Seminar - Sudipta Basu - Trenchless Technology - A Fast Growing Branch of Civil Engineering
Wednesday, May 19, 2004, 1.10 - 1.50 pm
Civil Engineering Lecture Room 3
Abstract
Service organisations have huge investments in underground infrastructure - pipelines, conduits and cables. Many of these assets are approaching or have exceeded their design life and need repair/replacement. The cost of digging trenches in built up urban areas to replace pipelines or to install cables would be prohibitive and the community would not tolerate the disruption.
Thus there is an ever-increasing need for installation, replacement and refurbishment of underground assets using methods that minimise or eliminate the need for excavation.
This need has given rise to the "no-dig" or "Trenchless Technology" industry. Trenchless Technology is primarily concerned with those 99% of pipelines and conduits that are too small to permit man entry, and where traditional tunnelling techniques are not applicable.
Techniques for renewal or renovation of pipes include grouting, plastic lining, pipe bursting, micro tunnelling and directional drilling. Currently the Australian Trenchless Technology industry provides more than $100 million worth of work per annum, and it is increasing. There is a shortage of trained personnel, with most industry practitioners being self-taught or on the job trained.
A few years ago a survey of final year civil engineering students at the University of New South Wales revealed an almost zero level of awareness of the trenchless technology industry.
In a bid to rectify this situation, the Australasian Society for Trenchless Technology has produced an educational package in association with the University of New South Wales for use by university lecturers and academics involved in teaching civil engineering undergraduates.
The package is in the form of a Compact Disc (CD) and contains a comprehensive set of pre-packaged teaching resources and tutorial materials. It is intended to be a source of knowledge about the Trenchless Technology industry for presentation as part of a Civil Engineering degree course.
On the 19th of May we would like to present you with details of this initiative and discuss how it may be of benefit in your teaching of Civil Engineering undergraduates.