The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recently released a new Direct Steerable Pipe Thrusting Manual of Practice, and Jon Robison, PE, was heavily involved in producing this new standard guidance. Robison chairs the Task Committee on Direct Steerable Pipe Thrusting, which includes representatives from the US, Canada, and Germany. Since 2017 they have been tasked with producing this set of Direct Pipe best practices by the Committee on Trenchless Installation of Pipelines of the Utility Engineering & Surveying Institute of ASCE.
Direct Pipe is a relatively recent technology that combines aspects of horizontal directional drilling (HDD) with conventional microtunneling techniques to install pipelines in challenging conditions where traditional HDD might not be successful. Robison and GeoEngineers’ pipeline team have established themselves as leading experts in Direct Pipe installation, and the publication of this manual of practice is an opportunity to share their expertise and recommended best practices in the area. Visit the online ASCE Library to access manual abstracts and purchase a copy.