ASCE International Pipelines & Trenchless Technology Conference Held in Shanghai

January 2010 Vol. 65 No. 1

The American Society of Civil Engineers Pipeline Division recently made major strides into the global market on Oct. 19-21 when it sponsored the first International Conference of Pipeline and Trenchless Technology (ICPTT) at the Regal International East Asia Hotel in Shanghai, China.

The Pipeline Division joined with the China Society for Trenchless Technology, China U.S. Joint Center for Trenchless Research & Development (CTRD), and the Center for Underground Infrastructure Research & Education (CUIRE), under a grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), to provide a world forum for 80 oral presentations and poster discussions of 227 papers published in the ICPTT Proceedings. The conference theme was “Advances and Experiences with Pipelines and Trenchless Technology for Water, Sewer, Gas and Oil Applications.” This conference was a resounding success with more than 350 participants and over $7 million in business transactions at this first-ever event in China.

Pictured, left to right are: four students attending and presenting at conference, including Diego Caldron and Smith Rangel from UT Arlington and Olga Lucia from IUPUI; Dr. Baosong Ma, China University of Geosciences - Wuhan and vice director of China-U.S. Joint Center for Trenchless Research & Development; Professor Ding Zhenguo, vice president of China University of Geosciences; Professor A-gen Zhang, chairman of Geological Society of Shanghai ; current past ASCE Pipeline Division Chairman Dr. Mohammad Nafaji, director of the Center for Underground Infrastructure Research & Education at University of Texas at Arlington; former Pipeline Division Chairman Michael T. Stift, director of engineering at the San Diego County Water Authority; Dr. Tom Iseley, IUPUI-Purdue School of Engineering & Technology; Dr. Samuel Ariaratnam, Arizona State University; Dr. Alan Atalah, Bowling Green State University; and Dr. Qingfen Bao, vice dean of college of engineering, China University of Geosciences-Wuhan.

The Pipeline Division’s vision is to become the organization that is the world leader for excellence in water, wastewater, oil, gas, and solid pipeline engineering. While the Pipeline Division’s U.S. annual conference, generally held between July and September, has had international attendance, with many pipeline services and manufacturers within and outside the United States exhibiting, the emphasis in recent years has primarily been related to water infrastructure. The Division has been looking for a venue to bring the oil, gas and the freight pipeline industry back to the Pipeline Division. The ICPTT was just that venue.