United Kingdom Society for Trenchless Technology: UKSTT - December 2003
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It has been an honour and a pleasure to be the Chairman of the Society for the last two years. The society has undergone substantial change during this period and the management of this has been both challenging and enjoyable.
One of my objectives for my Chairmanship was to broaden the Society's links with other organisations and we have continued throughout the period to hold joint technical meetings in many regions of the UK with other institutions and societies such as the ICE, CIWEM, IGEM, IWO, and PIG. In particular, we have hosted seminar sessions on Trenchless Technology at the ICE's Inaugural Conference in Belfast; Underground Construction 2003 held at Excel in London Docklands which we jointly sponsored with The British Tunnelling Society and The Pipe Jacking Association; and at IWEX 2003 held at the NEC Birmingham. In July we were co-sponsors with IWO of a Personal Development Forum for Young Engineers, an event that attracted over 80 delegates from 18 companies.
Last year I instigated The Chairman's Award to encourage young engineers who have an interest in Trenchless Technology to continue their professional development by undertaking further research into their chosen area of this field.
The running of our society is very much a team effort and I would like thank our executive secretaries Tim Fuller, Vicki Gallagher and Peter Madigan, our Technical Secretary Ian Vickridge, and all of the members of the Council for their support, help, work and encouragement during my period of office. In our 10th anniversary year we have a strong and well established Society which has an important role to perform in promoting the benefits of Trenchless Technology on behalf of our membership to all interested parties.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my best wishes to Jon as he takes up the role of Chairman. Like me, Jon has a passion for No-Dig and I am sure that he will continue the development of the society in all areas of Trenchless Technology. It is my intention to continue my involvement on the Council and Jon will have my full support.
I would finally like to thank my employer, Subterra/Enterprise Plc, for the support they have given to me during my period of office as Chairman.
I wish you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year
Norman Howell
For the last two years I have been working closely with Norman Howell, our retiring Chairman. At the start we both worked with different companies. In 2002 Norman joined me at Subterra which was bought by Enterprise plc in September of this year. These have without doubt been interesting times for both Norman's and my professional lives! I feel I have been fortunate to have had this opportunity to work closely with Norman both as colleagues and as Chairman and vice Chairman. It has also meant that I am only too aware of the very hard work Norman has put in as Chairman, and feel somewhat daunted by the prospect. It has, however, enabled me to have a running start at the job, and I hope this will bear fruit over the coming two years. I would like to say thank you to Norman for the close interaction we have had, and I am sure this will continue as I take on the role of Chairman.
Recent years have shown tremendous consolidation in our industry as shown by my own recent experience. A few years ago there were more term contractors than utility clients, but I doubt if this is still the case. This consolidation has had a direct effect on UKSTT membership, and means that one of the key areas for the council over the coming years will be recruitment.
In the last year the structure of the council has been reorganised. This new structure with the active support of the sub-committee members has lead to more being done with greater efficiency. Our new web site (www.ukstt.org.uk) is one of the fruits of this re-process. It is a particularly striking advance for the society, and it continues to be expanded and refreshed on a regular basis - so keep giving it a look!
Our newsletter continues to receive active support from Drain Trader who publish and distribute it for us, and our new editor is doing a great job in keeping our newsletter interesting and informative.
In 2004 we will have No Dig Live at Stoneleigh Park, in conjunction with the PIG-organised Pipelines show. This is a continuation of what has become a tradition for the two organisations to work together. The show is already looking like it will be a great success.
Our Secretariat has been based at the Institution of Civil Engineers since 2000. Peter Madigan took over from Vicki Gallagher as Secretary in September 2003, and he can be contacted on 0207 665 2235. We thank Vicki for all the work she did for the society over the previous 18 months, and wish her every success in her new career.
Back to a personal note, the one truly sad event during the year was the death of our first secretary, Joan Carey. All who came into contact with Joan remember her with great affection.
I am looking forward with some trepidation to my two years as Chairman, and will try my best to assist and lead the council in its work. I know that I will be well supported by our council, and hope that I can approach the successes of earlier Chairmen.
Wishing you all a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
Jon Boon
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OBITUARY - JOAN CAREY
It is with great sadness that we have to report the sudden and untimely death of Joan Carey on 27th September 2003, at the age of 62. Joan was the UKSTT's secretary from 1995 until her retirement in 2001, during which time she carried out her secretarial duties with great diligence and cheerfulness, always ready to respond to enquiries and give support to the Society when needed. Amongst the many messages we have received, one phrase is repeated again and again - 'she was such a lovely lady'. But the tributes also draw attention to her cheerfulness, her helpfulness, and her quiet dignity. Many members may have known Joan only as a friendly voice at the end of a phone line, but for those of us who worked with her in the secretariat and the Council, she became much more than a loyal servant of the UKSTT; she was a true friend who cared personally about those she knew and their families. Joan had a sharp and enquiring mind and used it to great advantage for the benefit of the Society. She could often be found studying the latest edition of No Dig International whilst eating her lunch in the office, and often surprised us, and I suspect her family and friends, with her knowledge of trenchless methods. Joan was one of those old fashioned secretaries who held a mine of information in her head, but she was also not afraid of learning new skills so that she could maintain databases, update the web site, and keep on top of all the IT changes that progress brings about. Joan was a great supporter of the Society, a fine and loyal friend, a wonderful secretary, and 'such a lovely lady'. She will be very sadly missed. Ian Vickridge |
UKSTT AWARDS DINNER 2004 - The Awards Dinner is off to the seaside! 
The UKSTT Awards Dinner Committee is pleased to announce that the 2004 awards Dinner will be held in Blackpool, at the Imperial Hotel on the North Promenade. This splendidly traditional seaside hotel has recently hosted the Tory Party Conference, and has all the facilities one would expect to be associated with our prestigious Dinner. The dinner itself will be held in the spacious Lancastrian suite, the layout of which will provide all attendees with the best possible vantage points for the presentations taking place during the evening. TThere are a number of fully staffed bars to provide pre-dinner drinks for attendees before the Dinner, and several exclusive corporate entertaining rooms that would be available to companies wishing to undertake private functions before or after the event. The principal guest will be the Mayor of Blackpool, Lily Henderson, who will present the awards. After-dinner amusement will be provided by a well-known entertainer. TConfirmed sponsorship has already been received from Blackpool Corporation, Haswell Consulting Engineers, Severn Trent Water, Barhale Construction and Environmental Techniques. UKSTT is looking forward to hosting this prestigious ceremony at what is known to be one of the premier seaside venues. The Society asks for your support not only in attending the dinner but also in submitting nominations for the six categories of award. Tickets and nominations forms for the awards will be available in the near future through the Newsletter or from Peter Madigan at ukstt@ice.org.uk COURT REVERSES ROADWORKS PENALTIES RULING
A test case decision which could have cost public utilities millions of pounds for delays in completing roadworks has been overturned by the Court of Appeal. The Master of the Rolls, Lord Phillips, who gave the lead judgment, said no-one who drives through London or other towns and cities can "fail to be aware of the frequency" of traffic jams caused by roadworks. He said laws had been introduced to encourage contractors to complete works on time, with penalties if the works are delayed. The Appeal Court had been asked to define how those legal provisions work, and the judges had been told that "many millions of pounds turn upon the answer to that question." Lord Phillips said: "The statutory provisions are long and complex. At times I have been inclined to wonder whether they are the product of a demented computer." However, he reversed the findings of High Court judge Mr Justice Gray who, in April this year, gave Leicester County Council the go-ahead to sue Transco plc for £111,500 over works to gas pipes. The authority had argued that it was notified by Transco of the completion of the works on dates after the agreed 'reasonable period' for their completion had elapsed. It contended that Transco was liable to pay charges calculated from the end of the reasonable period until the date of notification of completion. This was the first time the courts had looked at the provisions of the Street Works (Charges for Unreasonably Prolonged Occupation of the Highway) (England) Regulation 2001. Mr Justice Gray said the legislation was designed to simplify the task for authorities of supervising roadworks by introducing the charging system. |
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The Watford-Bletchley remodelling project is part of Network Rail's ongoing West Coast Mainline upgrade, with Balfour Beatty as the main contractor. The project includes over 50 under-rail crossings as part of the complex re-signalling and cable routing requirements. Balfour Beatty's engineers approached TT UK to ascertain whether they could assist with the installation of some of the cable ducts at the more inaccessible sites, because of the compact size, ease of handling and setting up of the TT trenchless equipment. A trial was arranged at Bourne End, Buckinghamshire, where twelve 160 mm diameter PE cable ducts had to be installed at two locations approximately 800 metres apart. The bore distance at both locations was approximately 30 to 32 metres. TT decided that the pilot boring operation at both locations would be carried out using a 110 mm Grundomat soil displacement hammer to install an 85 mm PVC sacrificial liner. This would subsequently be cut and burst by a Grundoburst 400G hydraulic mains displacement system using QuickLock rods, to upsize the bore to 210 mm dia for a 160 mm MDPE SDR26 cable duct. |
Throughout the pilot boring operation the Grundomat's line and level were checked with an inline data-sonde and receiver. Network Rail's engineers also monitored any potential movement of the tracks throughout the trial. Due to the use of trenchless technology, at no time during the operation were speed restrictions imposed on the high speed trains which continued to travel in excess of 110 mph. The whole operation was completed in just four working days, to the complete satisfaction of both the Network Rail and Balfour Beatty. For further details, please contact: TT UK Ltd, Windsor Road, Bedford, MK 42 9SU. Tel: 01234 342566. Fax: 01234 352184. E-mail: ttuk@compuserve.com Website: www.tt-uk.com |
As part of a continuing policy of growth at U Mole Ltd, the company has announced the appointment of Mr Matthew Izzard as Sales Manager. With over fifteen years' experience of the moling, ramming, bursting and winching industry, |
Matthew's key role is to promote the sale of the Hammerhead range of trenchless equipment for which U Mole has recently been appointed a UK distributor. Once established in his position, Matthew will focus attention on U Mole's extensive range of sales and rental equipment, including Vac-Tron equipment, Tesmec winches, Acuster fusion equipment and the Pipe to Site range of PE coiled pipe dispensing trailers. |
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TT UK has recently become the first company to be granted a licence to operate the 5831 scheme, and to gain approval from City and Guilds for its training and assessment centre. UKSTT launched the scheme some three years ago in order to further training and assessment in the trenchless technology industry. The units of competence were initially developed by the UKSTT, and TT UK played a significant part in the technical drafting. TT UK can offer high quality training and City and Guilds assessment in Impact Moling, Horizontal Directional Drilling and Pipebursting. |
The service can be offered at the TT UK C&G approved training centre, or at the client's own site. Successful candidates will be awarded the appropriate certificates of competence from City and Guilds. All trainers and assessors are selected for their experience and are suitably qualified to assess in accordance with C&G requirements. For details please contact: Lloyd Richards, TT UK Ltd, Windsor Road, Bedford, MK42 9SU. Tel: 01234 342566. Fax: 01234 352184. E-mail: ttuk@compuserve.com |
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This is your newsletter - please make use of it! A newsletter is nothing without news to put in it. Your news. Corporate announcements, deals, jobs well done, new equipment, lessons learnt, whatever you want. Show off a bit and let the rest of the trenchless community know what you're up to and what you're proud of. I know it's an effort to produce articles, but it's worth it. With a circulation of XXXX copies, this is an ideal opportunity to get your message across. Plain text documents can be published free for all Corporate Members. Sponsorship articles including your company details and logo can also be included at the following rates: |
Front page (1/4 page) £350 We have the ability to produce 4 page, 6 page and 8 page newsletters. However we have only once produced a 6 pager. All the rest have been 4 pages. So here's the challenge - send us your articles and lets see if we can make the first newsletter of the New Year our first 8-pager. Articles can be sent to Peter Madigan our UKSTT secretary at the address on the right. Enquiries can also be addressed to the editor, Gary Deakin, whose address is also on the right. |
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Safe water is a necessity for life, but over a billion people in the world do not have it. WaterAid is the UK's only major charity dedicated exclusively to the provision of safe domestic water, sanitation and hygiene promotion to the world's poorest people. In the last nine years, Anglian Water employees, customers, business partners and the community have raised over £1.5m for WaterAid, which has made a lasting difference to some 140,000 people. The charity focuses on the local communities and authorities, helping them develop whilst involving them closely in the projects to ensure they are sustainable, helping people to help themselves. Last year Anglian Water employees teamed up with the charity WaterAid to organise a Fly Fishing Challenge at Rutland Water. The event was a great success and raised £6,700, and a similar event in 2003 raised a further £7,790. Eighty anglers took part from supporting companies and organisations from around the UK. Tuition and tackle was provided on the day by Anglian Water supported by Rutland Water Fly Fishers, and over 40% of the entrants this year were novices. The 20 teams that took part caught 128 fish. |
The event was rounded off by an excellent meal, with trophies presented by Anglian Water Chief Executive Roy Pointer, and a Raffle drawn by Alan Machin, Head of Regional and Community Fundraising for the WaterAid charity. This year's sponsors included Amec, Abic, Aford Trophies, Atkins, Avenue Angling, Barhale, Biwater, Dodds, Interserve, Jefco, Laing, Leeda, LES, May Gurney, Morgan Est, Peterborough Pump & Valves, Shakespeare, Thyssen, Trout Fisherman, Turner & Townsend, Tyco and Vexamus. The organisers would like to extend their thanks to all those who contributed. The event is being run again on 25 June 2004. If you or your company are interested in entering a team or sponsoring the event next year, please e-mail Chris Evans at cevans@anglianwater.co.uk. Team entries of either two or four are invited at a cost of £200 and £300. |
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