Trenchless Australasia’s Q&A segment, Trenchless Pioneers, is designed to celebrate the achievements and growth of the no-dig industry. February’s pioneer is Steve Apeldoorn, Company Director and Principal Engineer of ProjectMax. This is his story.
In your own words, how would you explain what the trenchless industry is?
The trenchless industry is a community of extremely skilled people and incredible technology that enables the construction and renewal of underground infrastructure that in many cases could not otherwise be built or would be hugely impacted and detrimental on the community.
How did you become involved in the trenchless industry?
In early 2000 I had the opportunity to manage a relatively small team replacing wastewater pipes in Waitakere City using pneumatic pipe bursting equipment and we also had small pit drill. But even well before that, in the mid 90’s we would use thrusting gear to install small diameter pipes where we couldn’t get excavators in or couldn’t disrupt the ground surface. By 2002 pipelining was really taking off and I had founded ProjectMax with some other colleagues. For the last 20 years we have helped Councils determine the best methods for rehabilitating and replacing their underground infrastructure.
What is a standout trenchless project or milestone you have been involved in? Can you elaborate more on this?
I have been involved in many challenging trenchless projects but what I am most proud of has been my involvement in the ASTT itself and what we have been able to add to the industry itself. In 2009 I had the privilege of becoming the NZ Councillor for the ASTT and between 2014 and 2016 the honour of being elected the President/Chair. Over that time, we extended the Trenchless Technology Forums, that we originally started in Auckland in 2007, to a number of states in Australia and introduced the special interest groups, including the Microtunnelling and Pipe Lining Special Interest Groups. These have been hugely successful in providing opportunities for member engagement within the industry and promotion and education on trenchless technology with the wider public and infrastructure community.
What is the best part of trenchless technology? And how has it evolved since you first became part of the industry?
Trenchless technology enables the installation or rehabilitation of underground infrastructure that would otherwise not be possible to construct or be very disruptive and cost prohibitive. Overtime what has been possible to achieve and continuously improved – size, length, bends, you name it.
Which form of trenchless technology do you think has had the most transformation and why?
I don’t know if I can identify a single trenchless method. In all areas we have continued to see outstanding, and sometimes mind-blowing achievement, that seem to continuously break records.
Where do you see the trenchless industry in the next 10-20 years?
At the 2015 conference opening address I made a statement along the lines that trenchless technology is no longer an alternative technology, but now part of how infrastructure is constructed. This will continue and as we move forward, the technology, the skilled workforce, and capability will continue to grow and it will be what delivers the significant infrastructure challenges that we will be facing over the next 20 years with aging infrastructure, climate change and our growing communities.
With trenchless technology having a strong ability to reduce the impact on the environment, what more do you believe the industry needs to do in order to further reduce emissions and the impact on the environment?
I think that the industry is naturally continuing, through competition and growing capability, generating the equipment and technology to reduce the impact that constructing infrastructure produces. The capability to install longer lengths from a single site in itself has significant impacts. More efficient engines and electric motors, low carbon materials and waste material recycling are continuously being developed and we need this to continue to happen. The ASTT can play an important role advocating and promoting ongoing improvements, and vitally to continue to educate the public and wider industry on the environmental benefits that trenchless technology already brings over the alternatives.
How has new technology progressed the trenchless industry ?
The amazing thing about the trenchless industry is that there seems to always be new technology emerging every day. This is being developed within Australasia and all around the world. The ASTT has for more than 30 years been the community in this part of the world that collectively has enabled asset builders and owners to adopt this technology so widely. I strongly believe that, without the ASTT, the development and use of the technology would not be so advanced. We need to Acknowledge the massive contribution that Jeff Pace has made to the ASTT. Jeff was one of the founding members of the society and has continued to help maintain and build it to this day.
To learn more about Apeldoorn the company’s work visit ProjectMax.
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This article appeared in the February edition of Trenchless Australasia. Access the digital copy of the magazine here.