If you are in the pipeline construction business, perhaps you’ve heard of Dr. Samuel T. Ariaratnam, Ph.D., P.E., P. Eng., F.ASCE, F.CAE. Why? Because the Waterloo, Ontario native is responsible for helping to advance the development of trenchless technologies—drilling techniques that have revolutionized pipeline construction worldwide—in particular horizontal directional drilling and pipe bursting—saving operators and contractors time, money and the environment, increasing worker safety and decreasing inconveniences to workers and the public.

In recognition of his accomplishments, Ariaratnam, professor and Program Chair of Construction Engineering at Arizona State University’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering in Tempe, has received numerous honors. Most recently he was presented with the gold medal from the International Society for Trenchless Technology (ISTT), which is the highest honor one can achieve in the trenchless technology industry. He is just the seventh person to receive the gold medal in the 33-year history of the ISTT.  

Ariaratnam previously received the prestigious John O. Bickel and Arthur M. Wellington Awards from the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Young Civil Engineer Achievement Award from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he received his Ph.D., and an award of recognition from Halliburton Energy Services for “Contributions to Underground Technology.”

Simply put, Ariaratnam is one of the many experts whose combined brilliance has paved the way for improved transportation of fossil fuels. It’s indicative of the industry’s capability to solve complex problems for the present and well into the future. But who is Dr. Samuel T. Ariaratnam, and what motivated his interest in pipeline construction?  

A Time Of Vast Changes

“I got involved in horizontal directional drilling (HDD) and trenchless technologies as a whole back in 1996 when I was on faculty in the Civil Engineering Department at the University of Alberta,” he told HartEnergy.com. “The HDD industry is quite developed in Alberta due to a long history in oil and natural gas pipelines. Being in the midst of so many excellent HDD contractors and other stakeholders provided me with a wealth of knowledge and opportunities to pursue my research and educational interest in the industry.”

In the years since he began his career, Ariaratnam, the author of over 300 technical papers and co-holder of four patents, said vast changes have occurred in the world of trenchless technologies.  

“Absolutely! Today, more and more engineering designers and owners are familiar with trenchless technologies and are adopting these at a growing rate,” he said. “I am pleased to see so many new engineers doing work in this exciting field and subsequently recommending trenchless to their clients.”

He credited increased educational opportunities as the key to the growing popularity of trenchless technologies.

“Today for example, there are more courses and field trips that college students in civil engineering and construction programs are taking to at least have an introductory knowledge of these technologies. Additionally, professional societies including the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the North American Society for Trenchless Technology (NASTT) have done an amazing job of producing publications, training courses, and technical programs at their annual conferences.

“This has had a major impact in the growth of trenchless technologies, as people have a venue for discussion and learning more about the experiences of trenchless adopters. The equipment manufacturers and suppliers have also been instrumental in the growth of trenchless by providing training and educational initiatives.”

Upstream Methods Flow To Midstream

As the midstream follows the upstream, so have many elements of HDD evolved from directional drilling in the oilfield, he said. “When you look at tooling, drill pipe, drilling fluids, tracking/navigation systems, these were all incorporated into HDD for pipelines.

“The midstream sector has benefited tremendously with trenchless technologies such as HDD, particularly due to the ability to effectively place pipelines beneath water bodies, wetlands, and other environmentally sensitive areas which previously were more challenging. The elimination of trenches has resulted in better safety and more efficiency in pipeline construction.”

Though HDD remains the most used trenchless method, others such as microtunneling, pipe jacking, and auger boring have been used for pipeline installations. Relining methods have also been used to rehabilitate existing oil and gas pipelines, Ariaratnam explained.

HDD celebrates an important 50th anniversary next year. The first HDD crossing was the installation of a 4-inch gas pipeline beneath the Pajero River in California in 1971. An inventor, Martin Cherrington, envisioned installing a pipeline beneath a river without excavating a trench. Through ingenuity, he navigated the first HDD pipeline crossing project, Ariaratnam said.

A Safer Future

Looking forward, he said he expects to see advances in equipment that will making it safer to perform excavation activities such as trenchless technologies. “Already, manufacturers have made significant strides in equipment safety. I also see a future when trenchless equipment could be self-operated like we are seeing in the automobile industry.”

And looking back at his own career, what is he most proud of?

“There are several. Being a co-author of the Horizontal Directional Drilling Good Practices Guidelines with Dr. David Bennett is one of my proudest accomplishments. The book has had a significant impact in the trenchless technology industry by promoting good practices when adopting HDD.

“Dr. Bennett and I have delivered training courses to hundreds of people in North America. Another achievement that I am proud of was my election to the Canadian Academy of Engineering and the U.S. National Academy of Construction. These high honors mean a lot of me because of the recognition of my career in trenchless technology research and education.”

As well as chairing the construction engineering program at ASU, Ariaratnam teaches a course in trenchless technology and conducts an active research program. His current and previous pipeline/utility-related research has been with the National Science Foundation (NSF), Southwest Gas Corp., Vermeer Corp., Underground Solutions, and the federal Department of Transportation’s Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)