2012 International No-Dig in Brazil Is a Success
ISTT held its 30th No-Dig conference and exhibition Nov. 12-14 in São Paulo, Brazil, which attracted nearly 1,200 exhibitors and attendees from around world. This conference marked a first for both ISTT and the Brazilian Society for Trenchless Technology (ABRATT) as this was the first time the International No-Dig Show was held in South America.
The three-day trenchless event held at the Expo Transamérica Convention Center allowed attendees to see the latest technology and equipment available in the 19,500-sq ft exhibit hall, as well as attend technical presentations and network with trenchless professionals from around the globe.
A highlight of the International No-Dig conference was the presentation of the ISTT Awards at the annual Gala Dinner, which was hosted at the Villa Bisutti Tenerife. The Gala Dinner allows attendees to socialize and enjoy great Brazilian cuisine and entertainment. The 2012 ISTT Awards were presented to:
· The ISTT Project of the Year Award went to Trenchless Technologies for the Port Elizabeth Goes Trenchless Project, which saw the rehabilitation of two parallel sewers located in the heart of the Port Elizabeth District in South Africa.
· The Milling Mole project won the ISTT Product of the Year Award. The Milling Mole, developed by Japan-based Yasuda Engineering, is a sludge-based jacking method capable of cutting metal obstructions from previous urban developments.
· The second ISTT Product of the Year Award went to Finnish company Picote Oy for the Smart Cutter, a device which aids cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) installation when reconnecting smaller drains to the lateral.
· The ISTT Academic Research of the Year Award went to the USA-based Trenchless Technology Center for its retrospective evaluation of CIPP sewer rehabilitation.
· The ISTT Student of the Year Award went to Veronika Onderkova from the Czech Republic for her paper on modeling and evaluating pipe roofing using microtunneling to rehabilitate the Jablunkov railroad tunnel in the Czech Republic.
The 2012 International No-Dig Show had 25 sponsors. Platinum Sponsors of the event were Colli Drill Brasil, Conexão Trading, Vermeer Corp.and Petrobras. The 2013 International No-Dig Show will take place Sept. 1-4 in Sydney, Australia. For more information about this conference, visit www.nodigdownunder.com.
