Date: Thursday, May 22, 2025
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**
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 in close proximity to residential developments in other areas. The project was planned to minimize liner installations and resulting environmental and social impacts. A unique process, over the hole wetout (OTHW), was required to accommodate the longer liners required to minimize access locations. Wetout or impregnation is the process by which the resin is inserted into a dry liner, making it ready to install. For this process, the tube is transported to site dry, where a mobile wet out facility is constructed. This is currently one of few OTH installations undertaken in Western Canada. This presentation describes the project background, tendering processes, planning, design, and installation with the OTH system.
Speaker Introduction: George Bontus, P.Eng.
George Bontus, P.Eng. is Director of Engineering with Insituform Technologies Limited. He is involved in all aspects of CIPP based gravity and pressure pipe lining throughout North America. George has been involved in research projects relating to material and installation techniques to understand and improve CIPP liners. He is active in several AWWA pressure pipe rehabilitation related committees including Chairing development of the new Sliplining Standard. He is currently Chair of NASTT NW Chapter and an approved Instructor for the NASTT CIPP Good Practices Course and the Introduction to Rehabilitation Course. George is active on several NASSCO committees including Inserted Hose Standards and Pressure Pipe committees. He is a professional engineer registered in six Canadian provinces.
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 deferred.
Date: Thursday, April 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**
Estimating the maximum allowable annular pressure (Pmax) is a critical stage in horizontal directional drilling (HDD) design to prevent inadvertent returns and avoid damage to nearby structures. To aid in the accuracy of this estimation, the University of Alberta completed a comparative analysis of existing analytical models for estimating Pmax, revealing significant variability in the results and consequent uncertainty in determining this parameter. A detailed evaluation of the models’ assumptions and derivations led to the development of a Decision-Making Framework, validated using data from a case study reporting annular pressures at failure. The proposed framework offers practitioners a structured approach to selecting the most appropriate model based on specific soil characteristics, thereby reducing uncertainty associated with inter-model variability. This research provides a tool for improving the reliability of Pmax predictions in HDD applications.
Presenter: Mikaela Rocha
Mikaela Rocha recently graduated with a Master of Science in Underground Trenchless Construction from the University of Alberta. During her studies, she worked as a Graduate Research Assistant and Teaching Assistant. She is currently working as an Engineer-in-Training (EIT) at Stantec. Prior to her graduate program, Mikaela worked for five years in a professional capacity, serving as a Lab Instructor, and contributing to various engineering projects, including foundation design for wastewater treatment plants and slope stability analysis for highway construction projects.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION – If you are not an active member of NASTT, you will be asked to pay the deferred $20 attendance fee at the door of this event using cash or check.
Date: Thursday, March 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**
Microtunneling is technically challenging to design and execute due to a variety of physical, regulatory and technical constraints. The contractors and consultants in this field are the experts at this and are capable of addressing these issues. However, one thing that may be overlooked in the design and execution phases, or in the contract documents, are the Owner’s explicit and implicit needs. This could include considerations for O&M activities, understanding how construction activities must be executed to protect the Owner’s brand and the impact to the Owner’s other internal and external stakeholders. Being aware of these needs, and seeking clarifications with the Owner, will allow contractors and consultants to be able to make informed and early decisions to make minor changes which will improve the success of the project, and help prevent required changes when identified later in the process. In this presentation, we will briefly cover some of these implicit Owner needs.
Presenter: Alex Mather Alex Mather, EPCOR
Alex Mather Alex Mather is a project manager with EPCOR Water Services with over 20 years of experience in design development and construction of municipal infrastructure. Alex joined EPCOR in 2019 and has managed several projects involving trenchless construction, including microtunneling. As an Owner’s Representative in projects, he takes pride in coordinating and facilitating the identification and management of the stakeholders, both internal and external to the project and EPCOR, as a way to improve the outcomes of his projects. Schedule: 11:30am to 12pm, registration 12pm to 12:30pm, lunch 12:30pm to 1:30pm, presentation, Q&A
IMPORTANT INFORMATION – If you are not 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.
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.
