News and Articles
Dec 20, 2005
Article
Stability of a Borehole during Horizontal Directional Drilling
A group of Dutch drilling contractors and engineering consultants are working together to enhance their knowledge on borehole stability during Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD). The influence of arching on the stability of a borehole filled with bentonite has been tested with the geotechnical centrifuge of GeoDelft in combination with the maximum mud pressure the borehole can withstand before a blow-out occurs. The centrifuge tests have been analyzed using a Finite Element Program (PLAXIS) with respect to arching around the borehole. The test results are compared with the PLAXIS outcome.
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Dec 13, 2005
Article
The NORIS-Project and the Top-Cote-Liner
The NORIS project is an EU-project co-financed by the Interreg IIIB programme. The project should be a platform for exchange of knowledge on No-Dig techniques, source control methodologies and monitoring systems. Seven partners from five countries in the North Sea Region are involved in the project. The NORIS project has three environmental focuses: How to separate unwanted rain- and drain water from combined sewer pipes How to redirect rainwater to groundwater by natural processes How to minimise the risk of overflow and overload of sewers The focusing on separation of rainwater from sewage water is carried out with a new No-Dig technique. The new technique called Top-Cote, will be used in pilot projects in 2005 and 2006. The first pilot project should be completed in the village of Tidan close to Skövde in Sweden. The TopCote-technique combines pipeline rehabilitation and the separation in the same installation by using a 2-in-1 liner.
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Dec 07, 2005
News
Continuous production of polymer modified bitumen (PMB) in road construction
Globalization, economic growth, and the abolishment of borders within Europe have resulted in a continuous increase in heavy goods traffic. These ever rising traffic levels have led to a continuously increasing strain on our traffic surfaces in both road and airport construction. In order to satisfy these requirements, more and more polymer modified binding agents (i.e. bitumen) are used in asphalt production.
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Dec 06, 2005
Article
Interactive Software for Selection of Technologies for Installation and Replacement of Utilities
The decision of how to accomplish the installation or repair of a buried pipe in an urban environment involves tangible and intangible parameters. This paper outlines the development of comprehensive, yet straightforward and easy to use interactive software for the evaluation of alternative construction methods that can be employed in the installation, rehabilitation, or replacement of buried pipes and conduits. The software emphasizes simplicity and practicality, and limits input data to those readily available to utility engineers at the design stage of the project. Based on the specific characteristics of the problem(s) facing the decision-maker, the software performs a preliminary screening, eliminating technologies unlikely to meet the project’s requirements. A technical evaluation is then undertaken during which the technical capabilities of the various technologies identified in the first step are compared with the project’s attributes. Next, a risk analysis is performed based on the characteristics of the project's environment and the anticipated soil conditions. The model offers an interactive graphical user interface, and it is compiled as a standalone application compatible with common Microsoft operating systems platforms.
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Nov 29, 2005
Article
The Synergy Between Theory and Practice in Drilling Technology
GeoBrain is a facility at GeoDelft with the purpose to provide society with all relevant geo-engineering knowledge and experience in a structured way. On the basis of the available knowledge and experience engineers, decision makers and construction supervisors can come to a fast, reproducible and objective choice, taking into account the consequences. The paper presents an example from the GeoBrain experience databases and forecasting models developed for directional drilling, or: "GeoBrain Drilling".GeoBrain is closing the gap between theory and practice. It is aimed directly at reducing uncertainty and the costs of failure, thereby increasing the quality of profession and minimising the risk in geo-engineering works.
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Nov 23, 2005
Article
The DigiTrak Eclipse Locating System: A Flexible and Innovative Approach to Meeting Today's HDD Locating Challenges
During the recent downturn in the Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) market, equipment manufacturers focused on research and have introduced a number of innovations. Nowhere has this been more evident than amongst manufacturers of HDD locating systems. In particular, the documentation of an increasing number of parameters concerning the drilling process has been a focus of development. Additionally, the capability to successfully carry out a wide range of project specifications with the same locating system has been made a priority. This paper will describe the DigiTrak® Eclipse® locating system’s various features and will use short project summaries as examples. Particular emphasis will be placed on gravity sewer installations; project mapping and documentation; down hole drilling fluid pressure; load monitoring and documentation; and magnetic guidance system operations. It is the intent of the author to demonstrate the level to which modern locating systems have risen and to help educate project planners and owners about some of the various HDD projects successfully undertaken in recent years.
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Nov 22, 2005
News
Water Environment Federation, Utilities , Black & Veatch to Assess Wastewater System Damage in Gulf Coast
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita left in their wake considerable damage to water and wastewater systems in the affected areas of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. While federal, state and local officials are working diligently to assess the overall damage, a comprehensive evaluation of the damage to wastewater systems is not available. To meet this need, the Water Environment Federation (WEF), members working for utilities, and private companies are collaborating with global engineering, consulting and construction company Black & Veatch to develop and present an area-wide assessment of the damage and probable cost to rehabilitate or replace wastewater systems in the Gulf States.
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Nov 17, 2005
News
WASSER BERLIN 2006 - A concentration of international expertise
Investment boom in Europe At the trade fair and convention WASSER BERLIN 2006 from 3 to 7 April 2006 international experts will be focusing on issues of disposal of drinking water and waste water. At the same time the Berlin Exhibition Grounds will also be hosting the trade fair GAS BERLIN. Approximately 700 exhibitors and a total of 60,000 visitors from around 60 countries are expected to attend the two trade fairs, the convention and the interactive trade show "WASSerLEBEN".
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Nov 15, 2005
News
Project "Lernbau" - More Safety and Health in the Building Industry
The cooperation-project "LernBau" is about safety and health for the workers on building sites. Under the scientific direction of the University of Bremen, the building enterprises, building owners, the labour inspectorate, and the employees liability insurance association for the building industry are trying to develop comprehensive concepts for more safety on the building sites by considering the interests of all project partners. The project from the "Bremer Landesprogramm Arbeit und Technik" is financed and promoted by the European Union and the senator for work, women, health, youth and social action.
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Nov 04, 2005
News
First 6-in and 8-in crack-detection tools for pipelines
NDT Systems & Services AG, Stutensee, Germany has introduced a further addition to its highly-successful range of LineExplorer in-line inspection tools. The tools, incorporating a new generation of electronics, make use of the company’s proven modular design, and are available in crack-, as well as metal-loss, inspection configurations.
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Nov 03, 2005
News
After the Conference is Before the Conference - UNITRACC will be presented on the 2006 No-Dig Show in Nashville
The successful international No-Dig Conference in Rotterdam has just ended and the developers of UNITRACC have arrived back home with the No-Dig Award in their luggage, but they are already busy preparing for the next international event. The repeatedly awarded web-based platform for information, learning and working in sewer and pipeline construction will be presented on the 2006 No-Dig Show in Nashville (USA).
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Oct 24, 2005
Article
Municipalities require multi-billion Euro infrastructure investments.
The use of plastic materials for repair and replacement of sewer inspection chambers is rapidly increasing in popularity. The reason for utilising plastic materials in place of traditional concrete products is because modern plastics offer superior performance characteristics in typical sewer environments. Nearly one third of the existing inspection chambers are defective and of about 9 million manholes in Germany approximately 2,7 to 4,5 million are in need of rehabilitation. "There will be a great need for investments in the next few years", says Heiko Leihbecher from REHAU.
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Oct 04, 2005
News
"Trenchless Technology for Installation of Cables and Pipelines" by Dietrich Stein now available in English
Finally, the time has come! The uniquely extensive compendium by University-Professor Dr.-Ing. Dietrich Stein "Trenchless Technology for Installation of Cables and Pipelines", which has received attention and is highly appreciated among experts, was translated into English for the international market and was published in September. It comprises 15 chapters with a total of 748 pages, 845 figures and 307 tables.
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Sep 29, 2005
News
UNITRACC wins NO-DIG Award
In a ceremonial event as a prelude to the 23rd International NO-DIG Conference in Rotterdam on 19 September the NO-DIG Award was awarded by the ISTT, the International Society for Trenchless Technology for extraordinary projects in the field of sewer- and pipeline construction.
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Sep 15, 2005
Article
Luxemburg farmers place their faith in the E+S Site Road - Optimum load distribution
The Beckerich-Huttange-Nordange main collecting system in Luxemburg, which Weiland Bau S.à.r.l. is constructing on behalf of the Syndicat Intercommunal de Dépollution des Eaux Résiduaires de l’Ouest (SIDERO), is about 3,300 m long. In addition to the new collecting system – a corrugated sheath measuring DN/OD 315 to 400 mm – a district heating pipeline and a duct for an optical fibre cable are also being laid in the trench in a single work process. To protect the ground of what is mainly grazing land, the contracted company is using about 500 running metres of Site Road from Emunds+Staudinger. This satisfies the client’s brief as well as the needs of the affected farmers, for it eliminates extensive soil extraction and removal, as required for the construction of a conventional site road of crushed rock. The temporary Site Road is quickly and easily laid. Owing to their optimum load distribution, the 2.4 m long and 3.8 m wide elements protect the ground effectively from destruction and compaction by construction vehicles.
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Sep 09, 2005
News
BPU 800 pipe-ramming system - New power pack from Emunds+Staudinger
Emunds+Staudinger has developed a new generation of pipe-ramming systems. BPU 800 is the name of the latest power pack, a further development of the BPU 600/800. Worth mentioning are its technical data. Its torque has been raised from 15,000 N to 27,000 N and its thrust from 85 to the present 132 t. However, by comparison with the huge boost to performance, the growth in dimensions of the new pipe-ramming unit, with an increase in length and breadth of only 30 cm, is modest. The system has now been used for the first time on a civil engineering project in Wellin in Belgium. And with success: Despite difficult soil conditions, the ramming of a 15 m long steel pipe, DN/OD 600, beneath a road proceeded to the complete satisfaction of the client and contracted company. Equally remarkable is the fact that the ramming work for the new drinking water pipe took only two days, inclusive of set-up and dismantling.
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Jul 07, 2005
Article
Microtunneling to Exacting Standards in Holland
Not only were ground conditions difficult and the water table high, but also tunneling under an excavated canal with banks higher than the surrounding land required exceptional safety measures.
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Jun 22, 2005
News
World's largest tunnel boring machine accepted by the customers. The Herrenknecht Mega TBM will excavate a road tunnel in Madrid.
The Herrenknecht EPB Shield S-300 is the world’s largest TBM with truly unique features in terms of engineering. To master the world’s largest excavation diameter in challenging ground conditions, Herrenknecht engineers developed a so far unique cutting wheel concept especially for this project. It consists of a 7m-diameter central cutting wheel and an outer cutting wheel, located on the same level, with a maximum excavation diameter of 15.20m.
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May 30, 2005
Article
Storm sewer DN 1200 - Successful rehabilitation with hose relining in Bremen
A hydraulically heavily stressed storm sewer DN 1200, requiring an urgent rehabilitation, but lying in the middle of a main road with several lanes and even in ground water: a horrific constellation in front of which stood the hanseWasser Bremen GmbH in 2004. But for the SAERTEX®-LINER System and the sewer rehabilitation specialists of Hans Brochier GmbH & Co. KG this case was a good opportunity to prove the efficiency of the hose relining procedure with "glass fibre reinforced plastic by means of steam hardening" in accessible nominal widths. Sewer damage under heavy traffic load
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Mar 03, 2005
News
Two Herrenknecht Hard Rock Tunnel Boring Machines are ready for a large-scale water transfer project in Spain
The natural water basin "River Jucar Basin", with a surface of almost 22,500km², is located in the East of the Iberian Peninsula. It comprises the autonomous regions Castilla-La Mancha, Communidad Valenciana and Aragon. Beside important rivers such as the "Jucar", used for the supply of drinking water, the region has abundant groundwater resources.
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Jan 24, 2005
Article
Risk approach to examine strategies for extending the residual life of large pipes
The National Research Council of Canada (NRC), with the financial support of the American Water Works Association Research Foundation (AwwaRF) has developed a new fuzzy-based approach to model the deterioration of large buried pipes using scarce data.
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