41
may 2014
international
construction
Intelligent tools
UTILITIES
T
he installation, repair and maintenance of utilities is big
business, and contractors are increasingly turning tohigh-
techmachinery to boost productivity.
Onboth sidesof theundergroundutilitiesbusiness– trenchless
operations and open cut jobs – equipment is being refined, and
operators are being providedwithmore information aboutwhat
is going on in the ground than ever before.
Indeed, as Steve Seabolt, GPS product manager for Ditch
Witch, put it, “knowledge is power.” He was commenting on
themanufacturer’s latest horizontal directional drill (HDD) rigs
– the JT60 and JT60 all-terrain–which come factory-equipped
with Ditch Witch’s GPS technology for fleet tracking and
remote viewing of locationa and a range of performance criteria.
Equipment designed
for the utilities sector
is becoming ever
more intelligent as
manufacturers add new
features and technology
to help contractorswork
more efficiently.
HelenWright
reports.
Intelligent
tools
>
“Users will gain valuable awareness into operator practices,
idle time and service needs. Owners also typically receive a
significant discount off their insurance premiums. We’re very
excited about the JT60 and JT60 owners’ usage of the GPS
system,”Mr Seabolt added.
TheHDDmethod is a trenchless technique for installingpipes
that is completed in two stages. Firstly, apilot drill is driven from
the launch site to the target point, then the pilot hole iswidened
in the opposite direction. In the last step, a pipeline is inserted
into the reamed bore hole.
And a new entrant has joined the horizontal directional drill
(HDD) market in the form ofMcCloskey International, which
has launched a new trenchless equipment division to supply
HDD rigs.
The manufacturer has introduced the newMcCloskeyTR-14
HDD rig – a machine that boasts 14,000 lbs (6.35 tonnes) of
thrust/pullback. It also features technology supporting internet
and satellite communications, while interactive diagnostics are
said to alert operators to service and supply needs, or to order
parts and regularly scheduledmaintenance.
Paschal McCloskey, president and CEO of McCloskey
International, said thenewdivisionpositioned the companywell
in theNorthAmericanHDDmarket. “The drillingbusiness is a
natural fit for us,” he added.
Away from HDD, other new technology has also been
developed to boost productivity in the trenchless sector. Sacpro,
for instance, is a producer of tools andmaterials for lining sewer
systems without requiring open cut construction. It supplies
its products to Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark, but
also across the Baltic countries, Germany, Belgium, UK and
Australia.
The company has developed a new three-phase, 6 kW steam
generator designed to streamline the curing process when
lining underground pipes, together with a new gauge to allow
temperatures to bemonitored during curing.
Jan-Erik Svedlund, CEO and founder of Sacpro, said, “The
approach that has dominated the market in recent years is to
spray line with polyester plastics. But we see that lining with
flexible liners is increasing and gaining ground against the
Föckersperger Spiderploughs are
said to be able to install up to
10 km of pipeline in a single day.
Sacpro said
housing
associations,
property owners,
property
managers and
construction
companies
were coming
to understand
the benefits
of renovating
sewer systems
without open cut
construction.
