2017 HDD Academy a Hit with Attendees
February 17, 2017
Tempe, Ariz., was the place to be this week if you love horizontal directional drilling and wanted top-notch information. The 2017 HDD Academy, hosted by the Arizona State University Del E. Webb School of Construction and Benjamin Media Inc., Feb. 13-14, concluded its third annual conference with more than 100 attendees taking it all in.
In addition to the technical conference, networking is a key aspect of the HDD Academy.
The HDD Academy is the premier conference for all levels of stakeholders within the utility pipeline industry, including owners, regulators, contractors and engineers. The 2017 edition of the conference took place at the Sheraton Phoenix Airport Hotel Tempe.
“We had a really great and enthusiastic turnout for this year’s HDD Academy,” says Benjamin Media Inc president Rob Krzys. “The non-commercial, real-world information presented by industry experts is just what today’s drillers are after. Our HDD Academy has proven to be a must-attend event for today’s drillers.”
The goal of the HDD Academy is to establish an annual learning platform for owners, regulators, contractors and engineers focusing on the options and opportunities for future utility pipeline projects. With that in mind, the academy’s technical sessions are divided into two focus areas: “Pre-Construction, Design, and Material Selection” and “Construction and Operations.” Topics ranged from drilling fluids design to locating to product pipe to vacuum excavation and case studies. The conference closed with stakeholder roundtable discussions. Arizona State University once again awarded 1.8 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) upon successful completion of the course.
Supporting associations included: International Pipeline and Offshore Contractors Association (IPLOCA), Distribution Contractors Association (DCA), Pipeline Contractors Association of Canada (PLCAC), AEM, AZUCA; and Pipeline Contractors Association (PLCA). Event sponsors included: Ditch Witch, Underground Solutions Inc., an AGEION company, American Augers/Trencor, Vermeer, Derrick Equipment Co., Digital Control Inc., Herrenknecht Tunnelling Systems and Vac-Tron Equipment LLC.
Plans are under way for the 2018 HDD Academy. For more information and updates, visit hddacademy.com.
