That’s a Wrap

The 2009 International No-Dig Show — co-sponsored by the International Society of Trenchless Technology (ISTT) and the North American Society of Trenchless Technology (NASTT) — held March 29-April 3 at the Sheraton Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada — proved that the underground construction market is the market to be in.

The premier international trenchless event attracted a record 1,900 attendees and 124 exhibitors, with 38 countries represented.

As always, the annual show offered attendees a blend of educational sessions, networking opportunities and entertainment. — not to mention, to take in the latest advancements and products the industry has to offer.

Like every year, educational sessions played a large and important role in the 2009 No-Dig Program. More than 100 peer-reviewed technical papers were presented in technical sessions in five tracks. Attendees who participated in the technical paper sessions were able to earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and Professional Development Hours (PDH) for their attendance. In addition to the presentations of technical papers, pre- and post-conference seminars took place covering an array of topics.

Getting Noticed     

On top of exploring the exhibit hall and taking in educational sessions, attendees took part in awards ceremonies and special events. NASTT, ISTT and Trenchless Technology honored the people, projects and products that have made a significant impact in both the trenchless industry and community.

At the No-Dig Kick-Off Breakfast on March 30, industry expert Glenn Boyce, senior associate of Jacobs Associates, was formally recognized as the 2009 Trenchless Technology Person of the Year (see his story in the March issue of Trenchless Technology). Boyce, who has been involved in the trenchless industry for more than 25 years, received his award with his wife, Eleanor, in attendance.

The 2009 Outstanding Paper Awards were also presented during the Breakfast. The Outstanding Paper Award in New Construction was presented to James Chae and Paul Savard, Jacobs Engineering Group, and Shahrzad Namini and Marty Noble, King County for their paper titled, “HDD Construction Risks and Challenges on the King County Bellevue Pump Station Force Main Project.” David Mast, NTH Consultants Ltd., and George Ericsson and Richard Switalski of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District received the Outstanding Paper Award in Rehabilitation for their paper, “Rehabilitation of Failing 60-Inch Brick Sewer in Cleveland, Ohio.”

During the Gala Awards Dinner and Reception on March 31, winners of the 2008 Trenchless Technology Projects of the Year for New Installation and Rehabilitation were honored.

The Project of the Year for New Installation was awarded to the Portland, Ore., East Side CSO Project. This particular project involved one continuous 3,000-lf drive. The Project of the Year for Rehabilitation was awarded to the Bear Creek Power Generating Station. Michels Pipe Services of Brownsville, Wis., used cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) relining to rehab 1,900 ft of badly deteriorated 48-in.pipe for the Bear Creek hydroelectric generating station near Shingletown, Calif.  The Project of the Year runners up and honorable mention recipients were recognized as well.

At the Gala Awards Dinner, NASTT also announced the winner of its Chairman’s Award for Outstanding Lifetime Service was Ray Sterling. Sterling, who has served as a past chairman for both ISTT and NASTT, was honored for his 30-plus years of service and dedication to the trenchless industry. He will be retiring as executive director of the Trenchless Technology Center (TTC) in June.

ISTT handed out a number of awards during the dinner as well, recognizing project and technology from around the world. The 2009 ISTT Innovative Technology Award for Pipe Rehabilitation was awarded to Aqualiner and the Innovative Technology Award for New Installation was presented to Digital Control Inc. for its DigiTrak F2 Locating System. The Portland, Ore., East Side CSO Project was also the recipient of the 2009 ISTT Project of the Year Award.

After the dinner, the Gala guests were entertained by Go Freddy Go, a popular Toronto band.

On March 31, the No-Dig Closing Luncheon, sponsored by Staheli Trenchless Consultants, served as the closing event for the show. During the luncheon, participants enjoyed good food and said their final goodbyes to fellow industry professionals before heading home. Ira Blumenthal, a business development expert, offered entertainment for the event. He discussed tough economic times and how not to take part in the recession.  

Get Set for 2010

It’s never too early to plan for your next No-Dig experience. Next year’s North American show is set for May 2-7 at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center in Chicago. NASTT will be celebrating its 20th anniversary. The 2010 International No-Dig Show will take place in Singapore. For more information, visit NASTT’s Web site at www.nastt.org or ISTT’s site at www.istt.org.

Pam Stask is an assistant editor of Trenchless Technology.

Event Sponsors

Platinum Sponsor

• TT Technologies

Gold Sponsors

• Sanexen
• Hammerhead
• Michels Corp.
• Sprayroq
• Vermeer

Silver Sponsors

• Akkerman
• Ditch Witch
• Earth Boring Co.
• Interplastic Corp.

Going Once, Twice, Sold!  

Annual Auction Raises Educational Funds

On March 30, the seventh annual NASTT Educational Fund Auction was held as part of the 2009 No-Dig entertainment lineup. A popular tradition since its inception in 2002, the auction attracted a standing-room only crowd, as many attendees came out to support the NASTT educational fund, which was established to support the training and education of trenchless technologies.

Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers once again took on the role as the official auctioneers of the evening. This year’s auction raised more than $41,000, in support of the educational fund and student chapter research, training and other activities. So far, the annual auction has raised more than $200,000 for the fund.

A wide range of items were donated for this year’s auction including fine jewelry, electronics, tickets to sporting events and trenchless tools and equipment. Once again, the famous Sewer Rat was up for bid and went to Rob Tumbleson from Akkerman Inc.

New Products at No-Dig 2009

The International No-Dig show is always a great event to introduce new products and technology to the trenchless community — and this year was no exception. Many companies took advantage of the worldwide stage to display their latest gizmos and gadgets. Here is just a sampling of what was introduced:

Cosmic Tophat: introduced its self-propelled Eliminator Cutter C120-E. It’s an all-in-one cutter system (crawler, camera, electric cutter) that includes eliminating the need for an air compressor, fuel for air compressor, pull in winch, hose reel for cutter motor, costs for a second man and cutting time.

Kem-Tron: showed off its new trailer system — the Tango XP Polisher — that keeps your mud and recycling equipment on one trailer instead of in pieces. The trailer includes a progressive cavity pump, stainless steel centrifuge, screw conveyor, holding tank, centrifugal pump and generator.

TerraMac: known in New Zealand, TerraMac now has a Canadian partner, Soilvac Inc., in Toronto, Canada and a North American home for its compact directional drills — the Mini Mac. These drills are capable of drill shots of up to 250 mm in diameter and 100 m in length, dependent on soil conditions.

CTZoom: introduced its StaffCam, a state-of-the art, handheld pole camera system that lets you assess any infrastructure quickly so you can prepare accurate CCTV and cleaning bids, validate maintenance operations in real time or ensure the quality of the work performed by your subcontractors.

Digital Control Inc.: unveiled its latest addition in locating technology the DigiTrak F2, which delivers everything the Eclipse locator did only with more accuracy, enhanced sensitivity and great ease of operation. The DigiTrak F2 is considered the world’s first 3-D field view directional locating system with a single-button user interface and graphically driven menu.

Echologics: launched a unique set of assessment services that help municipal water managers save time and money by efficiently determining the actual condition of their pipes by incorporating major advances in correlation algorithms, sensors and signal conditioning.

CUES: introduced its new K2 Series portable CCTV pipeline inspection system. The system includes an ergonomic, wireless, handheld control that operates all CUES transporters and pan-and-tilt/zoom cameras.

Ditch Witch: introduced its Ongrade System, a patented system of components used in conjunction with a directional drill to effectively install new sewer infrastructure on-line and on-grade. Key components are: 8500TK Tracker/850BG Beacon, Grade Pole, Calibration Fixture, End-load Beacon Housing/Grade Tail Piece, Pocket Pit, Inspection Trolley/Camera and Grade Beamer.

Vermeer Corp.: unveiled its AXIS guided boring system — a pit-launched, laser-guided tool to install 10- to 14-in. pipe. The system can achieve pinpoint, on-grade accuracy and its versatile design allows for multiple applications in the installation of new water and sewer lines. The AXIS system is made up of four main components — the power unit, rack, vacuum pump and vacuum tank.

ICON Equipment: unveiled that it is the exclusive distributor of Bohrtec GmbH’ Front Steer Guided Auger Boring Systems. The system uses the same simple guidance system as the pilot tube method with a theodolite camera and LED Target to continuously monitor line and grade and make any corrections needed. However, the Front Steer uses a full cutting face to excavate and not displace the ground like the pilot and is used as a one pass method of installation.

Say Cheese!

Click here for snapshots from No-Dig 2009.