Icon Underground Construction Article – PDF

As Seen in Trenchless Technology
Oct 11, 2012

ICON’s Full Line of Pilot Tube Microtunneling Equipment Provides Solutions for Pipe Installation on Line and Grade – PDF

As seen in Trenchless Technology November 2011

Columbus, OH – ICON Equipment Distributors Inc., a leader in the trench shoring and pilot tube microtunneling industry, is pleased to announce the opening of their newest location in the heart of Columbus, Ohio. ICON will now service Ohio, northern Kentucky, eastern Indiana and western Pennsylvania from this location.

“We are excited about expanding into the Ohio region and the opportunities that come with this growth,” said David Crandall, Vice President of ICON. “Our goal is to build and maintain strong customer relationships by providing the same quality services that we’ve offered for over 30 years throughout our Northeast territory”
The company was founded in East Brunswick, NJ, in 1982 – and has other locations in Connecticut, Maryland and Pennsylvania. From Columbus, ICON will offer slide-rail shoring and ICON-O-Lite aluminum trench box systems as well as their pilot tube microtunneling equipment for sale or rental. Customers will be able to take advantage of engineering services, field services, training and 24/7 parts service.

ICON’s Ohio office is located at 655 Harrison Drive Columbus, OH 43204. Please contact Jeff LaFramboise, ICON’s Midwest Regional Manager at 614-329-3358.

Since 1982, ICON has steadily increased its market share and product offerings to become a full-service trench shoring and pilot-tube guided boring company. It is earning a reputation as the nation’s industry leader for underground construction projects. The company has the in-house resources to handle projects of any size across North America. ICON also offers a full range of services, such as consulting, design, engineering, manufacturing and distribution. The company also leases or rents equipment to organizations.

For more information about ICON Equipment, ICON Tunnel Systems and their products, please visit iconjds.com, www.icontunnelsystems.com or call 800-836-5011

Tabernacle, NJ- A New Jersey based horizontal auger boring contractor was in need of a pilot tube microtunneling machine for a number of underground utility projects. The contractor was not looking to purchase a new machine, but rather looking for a well-maintained used machine. ICON Tunnel Systems (ITS) was there with the solution, a refurbished Bohrtec BM400 pilot tube microtunneling machine.

In 2006, ITS had sold the BM400 Pilot Tube machine to a customer in Ames, Iowa. A few years later and with the economic slowdown gripping the Midwest, the contractor contacted ITS about reselling the machine for them due to a lack of projects.

ITS agreed to assist in brokering a deal to sell the BM400, later purchased by the New Jersey based auger boring contractor.

“We value our customer’s business and try to help in every way possible to make them successful,” says David Crandall, Vice President of ICON Tunnel Systems. “In this case, we were able to assist in selling a piece of equipment from one customer to another, so it’s a win-win for everyone.”

ITS also provided refurbishing and other custom-fabrication services once the equipment was back in their New Jersey location. ITS service technicians ran a thorough inspection on the BM400. With a large parts inventory and fabrication capabilities, they were able to replace a number of parts quickly and provided custom fabrication for the front and back jacking plates – and modified the machine’s legs based on the New Jersey contractor’s requirements. All the work was tested and completed in less than a week.

ITS also provided a tremendous cost-saving solution for powering the BM400, which was a direct hook-up from the BM400 to the contractor’s Barbco 36/42-350 auger boring machine, which had a sufficient hydraulic power pack.

“Typically you need a separate hydraulic power pack to provide power to a pilot tube microtunnling machine, which is a big expense,” says Crandall. “We recommended using the Barbco power pack to power both machines.”

By providing the refurbishing, in-house custom fabrication and overall expertise, ITS was able to save the contractor money and time on their project.

Since 1982, ICON has steadily increased its market share and product offerings to become a full-service trench shoring and pilot-tube guided boring company. It is earning a reputation as the nation’s industry leader for underground construction projects. The company has the in-house resources to handle projects of any size across North America. ICON also offers a full range of services, such as consulting, design, engineering, manufacturing and distribution. The company also leases or rents equipment to organizations.

For more information about ICON Equipment, ICON Tunnel Systems and their products, please visit iconjds.com, www.icontunnelsystems.com or call 800-836-5011.

East Brunswick, New Jersey – ICON Equipment offers their ICON-O-Lite modular aluminum trench box system to municipalities and utility contractors and as an alternative to heavy steel trench boxes. Designed by ICON, this system is ideal for trench shoring, utility and communications installations and repairs and other shallow trench work.

The ICON-O-Lite system is made from high-grade aluminum and comprised of modular panels, corners, vertical rails, spreaders and the only specially designed steel pullbar in the industry. The components give corrosion-resistance and light weight to the system while the unique and patented ICON design provides optimum strength and durability. The ICON-O-Lite system is in compliance with O.S.H.A. and certified by a Registered Professional Engineer to meet the highest quality and utmost strength with an ultra lightweight design.

The lightweight modular nature of the design allows for quick and easy transportation of the system in a ½ ton pickup truck. The system can be assembled quickly in a 2, 3 or 4- sided configuration for various types of projects. A two-man crew can assemble the ICON-O-Lite system by hand for rapid placement in the excavation by a small excavator or backhoe.
The hollow double wall aluminum panels of the system eliminate accumulation of water, dirt and debris. The panels are available in a full range of standard sizes up to 14’ feet in length with corner and vertical rails available in 4’ and 6’ heights. The tongue and groove panel design allows for quick and easy assembly as well as a secure fit keeping the panels in place.
ICON offers a variety of spreader options to choose from including adjustable screw struts or jacks, adjustable telescopic steel spreaders or steel pipe spreaders. Gravity-fed
hardened locking pins make it even easier to assemble into the desired size of box on site.

The ICON-O-Lite aluminum modular trench box system is easy to transport and install saving time and money while providing trench safety on the job for the busy utility contractor.

Since 1982, ICON has steadily grown in technology and expertise to become a full-service trench shoring and pilot tube guided boring company and industry-leader in underground construction projects. ICON has the in-house resources to handle projects of any size in any location across North America and provide a comprehensive line of services that include consulting, design, engineering, manufacturing and distribution, leasing and equipment rentals.

Brooklyn, New York – At 40 stories, the gleaming 29 Flatbush Avenue apartment tower is poised to reshape the Brooklyn skyline. But before any steel went up, ICON Equipment was called in by New York Concrete to provide a slide rail shoring system in order for proper soil remediation to take place followed by foundation pile installation.

The 327-unit apartment complex required the removal of roughly 18 tons of contaminated material under the requirements of the Brownfield Remediation Program as well as installation of over 250 foundation piles 70 feet deep. The project’s adjacent structures were very sensitive and included the New York Transit Authority, site of the Fulton Street subway line.

A quick-engineered shoring solution to prevent cross contamination during soil remediation was needed.

“The problem is that the site itself – while offering a large footprint for a tower – had a limited amount of space due to the ongoing foundation system installation and pile operations,” says, John Russo, COO of the New York Concrete. “In addition, we had to keep vibrations to a minimum while remediating the site and installing the piles due to the sensitive surroundings.”

Richard Odierna, the New York regional manager for ICON Equipment, said the project’s space constraints and an aggressive schedule caused some planning difficulties. However, ICON was able to engineer a shoring solution quickly and worked closely with New York Concrete during the slide rail system installation, which was a two-bay, double-rail system 30.52-foot long by 32-foot wide space and 16 feet deep.

“The limited space on this particular site was a challenge to install a system of this size, but the experienced staff had the system installed by the second day,” Odierna said. “Our field technician, Pete Custy, was on site to provide support during the installation.”

New York Concrete was then able to remove the 18 tons of contaminated material successfully without cross contamination. The next step was to install 20 to 30 piles within the remediated pit. To do so, New York Concrete constructed a dirt ramp into the slide rail system to get their pile installation machinery close enough to the foundation as possible.

Russo was pleased with the ICON Equipment and support in the field.

“We needed a close-quarters, quick-engineered shoring system, with limited vibration during installation,” Russo said. “It had to meet the tough standards of the NYC Department of Buildings and the Transit Authority. ICON was the obvious choice to do this work.”

Russo is glad that the team and equipment from ICON was part of the project. “We’re very happy the ICON product and the service we received,” he continued.

The gleaming new 29 Flatbush development is expected to be completed no later than 2013.

Since 1982, ICON has steadily increased its market share and product offerings to become a full-service trench shoring and pilot-tube guided boring company. It is earning a reputation as the nation’s industry leader for underground construction projects. The company has the in-house resources to handle projects of any size across North America. ICON also offers a full range of services, such as consulting, design, engineering, manufacturing and distribution. The company also leases or rents equipment to organizations.

To learn more about ICON Equipment, ICON Tunnel Systems and their products, visit

Mount Pleasant, NY – Cruz Contractors LLC of Holmdel, NJ successfully completed the installation of a 30” steel casing under the Taconic Parkway and Metro North Railway with the assistance of ICON Tunnel Systems and their pilot tube microtunneling technology for the first time.

Cruz is no stranger to microtunneling projects. Since 1951, they have been a major player for infrastructure projects that have included microtunneling throughout New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Delaware, Connecticut, North Carolina and Virginia.

Cruz was subcontracted by Arben Group, LLC of Pleasantville, NY to handle the trenchless portion of the water system distribution improvements. The project called for (1), 210 linear feet of 36” steel casing to be installed under the Taconic Parkway and Metro North Railway. Originally, the project specifications called for a remote-controlled microtunneling machine in order to handle the native soil, which was thought to consist of stones, rocks and large cobles.
However, the soil boring logs did not show this soil condition being present. The logs actually indicated soft sands, traces of small gravel and clay silts. In addition, the work area would be very tight as the jacking pit for the microtunnel would be placed at the edge of a cemetery. Because of this, Cruz felt the remote-controlled microtunneling equipment would not be the solution because of the amount of equipment needed and large jobsite layout required.

Cruz contacted ICON Tunnel Systems for advice and inquired about the Bohrtec Pilot Tube microtunneling system. ICON reviewed the soil reports and determined that pilot tube microtunneling was a feasible alternative to the remote-controlled microtunnel machine specified.

David Crandall, Vice President of ICON Tunnel Systems along with Cruz and Arben worked with engineering firm Malcolm Pirnie, of Fair Lawn, NJ and Westchester County to successfully modify the pipe installation method on the project specification to allow for pilot tube microtunneling.

“We worked closely with all parties in order to properly incorporate the pilot tube microtunneling pipe installation method into the project specification,” says Crandall. “We recommended the BM600LS pilot tube machine for the project due to its powerful 262 tons of jacking force and 22,186.83 ft/lbs of torque in case we encountered any unforeseen difficult soil conditions.”

“Having the specification modified to meet the pilot tube pipe installation method was a huge advantage and saved everyone time and money on the project,” says Dominick Pillari, Chief Project Manager of Cruz Contractors, LLC.

Being heavily involved in rental/sale and lease of trench shoring equipment, ICON also supplied Arben Group, LLC with the required slide rail jacking and receiving pits for the pilot tube microtunneling operation. In addition ICON provided site specific engineering submittals with paper calculations and drawings with a New York P.E. stamp for our slide rail shoring systems used on the project.

The jacking pit size was 20.5’ long x 13.12’ wide and 14’ deep and the receiving pit was 24’ long x 13.12’ wide by 12’ deep. ICON supplied their new Transformer Rails for the side rail system, which are 30-40% stronger than other rail systems and versatile enough to handle three different types of bracing including; fixed rail, roller rail and angled raker bracing.

Andrew Kerry, ICON Tunnel Systems Pilot Tube Operator and Rob Langenbach, Operations Manager for ICON Tunnel Systems were on site to assist with the proper installation of both jacking and receiving pits and worked side by side with Cruz during the pilot tube machine setup and operation.

“ICON worked seamlessly with Arben in setting the shoring for the tunnel access pits and worked carefully with our crew during the pilot tube machine setup and operation, keeping the project on schedule,” says Pillari.

Large double wall pilot tube rods with an outside diameter of 5.5” and a length of 4.92’ were used for the initial pilot bore . “We experienced relatively low jacking and torque pressures while installing the pilot rods,” says Langenbach.

Once the pilot rods were installed on line and grade, Cruz and ICON would attach a steel adapter head to the last pilot rod. The steel adapter head would increase the bore from 5.5” to 36”. Once the adapter head was attached, they attached the first auger and steel casing to the adapter head. “The augers are placed inside the steel casing and can be moved independently from the casing to assist with the material removal process,” says Langenbach.

During the installation of the 36” casing, they encountered several areas with large boulders, some of which were 14” in diameter. “The large opening of the 36” casing allowed the larger material and potential obstructions to enter the casing at which point the augers would pull all of the material back to the jacking pit where it was then removed,” says Langenbach. “We were able to muscle our way through these difficult areas using the sheer power of the BM600LS and successfully install the steel casing on line and grade without disruptions to the highway or Metro North Railway.”

“The pilot tube machine was the perfect fit for this project and has allowed us to expand our services for future short run pipe installations on line and grade,” says Pillari. “ICON was with us every step of the project and really showcased their services from engineering and planning to shoring and tunneling. They made our first pilot tube project a true success.”

Since 1982, ICON has steadily grown in technology and expertise to become a full-service trench shoring and pilot tube guided boring company and industry-leader in underground construction projects. ICON has the in-house resources to handle projects of any size in any location across North America and provide a comprehensive line of services that include consulting, design, engineering, manufacturing and distribution, leasing and equipment rentals.