New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, U.S. Department of Transportation Deputy Secretary Polly Trottenberg, and the Federal Railroad Administration joined NJ TRANSIT and Project Sponsor the Gateway Development Commission (GDC) on Nov. 30 to announce the start of construction in New Jersey on the Hudson Tunnel Project as work begins on the Tonnelle Avenue Bridge and Utility Relocation Project. The Tonnelle Avenue Bridge and Utility Relocation Project is a major early work component of Hudson Tunnel Project involving the relocation of utilities and the construction of ..read more

In November, TERRATEC celebrated a breakthrough of the 6.61m diameter Earth Pressure Balance Tunnel Boring Machine (EPBM) named “Podhigai” for the prestigious Chennai Metro Rail project in India. The event was attended by officials and workers from the project owner, Chennai Metro Rail Ltd. (CMRL) and contractor, Tata Projects Ltd. Chennai Metro Rail Ltd. had awarded Tata Projects Ltd. with the Package TU-01 contract back in May 2021, setting a 42-month deadline for completion. TERRATEC TBM S97 named “Podhigai” along with six other TBMs will play a crucial role in the construction of approxim ..read more

Abstracts are being accepted until Monday, Jan. 8, for original technical papers and panel sessions for DFI’s 49th Annual Conference on Deep Foundations (DFI49), being held Oct. 7-10, in Aurora, Colorado. The conference venue is Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center, 7 miles from the Denver International Airport. The goal of this international conference is to create a forum for discussion and knowledge exchange among industry professionals, government agencies and academia on the challenges and solutions related to its theme, Water – Resiliency – Infrastructure, by featuring two con ..read more

Worldsensing, a global leader in IoT remote monitoring, launches its newest wireless sensor, The Vibration Meter, which measures vibrations in long-term, continuous vibration monitoring projects. The new product uses a tri-axial MEMS accelerometer with longer battery life, wider communications range and more competitive price point than existing vibration-related technologies on the market, while complying with key regulatory standards. Expanding on Worldsensing’s existing portfolio of wireless monitoring devices, The Vibration Meter is uniquely positioned to help engineering service provider ..read more

Moscow Central Diameters (MCD-3 and MCD-4) were recognized as the Best Solution in Passenger Transport. This year, 14 metro stations were opened. In March, 9 more stations of the Big Circle Line (BCL) were launched, after which the line was completed and fully operational. In September, 5 new metro stations on the 10 and 8A lines were opened. In August, MCD-3 was launched, providing convenience and accessibility of public transportation for residents and visitors of the capital, serving 24 districts of Moscow and 4 cities in the Moscow region. In September, the longest diameter, MCD-4, was lau ..read more

Amtrak, in coordination with NJ TRANSIT, has begun the procurement process for the Sawtooth Bridges Replacement Project. Replacement of the Sawtooth Bridges is a key component of the Gateway Program to preserve and expand the busiest section of the Northeast Corridor (NEC). When completed, this will allow more trains to operate through the territory at faster speeds and provide future Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT customers with a more reliable and safer ride. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) recently awarded this project up to $133.32 million in grant funding to support early construction a ..read more

New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced Nov. 14 that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) hit 1 billion trips on the New York City subway in 2023. The billionth customer was identified as Brian Jones from Teaneck, New Jersey, who tapped into the subway system at 175 St ​ station at 10:54 a.m. This milestone comes six weeks earlier than last year, when the subway reached one billion rides a few days after Christmas Day. “We have made historic investments enhancing service and safety on the Subways, encouraging millions of riders into the system every day,” Governor Hochul said. “Hi ..read more

The 8th annual Risk Management in Underground Construction course will be held February 26-27, 2024, at the University of Denver in Denver, Colorado. The highly rated Risk Management in Underground Construction course provides a unique and engaging forum for stakeholders involved in large-scale underground projects, including contractors, owners, consultants, insurance companies, equipment manufacturers, and law firms. As tunneling projects get larger and more complicated, the issue of risk becomes more important. International industry experts with real-world experience will cover contractin ..read more

Hiroyuki Ogawa, President and CEO, Komatsu Ltd. (left) and Subhash Dhar, Founder, Chairman and CEO, ABS (right). Komatsu, through its wholly owned subsidiary in the U.S., Komatsu America Corp., has agreed to acquire American Battery Solutions Inc. (ABS), a battery manufacturer headquartered in Detroit, Michigan. Komatsu is planning to close the acquisition on Dec. 1, 2023, on the condition that all necessary procedures for the closing are completed. The immediate impact on Komatsu’s consolidated business results is estimated to be minimal. ABS develops and manufactures a wide variety of heavy ..read more

By Rob Krzys From humble beginnings in a two-car garage, to a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, Akkerman Inc. celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2023. The foundation of Akkerman came from a contractor’s background when Don (D.H.) and Marlys Akkerman established D.H. Akkerman Construction in 1956. With a focus on civil construction, D.H. Akkerman saw a need to develop new and innovative equipment for safe and efficient crossings, producing their first TBM (tunnel boring machine) in 1963. Ten years later Akkerman Inc. was established, and Maynard Akkerman joined his father at D.H. Akker ..read more