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 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 people, trenchless projects
Robbins XRE completes the First TBM-driven Tunnel in Albania
On May 3, 2018 a 6.2 m (20.3 ft) diameter Robbins Crossover (XRE) TBM broke through into an underground chamber, marking the completion of the first TBM-driven tunnel in Albania. The TBM, operated by contractor Limak, was also the first Crossover machine to operate in Europe, and bored through geology including ophiolite, sandstone, breccia and siltstone flysch.
“The cutterhead and cutters have achieved outstanding performance,” said Engin Gur, TBM Manager for Limak. The TBM achieved rates as high as 648 m (2,126 ft) per month in April 2018, and as much as 37.4 m (122.7 ft) in one day. The Crossover TBM did not encounter high-pressure water and was thus used in hard rock Double Shield mode throughout tunneling.
“The TBM performed very well, as did a Robbins-supplied adit conveyor that operated in a 180-degree continuous curve. It was impressive,” said Max Walker, Robbins Field Service Superintendent. Several field service personnel remained onsite throughout operation of the TBM to provide guidance and trouble-shooting.
The machine was launched in November 2016 following Onsite First Time Assembly (OFTA), which enabled the machine to be initially assembled at the jobsite. The crew ramped up production slowly over the next 230 m (755 ft). “Ground conditions were good and we did very few cutter changes—only 20 cutters were used during the bore,” said Walker. Two-stage grouting was carried out as the TBM bored and lined the tunnel in three 8-hour shifts. “The personnel on this project have created a friendly work environment; they’ve made it enjoyable coming to work each day. They’re good guys to work with,” he added.
While the TBM did not need to be sealed, the unique machine design took into account a predicted high risk of water inflows. The Crossover XRE machine used a belt conveyor and not a screw conveyor for muck removal, so the muck chute needed to be able to be sealed off in the case of an inrush of water. The bulkhead was thus designed with a large sealing gate just above the belt conveyor. These pressure-relieving gates could also be used in a semi-EPB mode: As the pressure built in the cutting chamber, the gate would then be opened by the pressure, and material would spill onto the belt. As the pressure lowered, the gates would then automatically close, again sealing off the chamber. In extreme cases, the gates could be sealed and the probe/grout drills could be used to drill, grout, and seal off water. Additionally, the gripper shoes and inner telescopic shield were designed with inflatable seals to further protect against inrushes of water.
With the breakthrough now complete, grouting will continue behind the TBM segments. No additional lining will be added, and the tunnel is expected to become operational by May 2019.
The 6.7 km (4.2 mi) long Moglicë headrace tunnel is part of the Devoll Hydropower Project, a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) scheme to construct two hydropower plants along the Devoll River, named Moglicë and Banja. The project is owned by the Norwegian power company Statkraft AS. The completed Devoll Hydropower Project will increase Albania’s electricity production by 17% and will have an installed capacity of 242 MW.
Image 1: A 6.2 m (20.3 ft) Robbins Crossover (XRE) TBM broke through at the Moglice Headrace Tunnel in Devoll, Albania on May 3, 2018.
Image 2: The breakthrough of the Robbins Crossover (XRE) TBM marks the completion of the first TBM-driven tunnel in Albania.
Image 3: The TBM bored a 6.7 km (4.2 mi) headrace tunnel for the Devoll Hydropower project, advancing at rates of up to 648 m (2,126 ft) per month.
Image 4: Robbins Field Service personnel assisted contractor Limak throughout the project with guidance and trouble-shooting.
trenchless people, trenchless products
Earlier this month, Lithos Engineering, Global Underground Corp and Centennial Water and Sanitation District presented an educational morning for a group of industry professionals to learn more about the Mirabelle Project through Chatfield State Park, that included a 2,500 ft long horizontal directional drilled installation of a 16” FPVC pipe. The event was hosted the Rocky Mountain Chapter of NASTT.
Benny Siljenberg, Vice Chair of the Rocky Mountain Chapter and VP of Lithos Engineering, said, “Trenchless technology is an ever-evolving technology within the infrastructure industry and by providing these educational opportunities RMNASTT helps industry professionals become more comfortable with unfamiliar construction techniques. This knowledge will allow more options for planning future infrastructure improvements that ultimately result in a better society”.
It’s great to see our Regional Chapters working within our communities to educate, network and spread the trenchless good news story!
Industry News, trenchless people
The Arab Countries Water Utilities Association (ACWUA), was established in 2009 and has more than 500 individual members and more than 100 water/wastewater utilities from 18 Arab countries.
ACWUA will host the Trenchless Arabia Conference and Exhibition on 3-5 March 2019 at King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Centre, Dead Sea, Jordan in conjunction with 5th Arab Water Week. For details, please visit www.trenchlessarabia.com and 
https://aww.acwua.org
Trenchless Arabia is an international conference and exhibition promoting condition assessment (cctv inspection and leak detection), ground penetrating radar (gpr), cured in place pipe (cipp) lining, close-fit sliplining, horizontal directional drilling (hdd), pipejacking, pipe bursting, auger boring, microtunnelling and several other trenchless techniques. Rehabilitation or new installation of underground utilities is possible with trenchless techniques which bring crucial advantages such as minimum surface excavation, less environmental damage, shorter construction period and less social cost.
International experts from several institutions, companies and universities will present their best practices and new solutions to the participants from Arab countries. Representatives of ministries, municipalities and utilities from Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Oman, Bahrain, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Qaiwain, Ras al-Khaimah and Fujairah), Kuwait, Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, Sudan, Qatar, Iran and Turkey will be the key participants. A unique platform will be created among the decision makers, contractors, manufacturers and consultants during the sessions and exhibition.
All NASTT and ISTT members are invited to participate in Trenchless Arabia Conference and Exhibition.
