For more than 20 years, US Grout
(Idaho) and Avanti International (Texas) have partnered to deliver Ultrafine
cementitious grouts – a permanent, deeply penetrating, densely curing
cementitious grout for sealing fractures in rock, controlling ground water, and
stabilizing weak soils. Now, the two have formalized their longstanding
partnership, solidifying their commitment to the industry.
US Grout LLC was formed in 1998
with the primary purpose of producing a high-quality, durable, Ultrafine
cementitious grout for sealing microfractures within the underground nuclear
Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in Eunice, New Mexico. In the fall of that
same year, US Grout and Avanti joined forces for the distribution of this
specialized grout into other markets.
“Avanti has played a pivotal role
in educating the industry on the safe and effective utilization of cementitious
grouts for water control, soil, and rock stabilization" said Mike Hess,
CEO, Hess Pumice. “Over the years, our partnership has deepened as we
continually collaborate with Avanti in producing, researching, developing, and
distributing Ultrafine cementitious grouts globally".
"US Grout and the Hess family
have been instrumental in the ongoing production and continued use of Ultrafine
cement around the world, and the Avanti Team is honored to officially be
brought into the fold,” said Britt N. Babcock, P.E., president of Avanti.
“Our goal is to continue to provide
exceptional technical support for the US Grout products and their applications.”
US Grout
produces the only American-made Ultrafine cementitious grout available in the
world. There is a stable North American supply for your cementitious grouting
projects. Avanti is the exclusive distributor of US Grout cementitious grout
products around the world.
PipeSense
PipeSense, the provider of advanced
continuous pipeline monitoring technology, has officially opened the doors of
two state-of-the-art testing facilities in Houston, and Clearbrook, Minnesota,
to help strengthen its abilities to push industry boundaries.
With the aim of pursuing new
research and development opportunities, the facilities provide PipeSense’s
experienced engineering team the ability to pursue technological advancements
by testing its pipeline monitoring and leak detection solutions in practical,
real-world conditions.
The Houston facility features a
4-inch Continuous Test Loop that offers options for diverse demonstrations,
including the ability for clients to choose and actuate leak points. Simultaneously, the Clearbrook test facility
features a custom-built, 24-inch Pipeline Test Rig to test and demonstrate
PipeSense's real-time pig-tracking technologies. Both facilities bolster each
region's ability to develop at-home solutions and provide clients with
first-class service and complete assurance.
Established in 2023, PipeSense is the product of an experienced team that boasts over a century of
vital industry experience. Developed to utilize the latest technological
advancements, PipeSense aims to maximize the operational efficiency and service
life of a pipeline asset, providing a fully integrated service with
ground-breaking monitoring and leak detection.
John Deere/Martin Equipment
Fourth-generation, family-owned
John Deere Construction & Forestry dealer Martin Equipment is expanding
territory for its location in Springfield, Ill. Previously offering services
and support in Sangamon, Morgan, Logan, Christian,
Mason, Menard, Cass, Schuyler and Scott counties, and partial service to
Montgomery, Macoupin and Greene counties, the location will now fully service
all 12 counties, as well as two new additional counties: Jersey and Calhoun.
“This is an incredible opportunity
to serve more of our region and expand partnerships with customers and the
community,” said DeLene Martin Bane, president of Martin Equipment. “For
decades, our Springfield location has provided exceptional service, and we’re
proud to continue that tradition for even more customers across these 14
counties.”
The new coverage in Illinois joins
the rest of Martin Equipment’s regional service area, which includes nine
locations across three states.
Martin Equipment
is a fourth-generation, family- and woman-owned John Deere Construction &
Forestry dealer. The company’s commitment to legendary service began in 1926
when it was founded by Samuel F. Martin in Roanoke, Illinois and has since
expanded to nine locations across Iowa, Illinois and Missouri.
In 2020, Martin Equipment
secured certification as a Women's Business Enterprise by the Women's Business
Enterprise National Council (WBENC), signifying a commitment in continuing to
attract and retain a more diverse workforce.
PPI
The Plastics Pipe Institute (PPI)
has published a new report that examines the required wall thickness for a
fully fused high-density polyethylene (HDPE) water main to withstand the
lateral spread from an earthquake or other seismic event.
Researched and authored by Michael
O’Rourke, Ph.D., P.E., F.SEI, M.ASCE, Professor Emeritus Civil Engineering at
the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Design of HDPE Water Mains for the
Lateral Spread Seismic Hazard is now available at the websites of the PPI
Municipal Advisory Board and the 2023 Plastic Pipes Conference (PPCA).
“This critically important document
provides the criteria for the proper design of an HDPE water main system,”
stated Camille George Rubeiz, P.E., F. ASCE, co-chair, HDPE Municipal Advisory
Board, and senior director of engineering for the PPI Municipal &
Industrial Division.
“According to the latest United
States Geological Survey, nearly 75 percent of the United States could
experience an earthquake during the next 100 years that would cause significant
damage, including underground water mains.
Professor O’Rourke’s analysis of possible seismic events, lateral
spreads and wave propagation hazards, with formulas and charts, provides the
much-needed data to help system designers.”
The two primary seismic hazards to
buried pipelines are wave propagation and permanent ground deformation. Because
earthquakes are caused by movement at a fault, the resulting movement results
in waves traveling away from the fault. These waves stretch and bend pipeline
infrastructure at or near the ground surface and are referred to as the wave
propagation (WP) hazard.
“The WP hazard occurs in all
earthquakes and is most commonly quantified by the resulting ground strain,”
O’Rourke explained. “The WP hazard is
also transitory in that after the shaking ends, the ground returns to its
original pre-quake position. If the earthquake is large, it can also result in
permanent offsets at the surface or movements of the ground (lateral spread
hazard), both referred to as permanent ground deformation (PGD).
“The report addresses the lateral
spread hazard and the strains due to PGD, which are larger, and hence, more
important than those due to WP.”
The paper and additional
information can be found here, at the PPI website.
DEVELON
Tri-County
Equipment Sales & Service, located about 60 miles west of Knoxville, Tenn.,
is enhancing its legacy of exceptional service with the addition of DEVELON
construction equipment.
Founded
in 1977, the dealership works with a diverse range of customers, including
farmers and contractors. It serves customers in 11 surrounding counties in east and middle Tennessee with
sales, parts and service. The area has increased in population,
generating residential developments in areas previously used for agriculture.
“When
a dealership has been in business for more than 45 years, you know they’re
doing something right,” said Adam Howard, senior director of sales at DEVELON.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for our company to partner with the dealership
and expand our brand in parts of Tennessee where we haven’t been in the past.”
Much
of the company’s success is due to service and customer satisfaction. The
dealership prides itself on retaining its loyal customers and employees,
despite external pressures. For instance, the company retained 11 of 12 service
technicians when a larger dealership moved into the area and began competing
for workers.
“Hiring
the right people and creating a good environment for them to come to work is
how we’ve been successful,” said Marshall Pugh, Tri-County Equipment Sales and
Service.
He’s
confident about the future of DEVELON and the products the company is bringing
to the market, particularly dozers and compact track loaders. He currently has
a DD130 dozer in his rental fleet and says the visibility is the best of any
dozer that he’s ever been in. UI