Trenchless Technology Canada – Association Updates Winter 2023
Association Updates is a special section in each issue of Trenchless Technology Canada that offers those associations affiliated with trenchless construction projects an opportunity to update the public on recent association activities.
CERIU
The Centre for Expertise and Research on Urban Infrastructures (CERIU) is an organization which, since its creation in 1994, has been promoting the rehabilitation of underground infrastructure using trenchless techniques. It is one of the main vehicles through which these techniques have been popularised in Quebec. Sealing and grouting are one of these trenchless techniques that have been available for several decades. Used as a spot repair measure, it reduces or even eliminates the infiltration/Inflow of undesirable water into sewer systems, as well as stabilising the structure of the surrounding soil. Users need to improve their skills by mastering the When, the How, and the Why of applying this technique. CERIU, one of whose missions is to monitor and transfer knowledge, is currently offering a half-day Municipal sewer grout class. However, CERIU is always keen to offer its members the best, most up-to-date training, and has decided to make a version of the highly popular Municipal Sewer Grout School course available to its French Quebec audience. This intensive one-day training course will take place face-to-face on April 25, in Laval (near Montreal). It consists of theoretical presentations and practical demonstrations in the field and will provide comprehensive knowledge of the entire process of grouting sewer systems. This school-style course is designed for municipal engineers and managers, public works professionals, contractors, consulting engineers, regulatory agency staff, technical personnel and anyone interested in sealing and grouting work. As the number of places is limited, interested participants are invited to register by April 4. Register at ceriu.qc.ca/formations/colmatage-reseaux-egouts-municipaux-theorie-pratique.
CUIIC
The Canadian Underground Infrastructure Innovation Centre (CUIIC) at the University of Alberta would like to thank our more than 60 member organizations across Canada and the United States for their continued support. And we’d like to thank all who made it to the University of Alberta for our tour of the university’s research facilities on Oct. 22 ahead of No-Dig North. Speaking of No-Dig North, we had many great conversations about CUIIC, our mission and how to get involved in education and research opportunities in the underground infrastructure industry. We’re looking forward to being in Niagara Falls next year, but there is plenty more on tap before that. We have our ongoing webinar series, which is free and open to anyone interested. This also includes a live Q&A session for all attendees to participate in. Watch for upcoming webinar topics on the academy.cuiic.ca website or CUIIC LinkedIn. Registration is under way for the 2024 Pipeline Rehabilitation Academy, which is heading to Richmond, British Columbia on March 13-14. The Pipeline Rehabilitation Academy experts will present a two-day course that is designed to equip attendees with knowledge related to asset management, condition assessment, maintenance and rehabilitation of underground pipelines. Attendees will get the chance to learn about the most up-to-date advancements and new technologies available to repair and rehabilitate aging infrastructure. And look for information soon on our new Advanced HDD School, set to take place April 24-25 in Calgary After completing this course, participants will have an in-depth and technical understanding of HDD through comprehensive coverage of the construction, design, risk management and contracting processes. This course is intended for design engineers, construction management engineers, owners and engineering consultants. Visit academy.cuiic.ca to learn more. New CUIIC members are always welcome, for more information about membership, please contact Alyscia Sutch at cuiic@ualberta.ca or visit our website at cuiic.ca.
NASTT BC
Hello again membership, as we enter winter, the chapter is happy to report another successful year educating about, and further expanding, the trenchless industry in British Columbia. No Dig North 2023 – Trenchless in the West was held in Edmonton, and it was a record-breaking show with the most attendees at a No-Dig North to date! Our flagship conference is growing every year. We expect our momentum to keep growing with a highly anticipated show next year in Niagara Falls and the 2025 show in Vancouver in conjunction with ISTT’s International No-Dig conference. For more information on the upcoming shows and a chance to receive the municipal scholarship, visit nodignorth.ca. Utility Risk Management Workshops with UESI were a great hit in both Richmond and Victoria. These one-day courses gave an overview of the advancements in utility mapping technologies and standards. We anticipate more course offerings in the new year. Stay tuned at nastt-bc.org. The 2024 CUIIC Pipeline Rehabilitation Academy is scheduled to take place in Richmond, March 13-14. The Pipeline Rehabilitation Academy. Attendees will get the chance to learn about the most up-to-date advancement and new technologies available to repair and rehabilitate the aging infrastructure. For more information, visit academy.cuiic.ca. Thank you all for your continued support of the trenchless industry! See you at our next event!
NASTT GLSLA
The North American Society for Trenchless Technology Great Lakes, St. Lawrence & Atlantic Chapter (GLSLA) celebrates a successful 2023 and looks forward to 2024. The Magazine Committee put out the 2023 GLSLA Magazine, which includes articles on trenchless research at Queen’s University and a pioneering HDD project at the Region of peel – look for it in December 2023. Our Events and Training Committee hosted an end-of-year social luncheon on Nov. 28 with a special keynote presentation by Dr. Blair Feltmate, head of the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at University of Waterloo, on “The State of Climate Change and Evolving Extreme Weather Risk: How Canada is Preparing for Flooding, Wildfire, and Extreme Heat.” The thought-provoking presentation provided an insightful exploration of the escalating financial and social implications of climate change in Canada and what a more resilient future might entail. The Student Engagement Committee continues its efforts to connect with student groups to encourage students to pursue careers in trenchless technology. Building on the huge success of the No-Dig North tradeshow in Edmonton, GLSLA has begun organizing the No-Dig North 2024 show in Niagara Falls, as the host chapter. To get involved, please reach out to any Canadian NASTT Chapter, or through the No-Dig North website. For more information on the GLSLA Chapter and its events, visit glsla.ca.
NASTT NW
We are excited to be able to announce that we have established a new NASTT Student Chapter at Red River College in Winnipeg. Raven Sharma, Northwest Chapter vice chair, works with the City of Selkirk, Manitoba, and instructs at the college. Raven will be the advisor and is the sponsor of the new student chapter. One of our chapter’s goals is to expand our involvement of students. The Red River College Chapter is the second in our area, joining the University of Alberta Chapter, with Dr. Alireza Bayat as the sponsor. We have identified several other universities and technical schools that we will be reaching out to soon. We’re coming off a successful No-Dig North, and many of our members worked diligently to make the event a success. We had a great turnout, making it the largest No-Dig North to date. It’s good to see the number of Municipal Scholarship applications that offer individuals the opportunity to learn more about trenchless technologies and share with their organizations. We kicked off our Technical Luncheon series this fall in Edmonton, and we’ll be in Calgary in the new year with a great range of topics. We are always keen on feedback from our members on topics of interest for these sessions. The Northwest Chapter is built around our members and volunteers. We cover a large geographical area, and it can be difficult to engage on a local level. We have strong local groups in several cities, and our goal is to establish active local groups across the area. For more information on getting involved with our chapter, visit nastt-nw.com.
