Dig Vs. No-Dig: Which is better for the environment?

With congested underground easements and roadways, it is becoming increasingly important to visually identify the location of underground utilities – gas, fibre, water, telecommunications and sewer – to prevent an accidental utility strike. However, using a compact excavator or a shovel to expose the line could also damage a utility. To reduce the risk of damaging existing utilities, underground contractors and municipalities have started using vacuum excavators, commonly called soft excavation, and over the last two decades there has been a rise in demand for these machines. 

HammerHead Trenchless, a Charles Machine Works Company, introduced the HeatWave, an all-in-one, hot-water curing system, at the recent WWETT exposition in Indianapolis, February 21-23. The HeatWave is a field tested, user-friendly, fully integrated unit that provides for quick activation of the resin and shortened curing times. 

HammerHead Trenchless, a Charles Machine Works Company, has announced its exclusive Bluelight™ LED system is now available in North America. Already proven in Europe and Russia, the Bluelight system is a Cured-In-Place Pipe (CIPP) lining system that cures up to five times faster than conventional methods. Made for laterals and small sewer pipes 4 to 10" in diameter, this exclusive technology greatly reduces the time installers must wait for a liner to cure, allowing them to complete jobs more quickly.

HammerHead Trenchless, a Charles Machine Works Company, have announced their new product intros for the 2019 WWETT show in Indianapolis February 21-23. Visitors to their booth #5206 will be able to see their all-new QuickLok inversion drums along with new cam-locking nozzle adaptors. 

HammerHead Trenchless, a Charles Machine Works company, has introduced a new, purpose-built trailer for cured-in-place-pipe (CIPP) applications that gives installers a uniquely versatile and efficient workstation suited to almost any job they encounter. 

Ditch Witch has released a new, advanced lineup of vacuum excavators to boost operator productivity and versatility on municipality and underground construction jobs. The new HX-Series models feature innovative and patent-pending designs that meet the diverse and evolving customer needs on a range of applications - from compact, urban projects to large-scale excavation, potholing, slot trenching and microtrenching applications.

Regulations focused on various types of trucks and equipment in the province of Ontario have had a small loophole in them for quite some time – a fact discovered recently by the Provincial Government during a licensing review that was undertaken to raise fees on heavy commercial vehicles. For owners of vacuum excavators, the loss of that loophole may mean a loss of payload, which would mean a loss of efficiency. One long-standing Ontario dealer, Joe Johnson Equipment (JJE), took the concerns expressed by its customers straight to the manufacturer, Vactor Manufacturing, which has responded by developing a truck that can meet regulations both in Ontario and throughout other regions where operators face weight-limit challenges.

Truck-mounted vacuum manufacturer Cusco has introduced a new Sewer Jetter. Designed with versatility and durability in mind, the new Cusco Sewer Jetter is a reliable and rugged vacuum truck that will allow municipalities and contractors to handle sewer and water line maintenance with ease and efficiency.

The Westech Wolf non-code certified hydrovac truck is ideal for oil and gas customers working in extreme conditions. The debris body is positioned on the optimal spot of the chassis to ensure the payload is proportionately distributed across all axles simultaneously, maximizing legal payload for customers and improving operational efficiency. The side-mounted water tanks reduce the weight by more than 40 percent, lowering the overall cost of the truck. The 1,500-gallon capacity ensures ample water storage capacity for large or remote jobs. A top-mounted "no-touch" water fill system is easily accessible from the passenger side of the vehicle. The debris body is lifted using a telescoping, dual-acting hydraulic cylinder capable of 36,000 pounds of force. When fully extended, the debris body exceeds a 45-degree dump angle for fast and efficient offloading. To help the offloading process, a heavy-duty, hydraulically powered tank vibrator is mounted to the belly of the debris body. A standard splash shield has been fitted to the rear of the unit to direct the offloading debris.

Potable water pipes in North America are aged and steadily deteriorating, often resulting in poor quality tap water and high utility bills to compensate for the additional costs of trying to maintain failing pipes. Water pipe issues must be properly investigated to find a suitable resolution to help reduce the infrastructure backlog affecting water utilities across Canada and other parts of North America.

Vactor Manufacturing has unveiled the successor to the legendary Vactor HXX vacuum excavator at the 2017 International Construction & Utility Equipment Exposition (ICUEE) Show October 3-5, 2017, in Louisville, Ky. The concept vacuum excavation truck makes its first public appearance at Vactor's outdoor exhibit (K381) at the Kentucky Exposition Center. "The new HXX concept showcases our latest design thinking in terms of improvements in payload capacity, weight distribution, operation and performance," said Ben Schmitt, product manager at Vactor Manufacturing. "Our goal in previewing this HXX concept at ICUEE is to gain feedback from customers and other industry professionals before launching the next generation of this truck."

Improved weight distribution

Ring-O-Matic's has launched its largest-capacity PTO-driven vacuum-excavator system at  ICUEE 2017. The 1300 VXT Extreme/PTO is an ideal vacuum-excavator solution for utility construction, horizontal directional drilling support and mud management, vacuum excavation and daylighting operations preferring a single-engine configuration. The mechanical PTO option offers the benefits of single-engine emissions compliance and single-engine maintenance and a shorter chassis rig with 1,300 gallon spoil capacity.

The Vermeer MEGA VAC VXT truck series by McLaughlin is a highly productive vacuum excavator designed to meet increasingly strict weight restrictions and regulations. Ideal for utility and distribution contractors, the VXT Series is a reliable, cost-effective solution for high-production potholing crews. The new 6-inch (15.2 cm) PTO-driven series comes in three standard spoil capacities ranging from 1,200 to 2,000 gallons (4542.5 to 7570.8 L). The VXT series is powered by the industry-proven OMSI Gearbox and a ROOTS 3200 CFM (91 m³/min) blower. The new CAN Control system allows for two-way communication between the remote control and the vacuum excavator, which helps contractors increase jobsite productivity. The new Vacuum Neutral feature allows the blower to breathe free air and stop suction without the need to close the hydraulic gate valve in the boom.

The new ECO Series from Vermeer answers the utility market’s demand for a compact truck-mounted vacuum excavation system with a focus on improved performance and fuel efficiency and reduced maintenance. The 4-inch (10.2 cm) line of ECO truck vacuum excavators uses properly sized engines to power components and reduces excess fuel consumption. The Tier 4 – ­­compliant 49-horsepower (36.5 kW) Kubota “sips” fuel at 2.75 gallons (10.4 L) per hour, providing significant operating cost savings when compared to powering a 4-inch (10.2 cm) system off of a 270-horsepower (201 kW) truck engine. The ECO Series can be powered by Kubota 49-, 85- or 99-horsepower (36.5, 63.4, 73.8 kW) auxiliary engines and matched with 500- to 1200-gallon (1892.7 to 4542.5 L) spoil tank capacities, which can be mounted on a new or used truck chassis, and off-road carrier chassis for access to difficult projects. www.mclaughlinunderground.com

When dealing with a construction site that is underwater or where the water table is just above sea level, contractors have to insure that the excavation stays dry and safe for workers. This can be extra challenging where you have conditions affected by water depth and conditions such as silt and sand. Additionally, these conditions may vary based on seasonal weather or tides. It is extremely important to have contractors who have investigated historical data and who monitor fluctuations in water levels and speeds of flow, thereby decreasing risks to workers and the success of the project.

Electro Scan Inc. has completed data integration between its flagship sewer condition assessment solution and the Innovyze InfoMaster for Sewer product.

The city of Kitchener, located in the Waterloo region of southern Ontario, has a population of just under a quarter million. Kitchener’s history dates back to 1784, when land was given to the Six Nations by the British as a gift for their allegiance during the American Revolution. Originally called Berlin, the name was changed to Kitchener in 1916, after Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener, who died that year while serving as the Secretary of State for War of the United Kingdom.

Let’s face it, sewers are susceptible to wear and tear just like any other infrastructure. Although not visible from the surface, pipelines are prone to deterioration from both the inside and out. To minimize costly overhead, it’s important to maintain your sewer systems. There are four key factors to keeping your infrastructure operating at optimum efficiency.

Vac-Tron Equipment is now rolling out a new size of the PTO (Power Take Off) truck driven vacuum excavator system. This new truck is available on a Ford F-550 and has a 300-gallon size debris tank. It is also available with our patent pending remote debris tank and air compressor.

HammerHead Trenchless Equipment has announced significant additions to its HydraLiner lateral solutions product line. These include Super Flex, Scrim and Brawoliner 3D liners, a new ambient epoxy system, their 2016 lateral solutions catalog and a dedicated commercial line of credit via the new HammerHead MasterCard.

Both plumbers and large-diameter pipe repair contractors can now find a complete range of solutions for their point repair, complete pipe rehabilitation and total pipe replacement jobs in one place. HammerHead Trenchless Equipment, a Charles Machine Works Company, authorized distributor of RS Technik, has just added RS MaxPatch to its suite of noninvasive equipment and consumables.

The VAC-A-TEE Trenchless Cleanout System now meets the newly published ASTM F3097-15 Standard. ASTM Standards are used by specifying engineers in North America to provide guidelines that ensure the optimum results for a given product or procedure. These standards are often adopted into project specifications to describe installation methods, materials, testing procedures, and a minimum level of quality for products and a specific scope of work.

LMK Technologies’ VAC-A-TEE Trenchless Cleanout System now meets the newly published ASTM F3097-15 Standard. ASTM Standards are an instrumental tool used by specifying engineers throughout North America to provide guidelines that ensure the optimum results for a given product or procedure. These standards are often adopted into project specifications for the purpose of describing installation methods, materials, testing procedures, and a minimum level of quality for products and a specific scope of work.

Manholes that get corroded with hydrogen sulphide present a thorny problem for municipalities, which need a cost-effective and efficient method of rehabilitation.

Prime Resins Inc. has introduced a new class of inorganic water- and mineral based coatings that provide corrosion and fire resistance protection on multiple surfaces.

With potable water main pipe continuing to age, technologies for quick, non-disruptive repairs will not only speed repairs but also help keep costs down.

Hayward sewer repair and replacement plumbers at Evenflow Trenchless are experts when it comes to following the proper procedures to not spread diseases from raw sewage exposure. "Whether it's Ebola or Enterovirus people often forget that these diseases as well as other pathogens can be transmitted through exposure to raw sewage," says Gary of Evenflow Trenchless. "We follow procedures to make sure that we don't track any traces of raw sewage into your home when we are performing trenchless sewer replacement services."

Trenchless industry professionals, municipalities and utilities set to converge on Denver for four days of education, networking and exhibits.