Counting Down the Top 50 Most-Read Stories of 2018: 50-41

As 2018 comes to a close, we’re sharing our 2018 Top 50 Most-Read stories from trenchlesstechnology.com. Some of these posts date back more than a decade and show the breadth of knowledge, about all aspects of the trenchless industry, that is contained in the pages of Trenchless Technology and on our website. Here is a look at stories 50-41. Check in tomorrow for a look at 40-31.

 

50. The Planning, Construction of Microtunneling Projects

The path to a successful microtunnel installation – or any tunnel project, for that matter – starts well before the first pipe is ever pushed into the ground. Critical components of the pre-construction phase include planning, collecting data, soil/rock testing and presentation of the geotechnical data and bidding documents. Post award, the contractor is tasked with selecting the most appropriate mictotunnel boring machine (MTBM) system, as well as slurry separation equipment, for the anticipated ground conditions. Read More

49. Q&A With Gabe’s Construction: HDD and the Oil and Gas Pipeline Sector

Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) is an integral part of the oil and gas pipeline industry. With increased governmental regulations concerning environmental protection, drilling below wetlands and other sensitive terrain is sometimes the only way to install new pipelines. Sheboygan, Wisc.-based Gabe’s Construction Co. has been a stalwart of the oil and gas pipeline construction sector since the 1940s, and its crews have been working to overcome the myriad constraints in the oil and gas pipeline industry. Read More

48. 2018 Vacuum Excavator Spec Guide

The vacuum excavator, most commonly of the hydro excavation variety, is a truck-based machine akin to sewer cleaners commonly owned by municipalities; however, those in the industry are quick to point out that the trucks are completely different animals. The search for a vacuum excavator begins the same as any piece of equipment: know the job you’re planning to complete. By identifying the typical type of work your crew will perform, the equipment decision process will run a lot more smoothly. Read More

47. Drill Master: Getting the Most From Your Directional Mud Motor

Directional mud motors are the most proven and common method utilized by HDD contractors to complete installations in hard rock formations. Although mud motors are one of the more expensive and sophisticated pieces of equipment used in the industry, drilling contractors can incorporate certain procedures into their drilling program to minimize costs in utilizing motors and maximize motor performance while lowering their cost per foot. As with other types of mechanical equipment, mud motors should be operated sensibly to provide a cost-effective balance of longevity, performance and dependability. Read More

46. CIPP Market: Nearly 50 and as Strong as Ever

Since the time it was introduced nearly 50 years ago, cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) has grown to become a staple of the trenchless industry – and the reasons are obvious. By using CIPP, utility owners can get a leak-free, corrosion-resistant new pipe with little disturbance to the public, often for less cost compared to traditional methods. It is no wonder that CIPP has been used to rehabilitate hundreds of millions of feet of pipe throughout the world. Over the years the CIPP industry has evolved. What began as a simple idea has blossomed into a multi-national, multi-billion-dollar industry. Read More

45. Echologics Continues to Advance Acoustics- Based Condition Assessment, Leak Detection

Proactive sewer and water system owners are looking for ways to get the most “bang for their buck” when making the decision to repair or replace sections of pipe. They also hope to cut critical problems off at the pass. As asset owners make the shift from a reactive mentality to a proactive one, one of the tools in the toolbox is to use leak detection and condition assessment technologies to narrow down the areas that need the most attention. Toronto-based Echologics, a division of Mueller Co., and its founder Marc Bracken, P.Eng, are early evangelists trying to change the tide. Read More

44. Cleveland’s NEORSD Blazes into Uncharted Territories 

It wasn’t long ago that microtunnels were somewhat of a rarity in the Midwest. Historically more common along the East and West coasts, it may be argued that the Midwest has taken over as the leader in U.S. microtunneling as the result of several recent projects completed for the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD) in Cleveland. As part of Project Clean Lake, a multi-billion-dollar consent decree program to minimize sewer overflows, the district has undertaken increasingly complex drives in the last few years, including the first curved drive completed in the Midwest, and recently culminating with the longest curved drive completed in North America to date. Read More

43. Pilot Tube Guided Auger Boring Takes on Horizontal Directional Drilling

Trenchless pipe installation such as pilot tube guided auger boring is becoming a popular way to install pipe as an open-cut alternative. This method minimizes disruptions and costs, while proving to be an effective way to install pipe. For years, pilot tube machines have been installing steel, clay and other types of jacking pipes, but we are now seeing these systems expanding their role into HDPE and other pullback pipe installations. Pilot tube machines can now install multiple types and sizes of pipe on one project while still achieving the pinpoint like accuracy for which they are known. Read More

42. Midwest Mole Installs 520-ft Sanitary Sewer Line through Various Ground Conditions 

In scenic Bloomington, Indiana, contractor Midwest Mole put its 36-in. Robbins Small Boring Unit (SBU) to work. The machine, which is owned by the trenchless technology company, bored a 520-ft crossing as part of the I-69 Section 5 Project owned by the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT). The project, as a whole, spans 21 miles and reaches from the south side of Bloomington to the south side of Martinsville. Read More

41. Direct Horizontal Develops Wireless HDD Tool

Direct Horizontal Drilling, of Alberta, was looking for a way to extend its reach at crossings, work more efficiently in poor geological formations and reduce its drilling schedules. This led Tyler Calvert, technical manager at the horizontal directional drilling (HDD) contractor, to develop the company’s own proprietary electro-magnetic (EM) directional tools and HDD steering system. M tools provide a solution to remove the wire in the pipe, essentially providing wireless tools. Direct Horizontal is always looking for new ways to increase productivity, lower costs and create a safer work environment, wireless tools fit the bill perfectly. Read More