Given his involvement in the planning of water and wastewater network projects at SA Water, becoming the South Australian representative for the ASTT was the next logical step for Mr Scott, a step which he took in 2007.
His introduction to trenchless technologies came while working at a major urban water utility in their Asset Management Unit.
“I was noticing significant costs of conventional pipeline installations in urban areas.
In a capital constrained environment and needing to “÷do more with less’ made me focus more on potential trenchless applications,” said Mr Scott.
Mr Scott has worked for a broad range of organisations, including United Water, GHD Pty Ltd, and the South Australian Water Corporation.
Today Mr Scott works at Leed Engineering and Construction, developing a service utilising trenchless technologies for live pressurised pipeline condition assessment and leak detection.
“My current role is very much focussed on demonstrating the advantages of trenchless technologies,” he said.
A growing industry
Mr Scott says “There is still a greater need for trenchless techniques resulting in lower levels of disruption, which communities are becoming less tolerant of.”
In the last decade, Mr Scott says the proportion of trenchless technologies has resulted in cost savings.
He has found that acceptance that trenchless options are considered just as feasible as conventional solutions in terms of functionality.
There is also greater acknowledgement that the greatest value of the asset may not be the pipe material itself, which in many instances has no residual value, but the existing hole through the ground that can provide the conduit for supporting a new pipe.
Speaking on the introduction of Trenchless Australasia magazine to the industry in 2004, Mr Scott said “The publication provided a conduit to locate products and capabilities of service providers.
“It also highlighted projects pushing the boundaries of innovation and capability highlighting that almost anything is possible.”
Within South Australia in the last decade, several large diameter watermain relining projects using swagelining and close-fit lining have occurred.
“I recall a project somewhere in Victoria a few years back now where a horizontal directional drill was able to intersect a 1 m square target zone from 2 km away, which at the time was pretty impressive.”
Mr Scott predicts a bright future in Australasia for trenchless, predicting the industry will keep increasing innovation and see less open-cut projects, resulting from increased political pressure and stakeholder expectations to undertake projects with minimal disruption to both the service provider and the community in general.
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