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Improving the security and resilience of our nation’s drinking water and wastewater infrastructures is vital to ensure the provision of clean and safe water to all in the United States.
Significant actions are underway to assess and reduce consequences, threats, and vulnerabilities to potential terrorist attacks; to plan for and practice response to natural disasters, emergencies, and incidents; and to develop new security technologies to detect and monitor contaminants and prevent security breaches.
Visit the EPA’s basic information page for more info or read Nancy Stoner’s blog post about water security.
Source: EPA.gov
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Iron Workers Reward World-Class Safety on Challenging Projects
First-Ever Project of the Year Winner Announced at Annual Meeting
WASHINGTON –The Iron Workers and the Ironworker Management Progressive Action Trust (IMPACT) honored the safest, most complex and most creative ironworker projects of 2014 on February 24, 2015, at the North American Iron Workers/IMPACT Annual Meeting in Las Vegas. Anthony Pangere of the Pangere Corporation and Ronald Ware, Jr., of Iron Workers Local 395 in Hammond, Indiana, accepted the award.
The decision was made by a panel of independent judges who critiqued each submission on the safety, complexity, and ingenuity used to achieve success.
“We are proud of all of the finalists in the first-ever Project of the Year award competition,” said IMPACT CEO Kevin Hilton. “We are so inspired by the projects submitted, and look forward to see even more submissions next year.”
“Our aim is to make sure all workers come home safely each day,” added Iron Workers General President Walter Wise. “The Iron Workers and IMPACT are excited to see so many projects completed with such complexity, ingenuity and with a focus on safety.”
“The Project of the Year award is a source of pride for us,” said IMPACT Co-Chair Bill Brown. “The award shows our dedication to creating the safest possible environment for ironworkers, so that we in turn can provide the highest level of service to end-users.”
In order to maintain the safest conditions and ensure no disruption to production, Pangere required ironworkers to communicate the facilities movements to work crews before they happened. Communication was key between ironworkers and plant operators to avoid the dangers of hot metal splashes and moving equipment. Pangere supervision attended all production meetings to ensure proactive planning around plant operations and held meetings with all ironworkers before each shift to discuss changes in the environment and potential hazards. In addition, Pangere will send ironworkers to the Construction Advancement Foundation a local training facility for additional safety courses.
The Project of the Year award honors the safest, most challenging projects completed in the last calendar year. Numerous contractors go above and beyond the call of duty to not only provide safe conditions for their workers on challenging jobs with unique circumstances, but to also demonstrate ingenuity and creativity. The Project of the Year award spotlights contractors’ outstanding projects for their unique nature and their commitment to excellence in safety.
Source: ironworkers.org
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McLaughlin introduces VX30-300 vacuum excavator with big features and small footprint
Unit has patented rear hydraulic door, reverse pressure flow, water heater
GREENVILLE, S.C.— McLaughlin has introduced the VX30-300, a vacuum excavator that is compact in size but with features typically found only on larger machines.
The VX30-300 features a cam-over rear hydraulic door, a cyclonic filtration system, optional reverse flow for pressure offloading of materials and the ability to add a water heater to help when working in frozen ground conditions.
All of this comes in a machine with a 9,999-pound gross vehicle weight rating, alleviating the need for a CDL for drivers transporting the vacuum excavator. That makes it an ideal unit for rental stores and their customers.
Utility companies and contractors also will benefit from the portable, compact and versatile VX30-300 vacuum excavator for their potholing jobs and fluid management on horizontal directional drilling projects.
The VX30-300 has a 300-gallon (1,135.6 L) spoil tank and a 31-horsepower (23.1 kW) Yanmar diesel engine.
“The VX30-300 has many of the same features that our larger vacuum excavators offer, but in a smaller package,” McLaughlin Vice President Jeff Wage said.
The VX30-300 has a hydraulic door, which makes dumping and cleaning the spoils tank faster and more convenient. It also has a patented cam-over locking system that provides a 360-degree positive seal, even under reverse pressure, without additional clamping requirements. It also has no in-tank parts, so all maintenance is external.
Unlike a manual door, the hydraulic door allows for reverse pressure to clear hose clogs simply by changing the valve position to reverse the airflow. It also lets operators work faster by pressure offloading spoils and being able to strategically direct fluids rather than just dumping them into a big puddle.
The VX30-300 also has room for a water heater, or hot box. Such a feature benefits crews working in cold weather and digging in frozen ground, or in soil conditions where grease is present, like at a car dealership or car wash.
The unit’s 3-stage cyclonic filtration system allows for wet and dry vacuum excavation while prolonging filter life and keeping maintenance costs low
The VX30-300 also comes with a tandem axle chassis, which aids in stability and axle life.
The McLaughlin vacuum excavator line is available through the Vermeer dealer network.
For more information on McLaughlin products and services, visit the company’s Website at www.mclaughlinunderground.com or email McLaughlin at mmole@mightymole.com.
For over 85 years, McLaughlin has been actively involved in the drilling tool industry. During that time McLaughlin has developed a reputation for designing and building dependable, low maintenance trenchless construction equipment. McLaughlin takes pride in providing solutions for OEMs and the underground industry.
© 2015 McLaughlin Group, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Please send all reader inquiries to:
McLaughlin Group, Inc.
2006 Perimeter Road
Greenville, SC 29605
Please send all sales inquiries to:
mole@mightymole.com
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PERRY, OK — Subsite® Electronics TK Series HDD Guidance System provides the performance, ease of use, and versatility required to give directional drill contractors exceptional confidence they can get the job done, even in high-interference areas.
On a typical underground construction jobsite, operators of HDD locating electronics have to contend with signal interference from sources including metal fences, radio signals, underground and overhead utilities, and nearby structures. The TK Series HDD Guidance System is designed to cut through the interference and enable the operator to confidently – and accurately – determine the location of the drill head beacon—even at depths as great as 110 feet (33.5 meters).
Three TK Series Trackers (beacon locators) were designed to meet the needs of any contractor:
• The TK is a single-frequency tracker that is ideal for smaller rigs and relatively short bores. It offers a locating range of up to 70 feet (21.3 m) and a tracker-to-rig range of up to 1,000 feet (305 m).
• The TKD is a dual-frequency tracker that is ideal for medium-size rigs and standard bores. It offers a locating range of up to 110 feet (33.5 meters) – deeper than any competing tracker today – and a tracker-to-rig range of up to 2,000 feet (610 m).
• The TKQ is a four-frequency tracker that is ideal for large rigs and long bores. It also offers a locating range of up to 110 feet (33.5 meters) deep and a tracker-to-rig range of up to 2,000 feet (610 m).
Each TK HDD Guidance System includes a remote display, beacon, hard-case and batteries. The advanced TKQ Tracker Beacon includes four frequencies – the first tracking beacon in the industry to do so. Having four frequency options in one beacon improves the operator’s ability to quickly find the clearest signal, and saves time by reducing the need to switch out beacons. To save even more time, the TKQ offers an industry-exclusive Bore Path Analyzer that automatically chooses the two best frequencies for the jobsite conditions. As an added benefit, the analyzer recommends the proper power level, which helps improve battery life.
Unlike competitors’ models, TK Series Beacons are repairable, which further reduces expense and downtime.
The TK Series is the only HDD guidance system equipped with dual locating methods (peak and null), so operators can locate with the method they prefer and, if they choose, verify with the other to further improve their confidence. Whichever locating method they pick, operators will enjoy the TK Tracker’s easy-to-understand, high-contrast graphics that are legible even in bright light. Operators won’t become fatigued because TK Trackers have an upright design, eliminating the need to bend over to read the tracker’s display or move the tracker to another location.
The TDR remote display can be custom mounted for each drill operator’s preference, for extra versatility and improved productivity. When the job is done and it is time to documentthe bore, the TK Series’ bore-logging/reporting software provides an accurate “as built” record.
For more information about the TK Series, please call 800-846-2713 or visit subsite.com.
About Subsite Electronics
Subsite Electronics provides underground construction professionals the most comprehensive suite of electronic products in the industry, including utility locators, HDD guidance equipment, and machine controls. All of our products are handcrafted in the U.S.A. and distributed worldwide. Visit www.subsite.com to find more details on Subsite Electronics products or call 800-846-2713 or email info@subsite.com for more information.
***Subsite Electronics has donated a TK Tracker to NASTT’s 14th Annual Educational Fund Auction– join us Monday, March 16 in Denver, Colorado to bid on it!
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Green infrastructure first emerged as an alternative approach to storm water management in the early 1990s. Since then, storm water professionals have accumulated an extensive body of knowledge on the design of green infrastructure practices that improve the triple bottom line, and on the development of policies that support this approach.
Case studies offer a particularly effective way of sharing this body of knowledge. By telling the story of how green infrastructure was planned, designed, and built in a particular location, case studies illustrate how the concept of green infrastructure can be adapted to particular contexts.
View case studies on the EPA website here.
Source: EPA.gov
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GAME Trenchless Consultants is growing and increasing its presence on the West Coast by 
adding Don Brynildsen, P.ENG., to the team.
Don has been involved in Municipal Engineering Infrastructure since the late 1970’s. In addition to his most recent position as Director of Water and Sewers for the City of Vancouver, he also served as Director of the City’s Roads and Bridges and Major Projects Divisions. Don was a member of the National Infrastructure Technical Steering Committee that oversaw the creation and review of all of the Infraguide Best Practices for Water, Sewer and Roads. With Don’s experience in municipal infrastructure, GAME Trenchless Consultants’ newest member will allow GAME to be present and provide its watermain condition assessment and Trenchless Engineering expertise in British Columbia and Alberta.
Learn more about GAME Trenchless Consultants here. Don Brynildsen may be contacted via email here.
