Blog, Industry News, trenchless projects
April 4, 2017 – LAKE MILLS, Wisc. – HammerHead Trenchless Equipment, a Charles Machine Works company, has introduced the new HammerHead Roughneck™ R200, the first two-inch rock hammer engineered specifically for horizontal directional drilling applications. The R200, the smallest pneumatic rock hammer of HammerHead’s Roughneck line, is designed to expand the capabilities of small utility drills allowing 7000- to 10,000-ton class directional drills to effectively drill through solid rock as well as other difficult soil conditions.
The R200 rock hammer was made to be the most efficient system available to HDD contractors in communications, gas, electrical and water service installations. The R200 model drills a 3.125-inch pilot hole.
“The R200 allows you to use a small drill on jobs you couldn’t before. If you needed to drill through solid rock, you’d have to bring a large drill to supply enough power which requires more labor, more support equipment, and more time to complete the job. With the R200, contractors can save money by maximizing the capabilities of a small drill,” explained Josh Hood, HammerHead HDD product manager. “When you’re working in small spaces or drilling short distances such as under a road bed, it makes sense to use a small drill and now you can, regardless of soil conditions.”
A key feature unique to the R200 rock hammer is the electronically-controlled air flow. With the touch of a button, the operator can adjust the air flow from open to closed and anywhere in between which allows them to manage the power of the hammer on the fly. This feature is critical in situations where soil conditions change abruptly. The ability to reduce or increase power quickly prevents costly interruptions during the bore.
The HammerHead R200 air hammer shares similar features with the other models of the HammerHead Roughneck line. The Roughneck R400, R500 and R600 are recognized as some of the most trusted and productive pneumatic rock hammers available for HDD applications. All four models are capable of drilling at rates of up to 150-feet per hour with exceptional steering performance. Additionally, all Roughneck rock hammers feature side-load high-flow housing, a patented pull back kit system and a lightweight control station.
Serviceability is a key design feature in all HammerHead pneumatic hammers and the R200 is no exception. Patented spanner wrench holes in the front and rear of the hammer reduces the number of breakout jaws required when performing maintenance or changing out rock bits.
The HammerHead R200 rock hammer is offered as a complete system to get contractors up and running. The system includes a R200 Roughneck air hammer, offset and angled offset bits, patented pullback kit, control station/oiler with tethered electronic remote control, hydraulic breakout tooling, 2.5-inch universal high-flow housing, and a conversion kit specific to the drill.
The R200 rock hammer system is available from HammerHead Trenchless Equipment or from authorized dealers, worldwide. Authorized dealers can be found on the web at www.hammerheadtrenchless.com or by calling 800.331.6653. (International: + [1] 920.648.4848).
Blog, Industry News, trenchless projects
NASTT’s South Central Regional Chapter is hosting their second event on June 20!
If you’re in the South Central region, plan to attend the Trenchless Technology and Pipe Conference for Water, Sewer, Oil, and Gas Applications: TTP 2017, sponsored by South Central Chapter of NASTT.
Abstracts for presentations are currently being accepted for the event.
The abstract submission deadline is May 1 and final presentation submission deadline is May 31.
Abstract information (paper is not required):
Abstracts should be submitted in the following format:
- The abstract should not be more than 500 words.
- Please type all text in 12 point Times New Roman.
- Name of the Author/s should be included, with the presenting author’s name underlined.
- Please include the full contact details of the presenting and corresponding author(s) (Address, Phone, Fax, and Email).
Abstracts should be submitted by email, as an attached document, in MS Word format (.doc or .docx) to CUIRE at cuire@uta.edu. Abstract should be submitted by May 1, 2017.
Get all the abstract details on the conference website here.
Be a part of this growing chapter’s history and network with your industry peers!
Blog, Industry News, trenchless people, trenchless products, trenchless projects
Specialized TBM will work below the Hudson River on the Delaware Aqueduct
Robbins has completed the manufacture and testing of a unique tunnel boring machine that will be used to repair the longest continuous tunnel in the world. The TBM will be used to overhaul a section of New York City’s Delaware Aqueduct, a 137 km (85 mi) long tunnel that delivers about 50 percent of the City’s drinking water each day. Over the span of two days in February, representatives from the owner New York Department of Environmental Protection (NYDEP), consultant McMillen Jacobs (MJ), and JV contractor Kiewit-Shea Constructors (KSC) traveled to the Robbins facility in Solon, Ohio to witness the Factory Acceptance Testing of the custom tunnel boring machine.
The Robbins Single Shield TBM will bore a tunnel to replace a 3.8 km (2.4 mi) stretch of the Delaware Aqueduct. The Delaware Aqueduct currently leaks about 75 million liters (20 million gallons) of water per day into the Hudson River. Investigations of the Delaware Aqueduct dating back more than a decade revealed cracks in the tunnel lining. While several inspections with an automated underwater vehicle showed that these cracks were stable, it was determined they could not be fixed from within the existing tunnel. New York City then decided that a new tunnel would be built under the river to bypass the leakage.
To build a bypass tunnel around the aqueduct’s leaking section, Robbins manufactured the 6.8 m (21.6 ft) diameter Single Shield TBM to safely seal against pressures up to 30 bar, and to operate in variable hard rock conditions. The Delaware Aqueduct was completed in 1944. During its original construction, work crews documented groundwater inflows of 7.5 to 15 million liters (2 to 4 million gallons) per day. Because this particular section of the tunnel lies 183 m (600 ft) below the Hudson River, the inflows are under immense head pressure and thus require the unique tunneling technology.
Due to the challenges presented by the Aqueduct Repair, such as difficult geology and considerable water inflows, the TBM had to be designed accordingly. Difficult Ground Solutions (DGS) features, including powerful drilling, grouting, and water inflow control systems have been incorporated into the machine’s design to overcome the expected challenges. “One unique feature of this TBM is the closeable bulkhead, which allows the excavation chamber to be sealed off,” said KSC Tunnel Manager Niels Kofoed. “We expect this to be a key feature in the event that groundwater flows (shunt flows) from the excavated portion of the tunnel cause washout of the annulus grout. Once the bulkhead is closed the groundwater flows are stopped and secondary grouting of the precast liner can be performed, effectively cutting off the flow path of the shunt flows.”
Robbins Project Manager Martino Scialpi further noted that, “the TBM was designed with a 9,500 liter/min (2,500 gallon/min) dewatering capacity. The machine is equipped with two drills in the shields for drilling through the head in 16 different positions and a third drill on the erector to drill through the shields in an additional 14 positions. Drilling and pre-excavation grouting will be a routine job to control and minimize water inflows.” In addition, water-powered, high pressure down-the-hole-hammers will allow for drilling 60 to 100 m (200 to 330 ft) ahead of the machine at pressures up to 20 bar if necessary.
In order to provide access to launch and retrieve tunneling equipment, two deep shafts were constructed in the towns of Newburgh and Wappinger, New York, where the bypass will begin and end. The project site itself poses challenges to the assembly and launch of the TBM because of the limited space available.
Robbins worked closely with KSC to ensure that TBM components were designed and sized so all could be lifted with the contractor’s hoist system and fit down the narrow, 270 m (885 ft) deep shaft. Once assembled, the machine is expected to begin boring in autumn 2017.
Image: The Robbins crew, contractor KSC, and project officials stand proudly in front of the Robbins Single Shield TBM that will tackle hard rock and high water inflows in New York State.
Blog, Industry News, trenchless projects
OKAHUMPKA, Fla., February 24th, 2016 – Micro Trenching is one of the installation methods being utilized by contractors to bring fiber networks to consumers. Micro Trenching is an installation method in which a narrow and relatively shallow trench is cut, usually on an asphalt roadway. Trench dimensions can range from .75 to 2.24 inches wide and 8 to 16 inches deep. While cutting, a vacuum system connected to the cutter wheel cleanly diverts and transports debris away from the worksite. Once the conduit is laid, the trench is backfilled with a grout compound.
Advantages of Micro Trenching include minimal cutting width that boosts installation production, reduce costs of backfill, shallow depth placement which helps avoid encounters with existing utilities and jobsite cleanliness thanks to the vacuum spoil that removes debris.
Vac-Tron Equipment has gone one step further in the cleanup process by developing a solution to micro trenching using a specialized in-tank filter (patent pending) inside the vacuum excavation unit’s debris tank. In most cases, the in-tank filter eliminates the need to add water to the micro trenching process and eliminates excessive material from reaching the cyclone separator. By using this filter, it will reduce the cleanup time during the trench run because there will be no need to stop and cleanout the cyclone or unclog the exit hose from debris tank due to caked material. Ultimately this will increase overall efficiency onsite.
David Donohue of Vermeer Mid Atlantic says “The Vac-Tron LP 573 SGT is the ideal vacuum for micro trenching, the high cfm’s and low noise output made communication and productivity simple.” David and Pfeiffer Enterprise Inc were demonstrating Vermeer’s micro trenching equipment and Vac-Tron’s LP SGT high cfm unit in Glen Bernie, MD in this photo.
For more info visit www.vactron.com or call Vac-Tron at 1-352-728-2222.
Blog, Industry News, trenchless people, trenchless projects
We are proud to spotlight NASTT’s 2017 No-Dig Show Gold Sponsor and Corporate Member, Tri-State Utilities.
In 1990, Tri-State Utilities was founded by Steven F. McSweeney. Steve’s intent was to provide (ever evolving) technical services to support the maintenance needs of municipal utility departments. Going into their 25th year Tri-State has emerged as the regional “authority” in trenchless utility rehabilitation and now employs over 65 people.
Tri-State’s services include Pipe Cleaning, CCTV Inspection, Smoke and Dye testing, Grouting, HDPE Slip-lining, and trenchless pipe lining featuring the C.I.P.P. Corp. cured in place process. In order to perform those services effectively, you need dependable equipment and Tri-States fleet is modern and state of the art. Their Vactors, inspection rigs, boiler trucks, winches, backhoes, and dump trucks are all up to date and maintained to maximize production and eliminate costly down time.
All of Tri-State’s employees are trained in the latest industry technologies and safety procedures and they employ a full time professional safety officer. Tri-State also operate a drug free work force and are very proud of their people and their accomplishments. As a tribute to their employees, Tri-State has earned NUCA’s National Safety Award, and was named Hampton Roads Utility and Heavy Contractor Associations Contractor of the Year for 2000, and 2008.
If you’d like to visit with one of NASTT’s Gold Sponsors, head to booth #329 at NASTT’s No-Dig Show in Washington, DC! For more information, go to nodigshow.com.
Blog, Industry News, trenchless projects
The Ontario Public Works Association (OPWA) 2016 Project of the Year: Environment, Greater than $50 Million Category was awarded to project owner, Regional Municipality of Halton along with lead consultant, Dillon Consulting Limited, consultant, R.V. Anderson and contractors; Dibco Underground Ltd and Varcon Construction Corporation for the Boyne Trunk Sanitary Sewer project. The awards luncheon was held on January 26 during the 2017 OPWA Annual Conference.
The South Halton Water and Wastewater Master Plan Update identified the need for a trunk sanitary sewer that could provide service for approved growth and future development within the Halton region. Dillon has been assisting Halton with contract administration and field services during construction starting in January of 2014 through July of 2016.
Congratulations to Halton Region Project Manager and NASTT Board Member, Brenda Kingsmill, and the rest of the crew on the success of such a large undertaking!
April 4, 2017 – LAKE MILLS, Wisc. – HammerHead Trenchless Equipment, a Charles Machine Works company, has introduced the new HammerHead Roughneck™ R200, the first two-inch rock hammer engineered specifically for horizontal directional drilling applications. The R200, the smallest pneumatic rock hammer of HammerHead’s Roughneck line, is designed to expand the capabilities of small utility drills allowing 7000- to 10,000-ton class directional drills to effectively drill through solid rock as well as other difficult soil conditions.
“The R200 allows you to use a small drill on jobs you couldn’t before. If you needed to drill through solid rock, you’d have to bring a large drill to supply enough power which requires more labor, more support equipment, and more time to complete the job. With the R200, contractors can save money by maximizing the capabilities of a small drill,” explained Josh Hood, HammerHead HDD product manager. “When you’re working in small spaces or drilling short distances such as under a road bed, it makes sense to use a small drill and now you can, regardless of soil conditions.”
