Industry News, trenchless products, trenchless projects
First of Two Mixed Ground Machines will begin boring this autumn
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The first of two Slurry TBMs, a rebuilt 6.65 m (21.8 ft) diameter machine, passed its factory acceptance on September 4, 2017 in Singapore. The machine, fitted with a Robbins cutterhead and outer shields, is destined for the Mumbai Metro Line 3 under contract UGC03 for the Dogus-Soma JV (DSJV), and will begin excavation in late 2017. The factory acceptance for a second 6.65 m (21.8 ft) diameter Slurry TBM will be conducted by the end of 2017.
The on-time delivery of the first machine is just the beginning of partnership that will span years. “There are few companies in the international arena that are as professional as Robbins. Robbins has been very helpful to DSJV since the inception of the project and will be our partners until the end of the contract. Robbins’ presence in India including field service crews will be a great help for us in future,” said Mr. DV Raju, Senior Vice President for SOMA.
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The two machines will excavate parallel 3.5 km (2.2 mi) long tunnels between Mumbai Central and Worli station sites, passing through three intermediate cut and cover stations on the way. Ground conditions consist of fresh to weathered basalt and breccia up to 100 MPa UCS with water pressures up to 3 bar.
The JV selected Slurry machines for their contract due to the challenging ground conditions expected. “I have worked with Slurry TBMs on similar geology globally. Slurry TBMs have real power and will suit the hard rock geology of our Mumbai Metro contract 3. The water table and variable geology, especially basalt of higher hardness, can be easily tackled by Slurry TBMs,” said Mr. Tamay Sayin, Project Manager for DSJV. The cutterheads of the machines are fitted with wear protection, wear detection bits, and Robbins 17-inch disc cutters for the conditions. Grizzly bars will limit the size of boulders that can enter the cutterhead to 250 mm (9.8 in). The slurry systems includes rock crushers as well as abrasion-resistant plating in high-wear areas.
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The two TBMs are the first of a total of four machines being provided by Robbins for the Mumbai Metro Line 3. Another two 6.65 m (21.8 ft) diameter Crossover XRE machines will bore parallel 2.8 km (1.7 mi) tunnels on a separate contract in 2018. “Mumbai Metro is one of the most prestigious metro works in the country, and Robbins’ involvement in providing suitable machines and associated services is an honor,” said Kapil Bhati, Managing Director for Robbins India.
The 33.5 km (20.8 mi) long Line 3 of Mumbai Metro being constructed by the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) will consist of 26 underground stations and one at-grade station that will reduce heavy traffic and rail congestion between Bandra and Churchgate areas of the city. A total of 17 TBMs are being procured to bore various sections of the tunnels, which will be excavated at average depths of 15 to 25 m below the city. The entire line is expected to be operational by 2021.
Image 1: Officials from Robbins, owner MMRC, contractor Dogus-Soma JV, and consultant Maple celebrate the successful factory acceptance testing of a Slurry TBM bound for the Mumbai Metro on September 4, 2017.
Image 2: (From left to right) Mr. DV Raju, Senior Vice President-SOMA, Mr. Kapil Bhati, Managing Director-Robbins India, and Mr. Tamay Sayin, Project Manager-DSJV mark the occasion of the first Robbins TBM to be sent to India’s Mumbai Metro Line 3 project.
Image 3: The Slurry machine is the first of four Robbins TBMs that will be supplied to Mumbai Metro, including two Crossover XRE machines to be supplied to another contract in 2018.
Industry News, trenchless products
Vac-Tron Equipment hosted a Red Carpet event to celebrate their 6,000th unit being built, along with their Low Profile trailer mounted industrial vacuum unit debuting in Logan Lucky, a new hit comedy. The event was held in the Villages, FL where Vac-Tron hosted the screening and was a chance for its employees and their families to celebrate this monumental event. Also in attendance was Vac-Tron’s customer Echo Utility Engineering and Surveying, who recently purchased the 6,000th unit, along with Vac-Tron’s dealer, Vermeer Southeast.
‘Lucky’ doesn’t begin to describe the amazing product placement that Vac-Tron received on the big screen. The movie showed the true power of the Vac-Tron units as actors Channing Tatum, Daniel Craig, and Adam Driver used the unit to suck money out of an underground vault and into the vacuum unit for the big heist.
The Vac-Tron unit made its ‘star’ appearance within a few minutes of the movie starting. It was a surreal experience to see the Vac-Tron unit live and in action with the loud cheers from the crowd. The movie showcased the unit at least 10 times with extended periods during each shot and the crowd’s enthusiasm increased every time. This was a humbling experience for the employees of Vac-Tron to see a unit that they built in the little city of Okahumpka, FL make it to the big screen. Vac-Tron units have been built in Central Florida for over 20 years and shipped all around the world.
A reporter with The Daily Sun interviewed Vac-Tron’s Founder Don Buckner and President Tim Fischer. “We never thought that we’d make it on the big screen and we are excited for all of our employees. We have a great team and to be able to celebrate this event and our 6,000th unit is a true honor”, said Fischer.
“I started Vac-Tron in my two-car garage more than 20 years ago. We started with nothing and built it to the organization it is today,” said Buckner. “It’s just surreal to me to imagine that we had this kind of success with our equipment.”
It’s no wonder the director decided to use a Vac-Tron unit when looking for a versatile way to safely dig and suck material up quickly for a project, even if it was just for a movie. While Vac-Tron does not list “robbing a NASCAR race”, as an application for its product, there are many highly efficient applications for a Vac-Tron unit, i.e. locating utilities, potholing, directional drilling, controlled excavation, industrial cleanup and many more.
Vac-Tron Equipment is the industry’s innovative leader and one of the world’s largest producers of industrial vacuum equipment and vacuum excavation equipment. Vac-Tron Equipment, which has more than 30 industrial vacuum products and more than 50 wet and dry uses, has 115 dealer locations in North America.
Contact vactron.com for a demo in your area.
Industry News, trenchless people
Ve Group now sells and services Vermeer underground construction equipment
PELLA, Iowa, August 29, 2017 – Vermeer Corporation expands its South America dealer network with the addition of Medellín, Colombia, based Ve Group. With the addition of Vermeer underground construction equipment, Ve Group will be able to provide its Colombian customers with high-quality construction equipment, as well as aftermarket parts and service support.
“Ve Group is committed to its customers,” said Tony Briggs, vice president – sales & distribution at Vermeer. “Dealer Principal Santiago Durango has an established track record and in-market experience in the pipeline installation, maintenance and rehabilitation markets. He puts his customers’ needs first. We are confident he and everyone at Ve Group will do an excellent job of representing Vermeer.”
Over the last 10 years, Ve Group has been instrumental in establishing trenchless technology best practices in South America and has formally trained more than 1,300 people at universities and on jobsites. The team at Ve Group has provided support and onsite expertise on many of the largest underground projects in Colombia and surrounding countries. Santiago is also a founding member of ICTIS, the Colombian International Society for Trenchless Technology chapter.
“Our partnership with Vermeer will be good for contractors in Colombia,” Durango said. “We’ve always been committed to providing our customers with the best solutions at the best value, and the Vermeer utility installation products exceed our high standards. I’ve had the opportunity to work with the team at Vermeer in various roles throughout my career, and I know they will do a great job of working with customers and us. We’re excited to be representing the Vermeer brand.”
To learn more about Ve Group products and services, visit vedelivers.com.
To learn more about Vermeer Corporation, products, the dealer network and financing options, visit vermeer.com.
Industry News
At this year’s No-Dig Down Under the ASTT will be offering three training courses for members of the infrastructure industry. Produced by the NASTT, and adapted for Australasian audiences, these courses offer the chance for infrastructure professionals to learn from leading experts from around the world and develop their skill-set to an international standard.
The courses for 2017 will be the Cured-In-Place Pipe (CIPP) Good Practices Course, Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) Good Practices Course and Pipe Bursting Good Practices Course.
The CIPP course provides an in-depth overview of wastewater mainline and lateral pipe rehabilitation using CIPP and design to job completion. The course is best suited to council, utility and government employees, asset managers seeking new knowledge of rehabilitation techniques, and young professionals working in the trenchless rehabilitation subsector.
The HDD course provides an in-depth overview of Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) and covers six topics: (1) operation and application; (2) equipment and materials; (3) planning, including surface and geological investigations, utility surveys, bore planning, and regulations and permitting; (4) jobsite safety; (5) risk reduction, trouble shooting and mitigation; and (6) design. This course is best suited to council, utility and government employees, civil and geotechnical engineers, beginner drillers, and young professionals working the trenchless installation subsector.
The Pipe Bursting course provides an in-depth overview of pipe bursting and covers four topic areas: (1) the types, methods and applications of pipe bursting; (2) planning and preliminary design of a pipe bursting job; (3) design and construction considerations; and (4) troubleshooting and problem solving.
ASTT’s 12th No-Dig Down Under Conference and Exhibition will be held on the Gold Coast from 12-15 September 2017.
Industry News, trenchless products
Armadrillco High-Flow/Side-Load Housing Adapted to the RockEye
(Hutchinson, Kansas) – The spring 2017 acquisition of Armadrillco® solidified StraightLine HDD’s position as a leader in hard condition tooling. The announcement today of the adaption of the patented Armadrillco transmitter housing to the RockEye® Hammer System is a significant step in diffusing Armadrillco technology throughout StraightLine HDD tooling platforms.
Adapting Armadrillco side-load housing technology gives users easy access to electronics, larger capacity fluid/air passages and improved durability. The housing’s patented Arma-Loc® system is a field-proven design that gives users quick access to electronics by virtue of removing a single pin. Free from threads, the Arma-Loc system virtually eliminates problems associated with damaged or over-torqued bolts, as well as vibration-induced lid failure.
The industry’s most secure lid retention system is also the most protected. Working in tandem with the Arma-Loc lid security system, a patented urethane and O-ring system is designed to seal and protect the sonde cavity from fluid/debris infiltration. The system also forms a cushioned platform that shields valuable electronics from punishing vibration and heat produced by a hammer working in harsh rock environments.
Large internal passages, up to 1-inch in diameter, represent a significant improvement in air/fluid flow. The larger passages are capable of delivering air volume up to 1,200 CFM and fluid volume of 300+ GPM.
Visit www.straightlinehdd.com and www.sourcehdd.com for more information.
Industry News, trenchless people
Company hires Cory Lee as regional sales manager
GREENVILLE, S.C. — August 8, 2017 — McLaughlin is proud to welcome its newest employee, Cory Lee, who is joining the team as a regional sales manager serving all McLaughlin customers in the Southwest region.
Lee brings over 15 years of sales knowledge and 5 years of management experience to his new role, including a management position at Vermeer. Lee used innovative sales tactics to pursue new leads while maintaining strong relationships with existing customers as a territory sales manager and solutions specialist at Vermeer.
“With his prior field experience at Vermeer, his familiarity with the underground construction industry and his proven sales record, Cory is a fantastic addition to the McLaughlin team,” said Jeff Wage, vice president of McLaughlin. “His willingness to go above and beyond for customers combined with his exceptional sales and management expertise will allow him to bring the highest level of support to the Vermeer dealers in his region.”
McLaughlin is a leading manufacturer of trenchless construction equipment including auger boring machines, Vermeer-branded vacuum excavators and pneumatic piercing tools, as well as locators, directional drills and various attachments. Lee’s role will be to support the full line of McLaughlin products to dealers and customers.
For more information on McLaughlin products and services, visit the company’s website at www.mclaughlinunderground.com or email McLaughlin at mmole@mightymole.com.
