consisting of black carbonaceous shale, tuff, and breccia. Rock strengths are anticipated to range between 15 MPa and 125 MPa (2,200 and 18,100 psi) UCS. The machines will bore with only 15 to 20 m (50 to 70 ft) of cover above the tunnel and the structure will be lined with reinforced concrete segments in a 5+1 arrangement.
The metro tunnels will run between the Cuffe Parade Station and Hutatma Chowk station, passing through the Vidhan Bhavan and Church Stations. Both Crossover machines will be launched from the same 25 m (82 ft) deep by 22 m (72 ft) long shaft at the Cuffe Parade Station. “The limited length of the shaft requires running the TBMs for the first 100 m (328 ft) with some or all the back-up decks at the surface,” said JP Bayart, Robbins Project Engineer. “The TBMs and back-up systems are connected with umbilical cables and hoses.”
The TBMs will begin their excavation in hard rock mode. “Each cutterhead is optimized for operation in rock, as this is what is expected. The machines can also operate in soft ground thanks to the screw conveyor with bulkhead gate and discharge gate,” said Bayart. “The Robbins Torque-Shift System, consisting of two-speed shifting gearboxes coupled to the main drive motors, allows for the high cutterhead torque required for soft ground operation.” The face of each machine is equipped with six muck buckets and six large internal muck loading plates. This design, in combination with the screw conveyor located at the centerline of each machine, will allow for the option of fully emptying the cutterhead chamber, resulting in minimal wear when EPB mode is not required. Muck will be removed from the tunnels via muck cars.
Assembly and launch preparations for the first XRE TBM began on 20 June and are estimated to take about six weeks. The second Robbins XRE TBM underwent factory acceptance testing at the end of May and will arrive at the jobsite at the end of July for its assembly. “Our target is to achieve an average of 250 m (820 ft) of boring per month,” said Jim Clark, Robbins Projects Manager India. “The target to complete the boring operations is 20 months, which includes the additional time required for the short start-up using umbilicals on the initial drives, dragging the machines and re-launching through three stations.” Contractor L&T plans to work crews on double shifts to cover a full day of operations in order to keep to this timeline. The machines will join two Robbins Slurry machines boring a separate contract of the Mumbai Metro Line 3. The first of those machines will be launching in August 2018. The Metro Line 3 project as a whole is estimated to be completed by 2021.
Image: Robbins and contractor personnel stand proudly in front of the first of two Robbins 6.65 m (21.8 ft) diameter XRE TBMs during the factory acceptance test.
Industry News, trenchless people
The Australasian Society for Trenchless Technology (ASTT) is offering the Cured-in-Place Pipe (CIPP) Good Practices Course in Hamilton, New Zealand prior to the start of the Water New Zealand Conference and Expo.
The course will be presented by expert in field, Chris Macey of AECOM in North America, and provides an in-depth overview of wastewater mainline and lateral pipe rehabilitation using CIPP and design to job completion.
Tuesday, September 18
8am – 5pm
Novotel Hamilton Tainui
7 Alma St
Hamilton, 3204
New Zealand
Course registration is NZ$530 for ASTT members and NZ$640 for non-members. (Please note, registration will be charged in AUD).
Visit the conference website for more details!
Industry News, trenchless people
Did you know Staheli Trenchless Consultants offers Specialized Construction Management?
Joel Staheli is the head of our Construction Services Department. Along with our team of highly experienced inspectors, Joel has the ability to develop field inspection teams that are focused on ensuring a high-risk trenchless project is delivered in a safe and timely manner while meeting the intent of the design. Joel leads a team of inspectors that are dedicated to minimizing construction risk. This requires that each member of the Staheli Trenchless team be aware of the risks that were identified in design so they can be monitored, tracked, and approached in a fair manner throughout construction. He has experience with implementing the use of Geotechnical Baseline Reports in construction to settle disputes in a timely fashion before they become elevated to claims. His success with negotiating fair change orders comes from the high level of integrity that he maintains while communicating with a wide range of personalities.
Prior to serving as the head of the Construction Services Department, Joel performed specialty construction inspection on a variety of challenging trenchless projects. He has vast experience with horizontal directional drilling, auger boring and pipe ramming, along with other trenchless construction methods. He is able to identify and prioritize risk and develop construction inspection strategies that ensure the Owner has the right information from which to evaluate potential change orders. Joel embraces a proactive approach to construction inspection services and performs time-in-motion studies during construction to evaluate performance on a real-time basis, allowing identification of potential problems. He has excellent communication skills that allow him to interact with the contractor in a productive manner while representing the Owner in a manner that is consistent with a well-planned risk management strategy. Joel is a firm believer in identifying and tracking trenchless risks throughout construction to ensure that the factors that contribute to successful completion of a trenchless project are effectively incorporated. Joel is straight forward and genuine. He works diligently toward positive resolution and resolves construction issues in a timely manner. If you call Joel – he will be sure to follow-up and get you the information you need.
Joel is a talented woodworker, loves all things sports, and loves the laughter and happy-chaos that comes with his family of 6.
Joel is stationed in our Lynnwood, Washington office, but is usually found onsite managing projects around the Pacific Northwest.
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
Challenge
To bring their latest industry-leading Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) systems to market, Geophysical Survey Systems Inc. (GSSI) needed a capable, flexible controller platform for use with their highly specialized devices. After years of operating with a custom controller that couldn’t always keep up with the fast pace of technology evolution, GSSI needed a solution that could support workers in the most challenging conditions and better withstand rigorous use.
Solution
After considering other players in the rugged computing market, GSSI decided to pair their GPR device with the Panasonic Toughpad FZ-G1 and Toughpad FZ-M1 tablets, which offer visibility, impressive battery life and best-in-class durability that holds up to the environmental challenges they face every day in the field.
Result
By deploying the Toughpad tablet, GSSI was able to create a partnership with a brand that has a similar reputation for being rugged enough for the toughest field environments. GSSI now offers customers a highly capable solution in a device that will last, eliminating fears of damage or replacement.
As manufacturers of the highest quality ground penetrating radar technology in the market, GSSI is an organization that understands the rigor of field work, and their customers operate in environments that are as tough as it gets. GSSI’s technology aids field work across industries, from construction sites to public utility work and even search and rescue missions following a natural disaster. Despite their reputation for industry leading software, they can’t do it alone. GSSI relied on a custom controller that was hardened for field work. While it met the unique hardware requirements for their ground penetrating radar (GPR) technology, the controller couldn’t keep up with the design cycle and the hardware too frequently became outdated. In a market that requires staying ahead of technological advancements, GSSI sought a new hardware partner to accompany their best-in-class software.
After investigating other options in the rugged tablet market, GSSI ultimately landed on Panasonic because they wanted a partner that had a similar reputation for being rugged and durable. With the assistance of their engineering team, the company purchased a fleet of both the Toughpad FZ-G1 and Toughpad FZ-M1 tablets and designed proprietary software for use with their GPR systems, creating a bundled full-suite package that offers customers full control over these complex, finely-tuned radar systems. A Toughbook customer for over 20 years, GSSI had experience with Toughbook laptops, but for this particular use case, GSSI decided a tablet form factor was the better fit. Lightweight and portable, the tablet doesn’t compromise on performance or screen size and offers portability and offers greater flexibility in the field.
Due to the uniquely challenging environment of their work, a rugged design was the first thing to come to mind for GSSI when considering new hardware. One of the key reasons for choosing Panasonic was simply that Toughbook and Toughpad products are known for holding up to the rigor of tough work conditions. In an environment where concrete is being cut, airborne dust poses a hazard and pleasant weather is never guaranteed, a commercial tablet simply wouldn’t suffice. GSSI needed a device that could withstand the varying conditions of this environment to seal out the elements, and the Toughpad was the right fit for the job. In addition to doing tough work, GSSI customers are known for being tough on their equipment. Operating in construction and safety zones, these devices might be tossed in the back of a truck, shipped around the world and dropped countless times. GSSI needed to ensure that a tablet-based system could endure how their employees handle the devices as much as the environment they work within.
Since GSSI customers primarily work in outdoors environments, visibility and battery life were other crucial features. Particularly in bright light conditions, commercial grade tablets get washed out and critical data is difficult to read on the screen. The ability to ensure visibility in all light conditions was another important aspect. GSSI was also attracted to the added battery life available with the Toughpad. Especially in emergency response and disaster recovery situations, device failure due to battery loss simply isn’t an option.
A result of two companies who pride themselves on serving workers in uniquely challenging environments, this solution will support GSSI customers though whatever conditions they face today, tomorrow and for another 20 years. Panasonic Toughpad was the right choice for GSSI for several reasons, but the main one is clear: it’s built to last.
