Trenchless Australasia

March 2008

From the Chairman’s Desk

This edition of Trenchless Australasia is the fourteenth edition since the inaugural publication of the magazine in September 2004 at the 6th National ASTT Conference and Exhibition in Melbourne. Since that event, the ASTT has conducted the very successful International No-Dig in Brisbane in 2006, where Great Southern Press (GSP) proved to be a very capable industry partner to the ASTT. We also saw the emergence of GSP on the International Trenchless Technology scene where it is developing a position of prominence.

Secretary’s Corner

7th National Conference welcome

Trenchless: state of the nation

Across Australia, the Trenchless Technology industry is continuing to expand. Aging infrastructure, water restrictions, booming local economies and increasing urban build-up and environmental concerns have all provided the stimulus for more trenchless projects, while the increasing sophistication of the technology and companies involved has meant the industry has been able to deliver on its promise. We look around the nation to see what has been happening.

Sustainability concepts applied to trenchless construction projects

A new approach to trenchless construction projects has been developed which quantifies sustainability in a more accurate and detailed way than ever before. Dr Sam Ariaratnam of the Arizona State University has developed a method called the Sustainability Assessment Model (SAM) which, through a series of forty-seven indicators, provides a detailed and practical way to measure the sustainability of construction projects.

Robbins TBM digs deep for Down Under sewer project

A new Robbins Double Shield TBM will tunnel underneath the northern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, calling for innovative changes to the tunnelling operations and extensive site monitoring.

Major tunneling projects for VMT

For many years now, VMT GmbH has been a leading provider of tunnel guidance systems worldwide. The past few years have seen a significant increase in the company’s product ranges being introduced onto major tunnelling projects across Australia.

Perth Main Sewer - Northbridge to Highgate

The West Australian Water Corporation has upgraded sewer pipes in the Leederville and Highgate area as part of a five-year program to provide a safer and more efficient wastewater system. The construction of the pipeline by Trenchless Technology resulted in a high profile construction project being undertaken with minimal disruption to traffic.

New Street - Rising Sewer Main

In late 2007, ‘us’ – Utility Services, as contractors for South East Water Ltd, undertook a close-fit pipe rehabilitation on the New Street rising sewer main in Frankston, Victoria, and completed the project on 17 December.

Culvert renewal: a growing market for Trenchless Technology

While there many technologies have been used over the past twenty years to repair aging sewer infrastructure, recent times have highlighted that they are by no means the only type of pipe system in dire need of preventative maintenance and renewal.

Insituform Pacific first handles the pressure in Qld

The PolyFlex pipe rehabilitation system – developed by Insituform – was recently used to renew a significant length of sewer pressure main for Caboolture Shire Council in an Australian first for the world leader.

Sydney Water wards term contract to Kembla Watertech

Sydney has a magnificent harbour and waterways but many of the sewer pipes that have had to be laid close to these tidal areas now have seawater intrusion. In fact, many of the sewer pipes are actually located under the water.

Cockatoo Island infrastructure refurbishment

Anna O'Donnell, Business Development Manager, CLM Trenchless

In the December issue of Trenchless Australasia we reported on the relining works at former convict prison and naval dockyard, Cockatoo Island. The works, delivered by CLM Trenchless’s subcontractor, were only part of the overall scope and we now bring you some more details.

HDD helps expand water supply in NSW: UEA uses Vermeer drill rig to power through rock formations

Greg Keane, Technica Writer, Vermeer Manufacturing Company

The recent Shannon Creek Storage Facility project undertaken by Leighton Contractors on behalf of the Clarence Valley Council and North Coast Water will provide 30,000 mega litres of water storage for the towns of Coffs Harbour and Grafton in northern New South Wales. The population of this region is projected to grow from 90,000 to 220,000 by the year 2050.

Tallawarra gas pipeline project

A joint venture consisting of Nacap Australia/Tru Energy recently installed a 272 mm steel gas main under the F3 Freeway, Ducks Creek and the Illawarra Railway Line. The pipeline is to supply gas from a spur off the Eastern Gas pipeline to a new 400 MW gas-fired power station currently under construction for Tru Energy.

Pipe bursting with Grunoburst 800G in Kalgoorlie

With the boom in the mining sector in Western Australia and the resultant influx of workers and tourists to Kalgoorlie, the aging sewer lines of the city are in need of replacement and upsizing.

Dynamic pipe bursting in Melbourne

City West Water is a retail water company in Melbourne that is responsible for providing water, trade waste and sewerage services to the Melbourne CBD, Inner and Western suburbs. During regular maintenance inspections, it was revealed that one of City West Water’s 600 mm branch sewers, located in a busy industrial precinct in Tottenham, was in poor structural condition.

NZ lateral repair will cost at least $230 million

Delegates at a discussion forum on the Investigation and Rehabilitation of Private Wastewater Sewers heard that the estimated cost to repair all defective private laterals in New Zealand will be at least $230 million.

Pipe cracking: A cracker of a task north of th Artic Circle

At first a pipe cracking task north of the Arctic Circle seems to be impossible to visualise, but it really did happen in Sweden’s most northern community, Kiruna, which covers an area of 20,000 square kilometres and is roughly half the size of Switzerland.

Accuracy - HDD’s lifeline

John English, President, Horizontal Technology Inc

The history and growth of the HDD industry has always been directly related to its steering capabilities. Early on, HDD was forced to focus on steering and guidance with a large percentage of a project’s budget consumed by the time and effort to place the drill in an acceptable location. The development of an artificial magnetic field to accurately locate the steering tool resulted in tremendous growth for the HDD industry.

European comfort trends reach the Australian Market

Gregg Ehm, Technical Writer, Two Rivers Marketing, Des Moines, Iowa

For years, European horizontal directional drill (HDD) operators have enjoyed creature comforts, such as enclosed cabs, enhanced controls and engines with lower noise levels. This trend is now reaching Australia, as drill manufacturers introduce creature comforts designed to reduce operator fatigue and encourage increased productivity.

Vermeer acquires maxi drill manufacturer

Vermeer, a leading manufacturer of horizontal directional drilling equipment and tooling, has acquired the operating assets of Horizontal Rig and Equipment, Inc. (HRE) based in Conroe, Texas.

Award-winning engineer brings water to Port Macquarie

Having won a plethora of awards and accolades, the Port Macquarie Reclaimed Water Supply Scheme is a state-of-the-art water reclamation project that will supply Council and commercial premises with an alternative water source that is reliable and drought secure. Trenchless Australasia caught up with Port Macquarie-Hastings Council’s water supply manager Murray Thompson to chat about the project and how it has made effective use of Trenchless Technologies.

Betek tools pave the way for Yemen pipeline project

A new 250 km long gas pipeline is in progress from a port in the Gulf of Aden in the direction of the capital Sanaa, as part of the expansion of infrastructure in the region.

PPI stands for reliable quality and prompt supply

PPI Corporation – an Australian owned and operated company – has been producing polyethylene (PE) pipe in Australia for nearly 30 years and in that time has earned a reputation for producing quality products.

Directional drilling progress for BTB

BTB Australia has continued to progress its directional drilling skills by completing a variety of interesting projects throughout the last year.

New product for Ridge Tool

A long-range transmitter has been added to Ridgid’s family of SeekTech® location tools as part of the company’s commitment to continual development of technological precision products. Ridgid® is one of the largest tool brands globally and is recognised by professional tradespersons and engineers for uncompromising product quality, performance, durability and service.

Vortex pipes - smart, sustainable, enabling: One company - many possibilities

Vortex is the new name for the company previously known as ShieldLiner, which incorporates the activities of the respected Perth-based contractor Premium Pipe Services.

Worldpoly - supplying pipe around the world

For over 40 years, Worldpoly has been heavily involved in the polyethylene pipe industry as a manufacturer of pipe and fittings, welding contractor and fabricator. The company has provided advice, expertise and products to companies and individuals in the polyethylene pipe industry in Australia and around the world.

Brian Metcalf named President and CEO of Earth Tool

Effective January 14, Brian Metcalf has been promoted by the board of directors to the position of President and CEO of Earth Tool Company, manufacturer of Hammerhead products, based in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.

Michael Skull joins Baroid team

Baroid Industrial Drilling Products (IDP), a Product Service Line of Halliburton, has announced that Michael Skull has joined its sales engineering staff in Australia as a Business Development Account Representative.

Ed Kampbell to join Jason Consultants

Jason Consultants has announced that effective January 1, 2008 Norman E. “Ed” Kampbell, President of Rehabilitation Resources Solutions, will join Jason Consultants Group International as a Senior Consultant associate.

Products make drilling a dream

Drilplex ™ – a unique Mixed-Metal Oxide (MMO) fluid with almost magical flow properties – is just one of the products on offer from ADG Global Supply, the Australian-owned company that offers a trusted source for all the vital equipment and accessories required to run an efficient operation.

‘Fuzzy logic’ for Kogarah Council

Sydney’s Kogarah Council in collaboration with University of Technology Sydney (UTS) will introduce ‘fuzzy logic’ modelling into its Stormwater Drainage Assets Condition Model.

A new age dawns on pipeline inspection technology

As demand on infrastructure increases so too does the necessity for maintenance and the requirement for long term sustainability. Asset owners have been adopting preventative maintenance programs as the best and most economical means of accomplishing this for many years and few would disagree that an emphasis on systematic condition assessment is of paramount importance.

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Trenchless Australasia

March 2008

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