The first three months of 2018 have already come and gone, and the busy season is gearing up for the industry. Are you rejuvenated and ready to go full speed ahead in the coming weeks?
I know I’m ready to continue bringing you stories and information on the trenchless world, especially after attending the North American Society for Trenchless Technology’s No-Dig Show in March in Palm Springs, California.
I always enjoy attending this show because it’s slightly different than the other shows I attend. Yes, there is an expo showing technology in the industry, but this show is heavily focused on education and case studies.
HEARING ABOUT THE TOUGH JOBS
One of my favorite things about the No-Dig Show is attending the sessions where contractors talk about a tough job that they’ve handled for a customer. I like learning about the challenges they faced, the equipment they used to fight through those challenges and the end result of the job.
Whether it is how King County (Washington) embarked on a large conveyance system upgrade that included a challenging HDD aspect; how HDD was used to install a new force main under Lake Meade in Virginia; or a pipe bursting challenge in the city of St. Catharines, Ontario, there are lessons that can possibly help those in attendance with a project that they are undertaking.
We try to do the same in our Down & Dirty feature. In this issue, we highlight a large directional drilling job the city of Miami Beach, Florida, took on in 2016 to install a redundant sanitary sewer force main. The project took four months to complete, but it was over 4,000 feet in length and the pipe was 54 inches in diameter — making it one of the largest HDD jobs to be done. Crews looked at other options before settling on HDD to meet the budget.
If that isn’t enough for you, check out our profile in this issue on Arizona-based Horizontal Boring. The company, owned by two brothers, doesn’t shy away from taking on challenging jobs. They completed one last year where they used a 72-inch auger bore and went under a busy interstate. The company stayed on grade with the job by using a technique that was new for them.
LET’S BRAG A BIT
We all know your crews love to talk about jobs they’ve handled — whether it be because the jobs were tough or just really dirty, they love to brag about them. And you know what? We love to hear about them too.
Has your company handled a tough job or a unique job that you’d love to talk about? Give me a call at 800-257-7222 or email editor@digdifferent.com and tell me about the job.
Also, don’t be afraid to send me photos from your job sites each day and tell me what you are doing. We might use them on social media, if you’re lucky!
Enjoy this issue!
