September 2006: Trenchless International News
No-Dig Engineering Live Enjoys Success in Poland
The fourth International Confer-ence No-Dig Engineering Live 2006 took placeJune 7-9 at Niepolomice Royal castle, just outside Krakow, Poland.
The conference — as one of the major trenchless events in Poland —traditionally attracts many participants from within Poland and abroad. Thisyear, in addition to conference lectures, there was a comprehensive exhibitionof equipment, as well as hands-on displays of the most up-to-date technology.Visitors had a chance to witness renovation with the Compact Pipe method, aswell as service line renovation with Konudur Brawoliner.
The conference theme was expanded from the previous year’s and in addition totrenchless techniques, it included geo-engineering and road, bridge and tunnelconstruction. Companies from both fields were present alongside a number ofacademics who gave presentations on the latest research achievements.
Among those were Prof. Christopher Rogers from The University of Birmingham,United Kingdom, who spoke about a British survey on assessing the location ofunderground utilities and Prof. Gerard Arends from Delft University (Holland),who presented an overview of the application of trenchless techniques in theNetherlands. Other topics discussed at the conference included: materials usedin trenchless conduits rehabilitation, technologies for pipeline installation,location systems, project cost assessment and software for sewerage networkinspection.
The highlight of the event was the Gala Dinner during which the TYTAN awardswere presented. Prizes were awarded to a number of companies for: Project of theYear-New Installation; Project of the Year- Renovation; Company of the Year;Product of the Year; and European Project of the Year. The winners can be viewedon the Web at www.i-b.pl.
The Gala Dinner also featured artistic performances and dance. The ancientcastle with its neatly renovated rooms and courtyard proved to be a perfectbackdrop.
On the conference’s last day, participants were given the opportunity tovisit Krakow and its historical sites, take a guided trip around the old royalseat, see its most stunning monuments and hear some of its stories and legends.The evening ended in a stylish restaurant where a traditional Polish dinner wasserved. Today, the introduction of trenchless technology to local governments andmunicipalities is of paramount importance in Poland. With significant grants setaside for Poland as part of its membership in the European Union, the number ofcities investing in waterworks and sewerage system renovation is constantlygrowing as is the use of trenchless methods.
Trenchless Methods to Be Used onSingapore Sewers
The Public Utilities Board (PUB) will be carrying out free checks on thecondition of private sewers to prevent leaks in the used water network fromcontaminating Singapore’s water supply, according to todayonline.com.
Over the next year, the PUB will check on developments in the Rochor Canalarea. Thereafter, the checks will be expanded to other areas within the MarinaReservoir Catchment and eventually to the rest of Singapore.
Should repairs be needed, PUB will help defray about 20 percent of the costs,which can be about $2,000 for landed properties and $200 per unit for high-risebuildings. If owners engage PUB to do the job, PUB will allow them to paythrough monthly installments.
About half of the sewers in Singapore are privately-owned and maintained.These private sewers channel used water from individual premises into publicsewers. Like public sewers, private sewers can leak as a result of ageing,ground movements and so on.
On the checks, PUBs director of the Policy and Planning Department Tan YokGin said: “This would be done through methods like water testing, or usingclosed-circuit television to check the condition of the sewers. If the sewersare found to be leaking, we will inform the owners and ask them to getcontractors to repair the leaks.”
Innovative trenchless technology to fix leaking sewers will be used. Thiswill reduce construction work time, and minimize inconvenience to owners.
Meanwhile, PUB also announced the completion of the pumping facility for theDeep Tunnel Sewerage System (DTSS). The facility is ready to pump used water tothe Changi Water Reclamation Plant, which will become operational in 2008. Allused water collected and channeled through the DTSS will be treated at theChangi plant before being sent to Newater factories for further treatment.
CONEXPO Asia 2007 Dates Announced
The 2007 CONEXPO Asia will be held Dec. 4-7, at the Chinese ExportCommodities Fair (CECF) Pazhou Complex in Guangzhou, China.
CONEXPO Asia 2007 will feature exhibits of the latest technologies andinnovations in construction-related equipment, products and services fromleading manufacturers, both Chinese and non-Chinese. Industry educationalprograms and working equipment demonstrations will extend the value of theexhibits and offer a quality learning experience for industry professionals fromChina, Asia-Pacific and beyond.
“The show is more than exhibits. It’s all about knowledge-sharing and accessto global industry best practices to help companies better utilize the safety,efficiency and productivity advances of equipment and products on display. Thisis the real value of CONEXPO Asia,” stated Rod Beeler, who chairs the CONEXPOAsia 2007 management committee and is vice president of CaterpillarInc./Caterpillar Asia Pte Ltd. in Singapore.
The show is produced by the Association of Equipment Manufac-turers (AEM),which conducted the inaugural CONEXPO Asia in May 2006 in Beijing. AEM notesthat the show launch was well-received and that the association successfullyaccomplished its primary objective to create the only China-based exhibition runby the industry and for the benefit of the industry.
“Meeting the needs of exhibitors and attendees is our foremost concern.Education is an integral component. We also look beyond the show floor to how wecan help enhance the industry in areas including training and safety programsand exchange of industry marketing information,” stated Ron DeFeo, who ishonorary show managing committee chairman and chairman and CEO of Terex Corp.,Westport, Conn.
AEM is once again partnering with the China Chamber of Commerce for Importand Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME) to produce CONEXPO Asia.CCCME is co-organizer of CONEXPO Asia 2007.
The choice of Guangzhou, in South China near Hong Kong, as the show’s 2007host city reflects AEM’s intention to bring CONEXPO Asia learning opportunitiesto different areas of China. The city has long been a center for internationaltrade and is the site of the well-known Canton Fair.
“Guangzhou is a symbol of the vitality of the global marketplace. In additionto the show, AEM is expanding its standards-related and other initiatives inChina to help all manufacturers accelerate their businesses, both in China andoutside its borders. So, it is fitting that the continuation of CONEXPO Asiawill take place here,” stated Glen Tellock, who serves as AEM vice chairman forconstruction on the AEM board and is president of Manitowoc Crane Group inManitowoc, Wis.
For more information contact AEM: ph: (800) 867-6060 (toll free NorthAmerica) or (414) 298-4141, fax (414) 272-2672, or e-mailinfo@conexpoasia.com, www.conexpoasia.com.
South Africa Is Home to New MultiquipDealers
Multiquip has added three dealers in South Africa, bringing to four thenumber of outlets carrying MQ and STOW Construction Equipment products acrossthe country.
Ian Dickie & Co., Lambson’s Hire and Sales and PowerBase CC are thenewest additions to a growing dealer network that now sells equipment in morethan 60 countries.
Ian Dickie & Co. carries Multiquip’s Whiteman Series ride-on andwalk-behind trowels, screeds and several of Multiquip’s dewatering pump models.The dealership is located in Cape Town and operated by Iain Fraser and TasneemBedford.
The new South African dealers are an integral part of Multiquip’s globalgrowth. Since the early 1990s, the company has continued its rapid worldwideexpansion with dealers serving contractors and builders in a diverse group ofindustries. In addition to its Carson, Calif., headquarters, Multiquip officesare located in Manchester, England; Laval, Canada; Guadalajara, Mexico; Rio deJaneiro, Brazil; Mumbai, India; and Beijing.
Multiquip Inc. is a leading supplier of compaction equipment, concrete andmasonry cutting, placing and finishing products, generators, welders, dewateringpumps, lighting systems and other construction equipment.
China to Spend $125 Billion to ImproveWater Facilities, Combat Pollution
China will spend 1 trillion yuan ($125 billion USD) to improve watertreatment and recycling facilities over the next five years as part of effortsto fight the mounting threat of urban water pollution, officials said in an Aug.23 report by the Associated Press.
The government hopes to lure more foreign technology and investments to suchprojects, which are crucial because some 278 cities have no sewage treatmentplants, said Qiu Baoxing, the deputy construction minister.
“In some areas, the worsening water sources, pollution and the frequent waterpollution accidents have seriously threatened the water quality,” Qiu said at anews conference. “It is imperative for the water suppliers to strengthenrelevant measures in response to the situation.”
Beijing regards ensuring safe, reliable water supplies as the most urgentenvironmental issue facing a country where the population of 1.3 billion peoplecompete for supplies with booming industries.
Attention to the problem has been heightened by a string of industrialaccidents that poisoned major rivers, forcing several cities to shut down theirwater systems.
In addition, portions of central China are suffering this summer from theirmost severe drought in 50 years. Authorities say lack of rain has left 18million people without adequate drinking water.
China’s current water projects include a 500 billion yuan ($60 billion USD)project to supply its dry north with water from the relatively wet south andrenovate 50-year-old water pipe networks, Qiu said.
The government also wants to build water systems that would keep the publicsupplied with drinking water in case of industrial accidents and to desalinateseawater, he said. Investment in such projects over the next five years isexpected to total 1 trillion yuan, Qiu said.
In China’s biggest water-related disaster, a chemical spill into a river lastNovember forced Harbin, the biggest city in the northeast, to suspend runningwater to 3.8 million people for five days. The incident raised questions overChina’s ability to cope with environmental disasters.
Beijing wants to raise foreign investment levels in its water industry, whichcurrently stands at only 10 percent, said Zhang Yue, deputy director of theministry’s urban construction department.
“China is opening its markets to encourage more and more foreign companies toparticipate in the Chinese water sector,” Zhang said. He did not give anydetails.
Water companies from France, England and Germany already have invested inChina’s water supply and treatment projects, Zhang said, adding that they have“contributed a lot to the development of China’s water sector with theirtechnologies and experiences.”
Last year, China treated 52 percent of the 2 billion cu m of sewage producedby its huge cities, an improvement from 2000, when only one-third of wastewaterwas treated, he said.
However, Qiu, the deputy minister, accused some cities of wasting water.“Some city governments are willing to invest heavily in developing new watersources while neglecting the water-saving work,” he said. “Large lawns and waterlandscape are some of the favorite patterns beloved of the city governments whenpursuing urban development.”
Halliburton Awarded $60 MillionContract for Directional Drilling
Halliburton’s Drilling, Evaluation and Digital Solutions Division has beenawarded a contract valued at more than $60 million to provide Geo-Pilot rotarysteerable systems and directional and logging-while-drilling services for thePeciko, Bekapai, Sisi and Nubi gas fields, offshore Balikpapan, East Kalimantan,Indonesia.
“Total E&P Indonesie is currently running a huge activity in the EastKalimantan area, where up to nine rigs are drilling,” said Jean-ChristopheLeroy, Peciko Field drilling operations manager, Total E&P Indonesie. “Weexpect Halliburton to reach, in the shortest time, the challenging performanceobjectives we have raised for our offshore gas wells.”
Brady Murphy, vice president of Halliburton’s Sperry Drilling Services, aproduct service line of the Drilling, Evaluation and Digital Solutions Division,said: “We are very pleased with this award and for the opportunity to expand ourbusiness with TOTAL in Indonesia
and to do this from our recentlyestablished base in Balikpapan. This contract will take full advantage of abroad array of Sperry Drilling Services’ latest drilling andlogging-while-drilling technology.”
Under separate contracts, Halliburton is also providing cementing anddrilling waste management services through its Fluid Systems Division. Halliburton, founded in 1919, is one of the world’s largest providers ofproducts and services to the petroleum and energy industries. The company servesits customers with a broad range of products and services through its EnergyServices Group and KBR.
New Technical Director, Int’l MarketingManager Named at Tracto-Technik
Meinolf Rameil has been named the new technical director at Tracto-TechnikGmbH, effective April 2006. He is responsible for research and development,quality assurance, patents, training and for special civil engineering service.In addition to that he represents Tracto-Technik within associations.
Rameil himself sees the main focus of his new assignment in developing newproducts. “For a company like Tracto-Technik, innovations are extremelyimportant. We have many good ideas at Tracto-Technik — my intention is toaccelerate innovation and development processes. Ideas should rapidly lead tomarketable, high-quality products which are protected by international patents,”Rameil says.
Rameil studied civil engineering at the University of Siegen. In 1987 hestarted his professional career at Tracto-Technik as a sales engineer.Throughout the years he gathered many experiences on numerous construction sitesworld-wide which again are basis for new ideas and innovations. From 1998 toMarch 2006, he had the position of a technical-commercial coordinator and wasresponsible for production, sales and R&D processes.
Also at Tracto-Technik (TT Group), Viktor Dier has been named itsinternational marketing manager. He is responsible for the internationalcommunication at Tracto-Technik (within and outside the TT Group) and for theimplementation of CI-guidelines. His main tasks are supporting all TT partnersby providing helpful information and analyzing incoming information. Incooperation with the TT Group sister companies and the International SalesDepartment he will also develop new strategies to optimize internationalbusiness relations.
Dier studied business administration and economics at the University ofNeu-Ulm/Germany and languages in Canada, Spain and France. Before he came toTracto-Technik, he had worked as a marketing consultant in a market researchcompany where he was responsible for managing international projects andsupporting key account customers.
With his experience of having lived in many different countries and nowspeaking five languages, he will contribute to the international competence ofthe TT Group, company officials say.
