A construction worker in West Lafayette, Indiana, was injured when a 4-foot by 6-foot section of a sidewalk collapsed into a trench on the Purdue University campus.
Construction crews with Huston Electric, based in Lafayette, were trenching next to the sidewalk to install utilities when the accident happened on July 14.
“They were digging up to the sidewalk and around it,” says Purdue University spokesman Jim Bush. “They’re putting utilities in for the Honors College residents’ hall and the sidewalk collapsed on a guy.”
The injuries were to the worker’s lower leg and were not life-threatening.
Washington, DC, Tunneling Machine Gets to Work
Lucy, DC Water’s third tunnel boring machine, got to work July 24 with the machine starting to cut through the shaft wall on 1st Street Northwest.
Lucy has a 23-foot diameter and is 350 feet in length and will proceed at about 50 feet a day. The machine was manufactured by Herrenknecht AG in Schwanau, Germany.
The design-build team of Skanska-JayDee will be working on the First Street Tunnel with Lucy.
Association Releases Underground Utility Awareness Video
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) released its new underground utility awareness video on July 20.
“Contractors, manufacturers and dealers all play a critical role in keeping our communities safe when it comes to underground utility awareness,” says William Bernhard, AEM technical and safety services manager. “AEM is committed to making sure all industry stakeholders are aligned and work together. Communication and cooperation are essential.”
The new video highlights the roles of key industry stakeholders in contributing to the success and safety of utility excavation and installation projects.
To access the underground utility awareness video, go to icuee.com/uua.
