Chinese participation was larger this year than at the previous event in 2004, and more sophisticated Chinese manufactured HDD rigs are emerging. Interest in the event also remained strong from US and German companies as well as the ISTT board.
The ASTT had a stand at the show which Jeff Pace and Chris Bland used to
promote the Brisbane NO-DIG and Trenchless Australasia. There was strong interest in the event from many of the Chinese delegates and other international guests such as the German pavilion. ASTT member TT Asia Pacific was also represented at the exhibition by Tom Hughes.
The Chinese market is booming with more than 100 contractors known to be engaged in trenchless construction, using more than 800 horizontal directional drilling machines. Approximately 300 of these have been introduced in the past two years.
Just two companies were manufacturing HDD equipment in China in 1995. This increased to 10 manufacturers in 2003.
China’s trenchless achievements are competing at world level. The Chinese are undertaking some of the most ambitious projects in terms of complexity, diameter and distance. In fact, the biggest HDD in the world is now in China.
Trenchless Technology is known to be actively used in more than 100 cities, particularly in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou.
The next Shanghai conference will take place around March 2008, more details to follow soon.