News

Editor's Log: Best Guesses & Fingers Crossed
Robert Carpenter, Editor
January 2013, Vol. 68, No. 1

The November elections are over and the nation has survived. But the question remains: when will the much ballyhooed economic recovery begin in earnest? It looks like 2013 is going to be another interesting and challenging year in which the underground infrastructure market must endeavor to persevere. And we will.

Robotic Tool Makes Direct Assessment A Reality
January 2013, Vol. 68, No. 1

New federal pipeline integrity rules require utility companies to evaluate thousands of gas mains buried beneath highways, railroad tracks and airport runways – each and every one cased inside a larger pipe. The research and development team at ULC Robotics in New York has developed a robotic inspection tool that is capable of inspecting and gathering critical data about the integrity of cased pipe.

Maryland Broadband Network Promises Major Rewards
Jeff Griffin, Senior Editor
January 2013, Vol. 68, No. 1

As the new year began, construction was nearing completion for 800 miles of fiber optic cable that will comprise the central segment of the state of Maryland’s One Maryland Broadband Network (OMBN) project. Ultimately, this project will create a comprehensive high-speed broadband fiber-optic network to connect more than 1,000 institutional and community facilities throughout the state.

Accident Prevention Begins Before Excavation
Jeff Griffin, Senior Editor
January 2013, Vol. 68, No. 1

In the past decade, many positive steps have been taken to reduce accidental damage to underground utilities, yet construction crews still hit buried pipe and cable on a regular basis, causing service outages, work delays and sometimes serious injuries and death.

Keeping The Sewer Running In Saskatoon
Jeff Griffin, Senior Editor
January 2013, Vol. 68, No. 1

In Saskatoon in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, Sunbelt’s task was to install and operate a temporary bypass for a 1,010-foot-long segment of 84-inch diameter sewer interceptor while it was rehabilitated with cured-in-place-pipe (CIPP) liner.

Ice Pigging: New Water, Sewer Pigging Method Offers Unique Benefits
Jeff Griffin, Senior Editor
January 2013, Vol. 68, No. 1

A new breed of pipeline “pig” has arrived in the United States.

“Pigging” to clean pipelines is an accepted procedure used by utility pipeline owners. The process is relatively simple: a device (pig) is inserted into a pipe where pressure forces it through the pipe, scraping the inside sidewalls and carrying debris to an exit point out of the pipe. A variety of pig designs are available.

Report Opens Door To Liquefaction Approvals
January 2013, Vol. 68, No. 1

The Department of Energy published a report from NERA Economic Consulting which concludes unlimited exports of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) will help the U.S. economy, and the greater the exports, the greater the public good. The DOE automatically approves LNG exports to countries with a Free Trade Agreement with the U.S. But it must find that exports to countries without FTAs are in the public interest. The DOE commissioned the report to help it decide whether to approve additional non-FTA exports.

Pro-Tec System Adapts To Unique Project
Thomas A. Marciniak
January 2013, Vol. 68, No. 1

When you were younger, playing the game hide-and-seek was fun and a great way to just be a kid. When you are looking for a 36-inch pipe with a 42-inch casting and a 30-inch pipe with a 36-inch casting that is causing a short on active fuel lines at a depth of more than 20 feet, it really isn’t that fun of a game. That is what Price Gregory International was faced with on a site in Lisle, IL.

PACP Class Held In Colombia
December 2012, Vol. 67 No. 12

NASSCO, the National Association of Sewer Service Companies, recently conducted its first-ever Pipeline Assessment Certification Program (PACP) course in Spanish. Held in Bogotá, Colombia, on Oct. 17-18, the instruction included the recently-translated PACP manual and training materials.

IRWA awards Infrastructure Project of the Year
December 2012, Vol. 67 No. 12

The International Right of Way Association (IRWA) recently held its annual Project of the Year Competition, designed to shed light on the vital role that right of way professionals play in overseeing the nation's infrastructure projects.

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