Eighteen countries. Nearly 200 entries. Thousands of views and shares and comments.
Our Champions of Fusion contest started in 2022 as a way to highlight operators and field technicians: our boots on the ground who spend each day in the trenches – often literally! – embodying McElroy’s mission of improving the world through improved infrastructure. Without our Fusion Champions,
Over the past month, our expert panel of judges has narrowed down this year’s entries to a handful of finalists whose photos and stories especially highlight the ways pipe fusion can be used to safely, efficiently, and consistently improve the infrastructure around us.
This list represents our domestic (U.S. and Canada) finalists in the underground market, in no particular order. Our international and mechanical finalists will be announced at a later date.
Jackson Allen
Jackson was involved in this large-diameter sewer project in Virginia that featured three TracStar® 1200i machines. The one pictured stayed on the bank of a nearby river, pushing pipe across. The other two machines were in a three-jaw configuration, fusing 48-inch pipe in the ground.
David Arce
David shared this photo of a complicated fabrication required for a landfill project.
This job’s customer wanted to tie into their existing line, but also to add additional lines to a newly-excavated area for separate runoff. At the landfill, the land couldn’t be disturbed or excavated any further due to the nature of the soft terrain. Because of the way the customer wanted to tie in the Y-joints, the pipe had to be angled to very tight tolerances that left little room for error. David and his field techs brought the pieces back to their shop and, with a TracStar® 618 carriage in a three-jaw configuration they fused pipe in various sizes, from 24″ all the way down to 6″.
Jake Duhaime
On this 10-inch waterline project in South Boston, Jake and his team fused 10″x10″x6″ tees for fire hydrants that, in all, consisted of roughly 1,300 feet of 10″ DIPS. The project had to be completed as quickly as possible because it was taking place in an active train yard.
The trench work, combined with the pipe’s weight, made the work a challenge, but Jake and the other fusion technicians completed the job in about two weeks.
Jonathan Lachapelle
Jonathan shared this photo of an inlet adjustment for one of the largest strawberry farms in Québec. For this job, Jonathan was fusing an 8-inch DR17 pipeline that would allow the client to hook a water pump to the farm’s small irrigation system. The complicated 90-degree angle required him to get creative with his fusion setup – but in the end, he had the line up and running!
Troy Norum
Troy Norum’s submission involved fixing a water main broken on a swing bridge in the city of Delta in British Columbia.
The 116-year-old swing bridge, which connects Delta with Westham Island, was designed to open to allow barges and water traffic through the Fraser River Canoe Pass. In January 2026, a larger-than-average barge crossed the pass in rough currents and smashed the supports beneath the bridge – taking with it the water main that services all of Westham Island. At the same time, the crash left Westham Island unable to leave the island by car, making it even more important to fix the problem quickly and safely.
Using a Rolling 618 and a TracStar® 618, Troy and the rest of the PW Trenchless fusion crew fused 180m of 8-inch DR11 across the bridge, pulling pipe with a rope and truck from a resident stranded on the island.
But that wasn’t the end of the project. A week later, the city of Delta asked for more pipe and flanges, so they could bolt it – along with gate valves – onto the bridge so it could be shut off, taken apart, and put back together if needed. Over the course of a weekend, Troy and the rest of the fusion crew delivered!
Tyler Risner
Tyler submitted this photo of a dairy farm remodel and expansion in northwest Indiana. This project has used more than 40,000 feet of HDPE, ranging from 1″ IPS DR11 all the way up to 12″ DIPS DR21.
Because this job takes place on a working dairy farm, their water system must be available 24/7. For Tyler, that meant working around the old pipe while installing the new, simply because the old pipe couldn’t be taken out of service, even for short periods.
Edwin Ruelas
Edwin’s submission shows the installation of a 30-inch DR11 pipeline used to recirculate water from a dam in Silicon Valley.
This was a massive restoration job of the water reservoir. The project included a chilled water system to cool the water from the dam so animals and other fauna could survive in and around it. The line was de-beaded inside so bacteria couldn’t accumulate inside the bead.
Branden Bump
Branden’s submission shows a 48-inch pipeline being fused 25 feet below ground using a TracStar 1200.
Corbin Robinson
Corbin’s entry shows a 48-inch job in Savannah, Georgia.
David Melchor
David’s submission shows a TracStar 1200 in a three-jaw configuration, shorting a 36-inch flange in a trench box 27 feet below ground level for a pump station.
Eugenio Reyes
Eugenio sent in this photo of a gas pipeline “T” connecting 6-inch to 4-inch pipe.
We’d like to thank each and every person who shared their photos and stories in this year’s competition. Each year, we’re blown away by the talent, dedication, and passion on display in our Champions of Fusion submissions.
Meanwhile, our Champions of Fusion submission portal will remain open. Click the link below to submit your photo for consideration in our 2027 contest!
