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INSIGHT, May '01 Edition
Seminar Digs into Repairing and Rehabilitating Underground Utilities with Minimum Disruption Many cities face the daunting task of rehabilitating and replacing old pipelines, and urban engineers are often forced to look for new and efficient ways to solve these problems. On 26-27 February, in conjunction with “Trenchless Egypt 2001,” IETC and the International Society for Trenchless Technology (ISTT) held a “Pilot Training Seminar on Trenchless Technologies for the Repair and Rehabilitation of Water and Sewage Pipelines in Urban Areas.” The seminar was held at the Cairo International Convention Centre in Egypt, and was intended to refocus attention on problems of underground utilities and remind local authorities of the benefits of having well-maintained underground infrastructure and of using trenchless technologies.The seminar included presentations on issues related to the implementation of trenchless technologies, including general descriptions of the suitability, benefits and disadvantages of each option from an engineer’s perspective. Following technical presentations, international experts and seminar participants discussed information needs related to trenchless technologies. Resistance to change, bureaucratic obstacles, language, and the cost of information materials were identified as significant barriers to accessing information. Participants noted that to overcome these obstacles will require providing decision-makers and technical personnel with various types of information materials and tools applicable to both trenchless technologies and sustainable water resource management in general. During the seminar, Ms. Lilia GC. Casanova, Deputy Director of IETC, introduced the concept of “Cities as Sustainable Ecosystems,” or CASE, explaining that the concept provides the rationale behind IETC’s Urban Environmental Management (UEM) Programme. She further noted that trenchless technology fits within the framework of IETC’s project on sustainable, energy-efficient buildings and construction under the UEM Programme. All countries ...
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