Industry News, trenchless products
Project: C470 Managed Lanes
Owner: CDOT
General Contractor: Flatiron / AECOM Joint Venture
Tunneling Subcontractor: BTrenchless (A Division of BT Construction, Inc.)
BTrenchless is the tunneling subcontractor for Flatiron/AECOM Joint Venture for the expansion of the C470 corridor on the South side of the Denver Metro area.
BTrenchless has completed the following drives on this project:
- 362 LF of 42” RCP was installed using the Akkerman 420 Tunnel Boring Machine.
- 324 LF of 48” RCP was installed using the Akkerman 480 Tunnel Boring Machine.
- 387 LF of 72” RCP was installed using the Akkerman 720 Tunnel Boring Machine.
- 355 LF of 72” RCP. This storm sewer line is in a redesign phase and will be installed using the Akkerman 720 Tunnel Boring Machine.
- 267 LF of 66” RCP. This tunnel is in the final design phase and will be installed using the Akkerman 660 Tunnel Boring Machine.
The main challenges encountered during this project were an abandoned 48” steel waterline and an abandoned 12” AC waterline that were found during our 72” RCP tunnel drive. We first encountered the 48” steel waterline and had to remove a section of the waterline through the head of the 720 TBM, as we continued the drive another 30 LF, we encountered a 12” AC waterline that had to be abated and removed through the head of the 720 TBM, as well.
Overall, this tunneling project has been a success for all parties involved, despite the challenges that we have encountered.
As always, Morty the Tunnel Rat is on hand to supervise the project!
Industry News, trenchless people, trenchless products
A strong dealer support network combined with a safe and reliable product are yielding satisfied customers and increased revenue for Texas First Rentals, sister company to Holt Cat®, one of the Largest Caterpillar Dealers in the US. At Texas First, you can rent the Cat® equipment you’ve always trusted for your toughest jobs – plus a whole lot more: equipment from Genie®, JLG®, Sullair®, Wacker®, LayMor®, Vermeer®, and other top-notch manufacturers including Vac-Tron Equipment.
Project Challenge
Finding the perfect vacuum excavator and industrial vacuum equipment to add to the rental fleet. “The most important factors in determining what fleet we bought was the relationship we have with our dealer support network and the fact that we can utilize one model and maintain a commonality of parts.” said Colin Martin, District Manager of Texas First.
Solution
Vac-Tron Equipment vacuum excavators and industrial vacs. “We started buying the Vac-Tron machine when we initially started the company back in 2015. It’s a product that appears across all our stores, we have about 15 stores across the state of Texas,” said Martin. Michael Rutledge, Outside Sales Rep added, “The best advantage for us to be carrying Vac-Tron is our competitors don’t, so we have the upper edge. So, for an outside sales rep, its an absolute gold winner. The hydro vac makes it simpler and safer to use than the conventional excavator.”
Results
Satisfied customers and satisfied company owners. “I hear probably weekly that our customers are very satisfied with the product. At this current location, there are three customers that currently use these Vac-Tron’s monthly, some even use them long term on a 3-6-month basis” says Rutledge. “I would recommend these machines to others just for the ease of use, ease of maintenance, service ability concerns, and the return on investment” says Martin. “The rental return on investment (ROI) is how we are opening our doors everyday and closing them at the end of the day. I think this product is really making that bottom line more effective” added Rutledge.
Check out the full video interview with Texas First Rentals here. For more information on Vac-Tron Equipment and its full fleet of vacuum excavators, please visit them online at www.vactron.com or call 1-352-728-2222.
Industry News, trenchless products
LAKE MILLS, Wisc. – HammerHead® Trenchless, a Charles Machine Works company, has introduced a new, purpose-built trailer for cured-in-place-pipe (CIPP) applications that gives installers a uniquely versatile and efficient workstation suited to almost any job they encounter. The LT-20PRO features a modular design with all storage, electrical power and air supply needed for a wide range of lateral lining tasks. The configuration is customizable, allowing the customer to tailor it to their specific needs and avoid duplication of existing equipment.
The 20-foot-long trailer’s modular design not only maintains an efficient workspace during installations but keeps all components secure and at-the-ready while traveling from job to job.
On more restrictive job sites, all equipment in the LT-20PRO can be unmounted for easy relocation. “Our trailer’s modular design accommodates the widest range of environments, difficult site conditions and logistics,” said Matt Gabrielse, HammerHead product manager.
“Versatility was key in creating these trailers for our customers,” Gabrielse said, explaining that ideally all jobs could be completed from right inside a contractor’s trailer. “But in cases where it is necessary to work from a roof or inside a large building, our rig allows key components to be easily removed from the trailer to work remotely.”
Each trailer can be outfitted with the desired inversion drum size, curing equipment, reinstatement and drain cleaning tools to meet each customer’s individual needs.
HammerHead LT-20PRO CIPP trailers are also available ready-made for immediate sale and delivery. All LT-20PRO base models feature as standard
- Insulated trailer walls and ceiling and a roof-mounted air conditioner
- 13,000-watt generator with external slide-out
- Roller bed with wall mount for the wet out table
- 30-gallon, wall-mounted air compressor
- External and internal air connections and electrical outlets
- Unique new HammerHead liner vacuum system for ease in vacuum-prepping liner.
The trailer’s modular configuration optimizes use of space and leaves ample room for storage. Storage features include
- Upper and lower storage cabinets
- Lower resin storage cabinet
- Cleaning supply cabinet
- Tool boxes
- A tongue-mounted, lockable storage box
- Custom inversion hose rack
- Wall hooks to hold liner and calibration tubes.
The LT-20PRO purpose-built lateral lining trailer is available direct from HammerHead Trenchless in the United States and Canada. Find your HammerHead sales representative at www.hammerheadtrenchless.com or by calling 920.648.4848.
Photos: The LT-20PRO purpose-built lateral lining trailer is available direct from HammerHead Trenchless in the United States and Canada.
Industry News, trenchless people, trenchless products
Raven’s story began 30 years ago when it used a blue epoxy coating to protect a manhole. Throughout our history, we have continued to build this company and its products on the confidence and trust of that blue flagship product, Raven® 405. This confidence is shown in the 50-year design model, experience and commitment represented every day in our protective coatings, unmatched technical experience and customer service.
Over the course of 30 years, Raven has continued our innovative approach to solving corrosion issues while committing to producing high quality protection products. While known as an industry leader in manhole rehabilitation, Raven is more than just manholes. Therefore, we strive to solve as many corrosion problems in such additional markets as potable water, industrial, OEM and oil & gas.
Raven stands firmly behind its ‘Proven, True & Blue! Proven, True & New! ®’ slogan. With over 21 million square feet of Raven product applied to a variety of structures since 1988, Raven’s team of experts spend endless hours creating and testing products that will endure the most extreme conditions.
As Raven looks back on what has helped propel the company forward as a front runner, the development of quality products and relationships are among the most important. Raven’s success and commitment is largely attributable to the highly trained network of 70+ Certified Applicators (CA) that are dedicated to high quality standards that have come to be expected over the past 30 years.
Raven has a diverse line of products but the more renowned products are:
Raven® 405, the ‘Proven, True & Raven Blue’, is a solvent-free 100% solids, ultra-high build epoxy coating formulated with exceptionally high physical strengths and broad range chemical resistance. 405 exhibits superior bond to concrete, steel, masonry, fiberglass and other surfaces. 405’s unique ultra-high-build ability allows it to be spray applied on vertical and overhead surfaces. The surface tolerance and high physical strengths of 405 allow it to be designed as a structural lining in manholes, pipelines, tanks and other deteriorated structures.
AquataFlex® 505 & 506, are versatile novalac epoxy polyurethane hybrids that have fast cure times and flexibility of polyurethanes and increased chemical resistance of epoxies. They both are USDA Certified Biobased Products and ANSI 61 Certified.
AquataPoxy® A-6 & A-6 Thick, are solvent-free, 100% solids, corrosion resistant epoxy
coatings that can be applied to dry or damp surfaces. Formulated for broad range corrosion protection and certified safe for potable water.
As Raven continues to engineer solutions to protect infrastructures, it joined forces with
VersaFlex, Inc. on January 1, 2018, to provide a more robust portfolio of specialty coating technologies across a plethora of markets.
“We are excited to leverage each other’s strengths to continue providing the outstanding service our customers have become accustomed to over the past 30 years,” said Raven Lining Systems’ COO Rob Pawlak. “These two influential brands will pioneer a whole new era in the specialty coatings industry.”
Raven’s tag line is Protect with Confidence®! Visit their website for more information.
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.
Industry News, trenchless products
GSSI, the world’s leading manufacturer of ground penetrating radar (GPR) equipment, announces the new StructureScan™ Mini LT – the latest member of GSSI’s popular all-in-one concrete inspection GPR systems. With all the capabilities of previous versions of the StructureScan Mini, the new StructureScan Mini LT features a lower price point that makes it even more affordable.
Rugged, compact, and flexible, StructureScan Mini LT is ideal for locating rebar, conduits, post-tension cables, and voids. It can help identify structural elements, including pan deck and concrete cover, and can also provide real time determination of concrete slab thickness. StructureScan Mini LT is the perfect entry-level concrete inspection system, and backed by a two-year warranty.
The integrated all-in-one concrete inspection tool comes with an antenna, positioning system, and control unit combination. It features an easy-to-use interface and six-button control options. With its 1.6 GHz antenna, the StructureScan Mini LT offers superior target resolution, reaching depths of 20 inches (50 centimeters).
Featuring a rugged and compact design, StructureScan Mini LT is IP 65-rated to withstand a jobsite’s toughest conditions. Users get first-in-class data visualization with a high-resolution 5.7-inch full color display with an easy user interface and different operation modes tailored for beginner to advanced use. The StructureScan Mini LT also makes it easy to customize the data display with a variety of color adjustments. Real-time migrated data, onscreen reference markers and multiple display modes are also available. Other useful features include an ergonomic handle, positioning lasers, and 4-wheel drive.
About GSSI
Geophysical Survey Systems, Inc. is the world leader in the development, manufacture, and sale of ground penetrating radar (GPR) equipment, primarily for the concrete inspection, utility mapping and locating, road and bridge deck evaluation, geophysics, and archaeology markets. Our equipment is used all over the world to explore the subsurface of the earth and to inspect infrastructure systems non-destructively. GSSI created the first commercial GPR system over 45 years ago and continues to provide the widest range and highest quality GPR equipment available today.
