Date: Thursday, March 13
Time: 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Location: Danish Canadian Club | Tivoli Room; 727 11 Ave SW Calgary, AB T2R 0E3
Cost: $20 for Members** | $40 for Non-Members**
Join us for an educational luncheon on how gyroscopic steering technology offers the best solutions specifically tailored for HDD projects in challenging environments where conventional guidance systems fall short.
HDD projects are increasingly becoming longer, deeper, and more complex. Traditional tracking methods face significant limitations in light of these developments. This presentation explores how gyroscopic steering technology offers the best solutions specifically tailored for HDD projects in challenging environments where conventional guidance systems fall short.
The speaker will present a series of case studies that demonstrate how gyroscopic steering has successfully navigated projects with complex geometry, tight right-of-way constraints, environmentally sensitive areas, and high-interference zones where magnetic guidance was unreliable.
Each case study will illustrate challenges, solutions, and lessons learned, providing attendees with practical insights into optimizing HDD pipeline installations through advanced steering technology. This presentation will also highlight emerging trends and how gyroscopic guidance is shaping the future of trenchless pipeline construction.
Presenter: Mohammed Alwazir
Mohammed Alwazir is a Project Manager at Brownline Canada, a leading global provider of advanced gyroscopic steering solutions for HDD projects. He has spent the past five years in the industry gaining hands-on experience in guiding complex pilot hole HDD crossings on various pipeline installations across North America. His project portfolio includes major infrastructure developments such as the Magellan East Houston-to-Hearne refined product pipeline, Sunoco Mariner East 2 and 2X pipelines in Pennsylvania, and the Trans Mountain Expansion Project in British Columbia. A Texas Tech University graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Mohammed approaches projects with both analytical precision and practical technical expertise.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION – If you are an active member of NASTT, you will be asked to pay the differed $20 attendance fee at the door of this event using cash or check. If you are NOT an active member of NASTT, you will be asked to pay the differed $40 attendance fee at the door of this event using cash or check. Checkout will show a $0 balance, but this is simply because payment is differed.
Date: Thursday, February 27
Time: 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Location: University Club of the University of Alberta 11435 Saskatchewan Dr, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G9
Cost: Free for Members | $20 for Non-Members**
Join us for an educational luncheon on the project background, design and tendering, and installation of ARROW Utilities’s 1350 mm diameter concrete sewer pipe.
ARROW Utilities (formerly Alberta Capital Region Wastewater Commission) identified 3.2 km of 1350 mm diameter concrete sewer pipe in need of repair or replacement. CIPP lining was selected as the rehabilitation method. The pipe alignment runs through an environmentally sensitive area and is close proximity to residences in other areas. The project was planned to minimize liner installations. A unique process, over the hole wetout (OTHW) was required to accommodate the overweight liners. For this process, the tube is transported to site dry, where a mobile wet out facility is constructed. This is one of few OTH installations in Western Canada.
This presentation describes the project background, design and tendering, and installation with the OTH system.
Presenter: Gregory Germain and George Bontus
Greg is a Municipal Engineer with more than twelve years of experience, specializing in water and wastewater projects. His areas of expertise include analysis and
documentation of design, preparation of contract drawings, and contract specifications and construction administration. He conducts field reviews for structural and civil installations, liaisons with contractors and reviews contractor submittals. Greg is responsible for administering progress meetings, and providing progress updates to clients and stakeholders.
George Bontus, P.Eng. is Director of Engineering with Insituform Technologies Limited. George is involved in all aspects of pressure pipe lining including marketing, design, estimating, and project managing installations throughout North America. He is responsible for design and reviews for CIPP liners in gravity and pressure pipe applications across Canada.
George is active in AWWA as a member or chair in several committees and is currently Chair of NASTT NW Chapter. He has delivered papers and courses relating to trenchless technology for over 20 years, and is currently an approved Instructor for the NASTT CIPP Good Practices Course. George is a participant on several NASSCO committees including the Inserted Hose Standards committees.
He is currently a registered professional engineer in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia.
Date: Thursday, January 23
Time: 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Location: University Club of the University of Alberta 11435 Saskatchewan Dr, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G9
Cost: Free for Members | $20 for Non-Members**
Join us for an educational luncheon on the Trans Mountain Expansion Project, constructed between 2019 and 2024.
The Trans Mountain Expansion Project, constructed between 2019 and 2024, incorporated over 550 trenchless crossings in varying terrain from central Alberta to British Columbia’s lower mainland. While most of the major crossings were completed using one-pass methodologies such as horizontal directional drills, two-pass microtunneling was used in select locations to tackle some unique challenges on the project. This presentation will cover several completed two-pass tunnels for high pressure pipelines ranging in length from ~120 m to 240 m in a wide range of geological and hydrogeological conditions, while crossing highways, railways, and environmentally sensitive areas.
Presenter: Jake Fei, EIT and Project Coordinator, Stantec
Jake is a Civil EIT and project coordinator with Stantec’s water conveyance group in Edmonton helping clients deliver multi-disciplinary projects. Jake specializes in trenchless design and construction for new installations and rehabilitation projects across Canada and the United States. He dedicated over three years of his career to the Trans Mountain Expansion Project, gaining a wealth of knowledge in trenchless construction where he helped to coordinate and conduct design review of over 50 major and 50 minor trenchless crossings.”
Date: Thursday, November 28
Time: 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Location: University Club of the University of Alberta 11435 Saskatchewan Dr, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G9
Cost: Free for Members | $20 for Non-Members**
Join us for an educational luncheon on the Mill Creek combined sewer trunk, which conveys wastewater and rainwater from south Edmonton to the Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant, built in 1958.
The Mill Creek combined sewer trunk, which conveys wastewater and rainwater from south Edmonton to the Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant, was built in 1958. The service area for this trunk is about 8,200 Ha plus the Nisku & Leduc areas. According to the Multi-Sensor Inspection (MSI) in 2018 and the concept study, the physical condition of the trunk is poor and very poor, especially the section found in Mill Creek Ravine. This trunk was determined to be a high priority rehabilitation project. The main scope includes 890m of 2100mm diameter new tunnel with two shafts, 200m of local sewer reconnection, and abandonment of 860m of existing trunk.
The first phase of the project construction was a micro tunnel which began in March 2023 and was successfully completed in June 2024. This included the construction of a secant pile working shaft next to the Mill Creek School playground, a liner plate retrieval shaft within Tubby Bateman Park, and an HDPE lined 2100mm inside diameter (ID) reinforced concrete jacking pipe installed by micro tunnel boring machine (MTBM).
Presenter: Gary Fei, P.Eng. M. Eng. Project Manager from EPCOR Water Services
Gary has been working with City of Edmonton and EPCOR for more than 17 years. He has involved in the design, construction and project management for many projects, including the tunnel installations, trunk rehab, sewer rehab and upgrading, and other drainage related projects.
Date: Thursday, October 24
Time: 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Location: University Club of the University of Alberta 11435 Saskatchewan Dr, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G9
Cost: Free for Members | $20 for Non-Members**
Join us for an informative presentation on Trenchless crossings. An efficient and effective means of crossing unstable terrain, watercourses, environmentally sensitive areas and areas of congestion/urban development.While trenchless technologies have improved dramatically over the decades, they can still be adversely affected by ground conditions either not being properly investigated or being inadequately understood. New trenchless methods such as Drill-Intercept (HDD) and Direct Pipe have also allowed for crossings to be considered with ground conditions that would have previously been deemed not feasible.
This talk will highlight Mr. Saunder’s experiences with some of the challenges posed by geotechnical conditions with various types of trenchless crossing methods. Mr. Saunders will also touch on specific problems associated with artesian pressures, cobbles/boulders, abrasive soil/bedrock, coal mines, gravel pits, excessive settlement/ground loss, mixed face conditions, and high groundwater.
Bob Saunders is a Senior Associate and Senior Geotechnical engineer with Thurber Engineering Ltd. in their Calgary office. He has a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from the University of Calgary (1981) and a Master of Engineering in Geotechnical Engineering from the University of Alberta (1989). Mr. Saunders has over 40 years of experience with civil engineering projects in Western and Northern Canada, mostly related to pipelines and geohazards. His early experience was with northern pipelines including the Foothills Pipelines gas pipeline project in the Yukon and the Norman Wells oil pipeline project in the Mackenzie Valley.
He has specialized in trenchless construction of pipelines for over 30 years with his first HDD being completed in 1990. He has assessed hundreds of trenchless crossings of landslides, watercourses and civil infrastructure and has experienced many of the challenges one might expect with a long career.
**If your country is not set to Canada in the top right corner, you will not be able to register.
