In winter 2022, near the small Pennsylvania community of Wind Ridge, a project was underway to install high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe as the sole piping material of a hydraulic fracturing – or fracking – operation. Fracking is a method of extracting oil or natural gas from within the earth. During a fracking operation, cracks or seams in the earth’s crust are injected with water at high pressure and widened, releasing the oil or natural gas …
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Last chance to be a 2023 Champion of Fusion!
Congratulations to Dave Atherden, McElroy’s Champion of Fusion for June 2023! Dave submitted this photo of a wastewater pipeline project in Queensland, Australia. This 5.6 mile (9 km) pipeline links the cities of Flagstone and Cedar Grove. The project required a combination of open trench, tunnel boring, and horizontal directional drilling methods. By employing a variety of construction methods, contractors were able to overcome various challenges, including the terrain, obstacles, and environmental considerations. For smaller-diameter …
Read MoreHDPE vents boost renewable energy capture in Ohio landfill
In November 2022, fusion technicians were working to complete the latest vent release pipes at a landfill near Lowellville, Ohio, about 80 miles (130 km) from Cleveland. Using a DynaMc® 28 Hand Pump, a Pit Bull® 14, Pit Bull 26, and Rolling 28, along with a TracStar® 618, crews fused HDPE pipe vents that will join hundreds of others dotting the landscape of the landfill. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), methane makes …
Read MoreFusion crew battles natural, political forces to install water lines in DRC
Over the course of 45 days in 2015, a fusion team installed drinking water lines for seven villages in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
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