Underground Construction - May 2018 - 8

NEWSLINE LATEST INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS
Arcadis Provides 'Living' Software
Presentation to Assess Interceptor
Condition, Risk
At the April 4 meeting of the Gulf
Coast Chapter of the Underground
Construction Technology Association,
Harrison Steed, P.E., senior project
manager with Arcadis, discussed a
complex project involving Dallas
Water Utilities' wastewater collection
system. Spanning more than 230
miles of large-diameter (24 inches
and greater) interceptors, pipe in the
system dated back to the early 1900s.
"Due to the aging infrastructure
and the need for reliable capital improvement program (CIP) planning, DWU was seeking a way to effectively prioritize rehabilitation
and replacement projects for both the present and the future," said
Steed. "Arcadis was retained to assess the interceptor system condition and risk."
For the condition assessment, Arcadis used several inspection technologies and NASSCO's PACP chart to look at 100 miles of the total.
That's when the project became even more complicated.
"Trending didn't show the pattern DWU hoped for," said Steed.
"Actually, the first results were not as bad as everyone thought they
would be."
That was due to accessibility problems, including location constraints
and technological limitations. "Even with sophisticated technology,
there were stretches we couldn't physically inspect.
"In the absence of that inspection data, we used statistical probability
models to leverage the condition of inspected pipes to forecast condition of inaccessible pipes within the interceptor system."
This data was combined with performance condition data and spatial
consequence of failure in order to determine the risk for each pipe
segment. "In other words, how expensive and painful would failure be
in each case," he added.
Arcadis then used its Rehabilitation and Replacement Planning
System (RRPS), a software tool designed for distributed assets managed
with a geographic information system (GIS)-based tool. to assist in the
selection of CIP projects and overall reduction of system risk. RRPS
is RRPS is used to identify the high-risk assets based on the physical
inspection data for renewal or replacement.
The tool also has a "living and breathing" aspect, said Steed. "After
giving them a basis for why and how to spend the money they had, we
showed DWU how to run RRPS themselves going forward to recalculate the condition assessment with updated data."
Harrison Steed is a civil engineer with 16 years of experience in
large-diameter water and wastewater municipal pipeline planning,
condition assessment, design and rehabilitation. He has worked on
more than 50 different sewer projects, from 8- to 120-inch diameter,
totaling 1.5 million feet.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
UCTA Gulf Coast, (713) 830-2184, uctaonline.org/gulf-coast-chapter.html

MAY 2018 | UConOnline.com

ARA Partners with FutureTech Success
The American Rental Association (ARA) is
collaborating with TechForce Foundation,
as an associate partner in its FutureTech
Success campaign, an industry-wide
initiative to raise the profile of and provide
resources for trade and technical careers.
"The demand for skilled technicians to keep the equipment rental
industry thriving has become increasingly dire," said Tony Conant, ARA
CEO. "Partnering with TechForce Foundation is one step that ARA is
taking to address the growing concern and provide resources that our
members can benefit from."
A number of factors have contributed to the current shortage, such
as the growing economy, increased demand caused by the 2008 recession and the complexity of equipment with more intricate diagnostics than ever before.
"Having ARA on board as an association partner with TechForce
Foundation in the FutureTech Success campaign helps us reach a new
audience," said Jennifer Maher, CEO of the educational nonprofit.
"There is power in numbers and the more companies and organizations that join in our cause and help share the message, the increased
likelihood for success."
Earlier this year, the ARA Foundation initiated the Technical Training
Grants program, which is designed to provide financial assistance
to rental business employees pursuing higher learning in areas from
welding to hospitality services
In Memoriam
Mark Osadchuk, innovator, business owner,
leader and inspiration within the pipeline industry,
died April 12, in Scottsdale, Ariz., at age 83.
His legacy began when he left his Alberta,
Canada, home during the drilling boom of the
1950s, for the oilfields of Western Canada. There
he worked for several pipeline contractors and learned to operate
heavy oilfield equipment.
In 1965, he formed Central Pipeline and Cable Co. and remained
its president until 1967, when he organized Natural Pipeline Company Inc. Based out of Lakeville, Minn., the company was engaged
in the installation of all types of underground utilities.
In 1980, he formed Southeast Pipeline Contractors, Inc., which
grew to be one of the largest mainline pipeline contractors in the
U.S. The company became today's Ozzie's Pipeline Padder Inc.
in the late 1980s, when he invented the self-propelled, -loading
backfill separation machine (pipline padder). This groundbreaking
invention is used worldwide in the pipeline industry and is covered
by 19 patents throughout the world.
He was a member of DCA, IPLOCA and PLCA, serving on the
PLCA Labor Committee for many years and being elected as an
Honorary Member in 2008. His son, Dwayne is the current director
of PLCA.

http://www.uctaonline.org/gulf-coast-chapter.html http://www.UConOnline.com

Underground Construction - May 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Underground Construction - May 2018