AccuLine Underground Continues the Barbera Family Legacy
In the trenchless excavation, horizontal directional drilling (HDD) and underground manufacturing industries, the Barbera family stands out as leaders in this close-knit community
James S. “Jim” Barbera founded Barbco Inc., a leading manufacturer of trenchless equipment. In April, he will be posthumously inducted as a member of the NASTT Hall of Fame at the No-Dig Show.
RELATED: Trenchless on Display at Innovative Housing Showcase on National Mall
Jim Barbera passed the torch onto his three sons, Anthony, David and James A., who now own the family business. The Barbera clan continues to drive the industry forward and now the third generation of the family is entering this exciting field.
On Jan. 2, Jim Barbera’s grandsons Drake Barbera (son of Anthony) and James V. Barbera (son of James A.) along with co-owner Clay Gillian successfully completed their very first horizontal bore with their new company AccuLine Underground. AccuLine Underground partnered with J. Fletcher Creamer & Son Inc. – the project’s general contractor – to complete a 250-ft long crossing at an urban work site in Metuchen, New Jersey.
The launch pit was 20 ft under a busy city road and the crew skillfully avoided numerous critical utilities. To say that this 3,000-man-hour project was challenging is an understatement. The AccuLine Underground team’s years of experience and deep knowledge of the industry was readily apparent before the first shovelful of dirt was removed from the job site.
RELATED: Barbera Family Honored at TTC Auger Boring School
In his initial meeting with the job owners, Drake Barbera made a strong and convincing counter-proposal to the microtunneling option. He recommended using a conventional auger boring machine pushing a boring machine tunnel attachment (BMTA). The proposal proved to be the winning combination, securing AccuLine Underground this prestigious and highly-visible contract.
The crew faced numerous job site challenges ranging from old and forgotten infrastructure to rocky and sandy soils. Their expertise allowed them to make on-site equipment modifications and adjustments, as well as some new-to-the-field innovations to keep the job on-line and on-grade. This dramatically saved the owners both time and money.
SOURCE – AccuLine Underground
