The next edition of the North American Society for Trenchless Technology’s (NASTT) Canadian Regional Chapters’ annual No-Dig North event will take place in Vancouver, BC, over October 27-29.

As with prior years, the event commences with training sessions, in the form ‘Good Practices’ courses, on the first day, October 27. There is an additional fee to that for the main event.

The show has two days of technical presentations and industry exhibits, held at the Vancouver Convention Centre, over October 28-29. Sessions run in parallel tracks throughout the main conference, and there are opportunities to visit the exhibition.

NASTT says No-Dig North 2025 benefits municipalities, contractors, consulting engineers, gas/electric utilities, pipelines and energy, industrial facilities, and those in damage prevention. It gives scholarships to help support education in the industry.

‘GOOD PRACTICES’ TRAINING COURSES

Prior to the main conference sessions, the ‘Good Practices’ training courses to be run in parallel on October 27 are:

Introduction to New Installations:

A half-day course pitched at newcomers to the industry and others seeking a refresher run-through on trenchless technology methods used in North America. In this session, the focus is on techniques for new construction – microtunneling, Horizontal Direct Drilling (HDD), pipejacking, auger boring, and pipe ramming.

Introduction to Rehabilitation:

This half-day Introductory short course is also suited to both newcomers to the industry as well as those interested in a refresher course. The session on trenchless technology methods has a focus on rehabilitation, providing an overview of the methods available to public works and sewer agencies to rehabilitate water, sewer and gas systems without the need for excavation.

Direct Steerable Pipe Thrusting (DSPT):

This full-day course covers the development of DSPT, including Horizontal Direct Boring (HDB), Direct Pipe, and Prime Pusher, and provides an overview of the process and specific equipment. Also covered will be geotechnical studies, design, work space requirements, construction sequencing, permitting, and contracting.

Horizontal Direct Drilling (HDD):

This is also a full-day course and its focus on HDD considers six keys areas: (1) operation and application; (2) equipment and materials; (3) planning, including surface and geological investigations, utility surveys, bore planning, and regulations and permitting; (4) job site safety; (5) risk reduction, troubleshooting and mitigation; and, (6) design.

Cured in Place Pipe (CIPP):

This is the third of the full-day courses. Its aim is to provide an in-depth overview of water, wastewater mainline and sewer lateral pipe rehabilitation using CIPP from planning to design to job completion.

TECHNICAL PROGRAM

The main Technical Program of the conference runs over two full and packed days.

The program will be structured in half-day blocks, throughout which there will be five parallel tracks (T1-5), running simultaneously.

Typically, each track in a half-day session will have four presentations.

The No-Dig North and ISTT International No-Dig Technical Program begins in the morning of October 28, with five tracks running, as follows:

Tuesday, October 28
Morning
Track 1 (T1)

  1. Northwest Inner City Upper Plateau: North America’s largest diameter microtunneling project
  2. Navigating unforeseen utility conflict in microtunneling: a case study
  3. The Capital Line Project: microtunneling construction
  4. Valley Line West LRT Drainage Relocation Project – tunneling

Track 2 (T2)

  1. Sustainable pipeline rehab: evaluating the carbon footprint/Inventory of CIPP technology in Taipei’s water infrastructure maintenance
  2. Developing GIS-based risk matrix to assess seismic vulnerability of water pipelines based on material type and soil conditions in Taiwan
  3. Estimating depth of neutralization in concrete using near-infrared spectroscopy with hyperspectral camera
  4. Pressure sewers: comparative performance assessment of rehabilitation technologies and inspection techniques in Germany

Track 3 (T3)

  1. Lessons learned from the CIPP lining of a 72-inch sewer interceptor amidst wetlands and landfills
  2. The variability of flexural properties with CIPP field samples
  3. How municipalities use LED light-cured CIPP technology to prioritize scheduling and budgeting of residential and commercial sewer rehab
  4. Understanding inferred design requirements for Spray- Applied-Pipe-Liners (SAPL) for mortar-based systems based on current standards

Track 4 (T4)

  1. Close-fit liner design: a global perspective on flexible liner design methods and the development of ASCE MOP 145
  2. Ductile iron forcemain failures – inspection & rehab: a case study
  3. Challenging sewer rehab of the 96-inch diameter Eastside Interceptor
  4. Overcoming challenges to rehabilitate a deteriorated trunk sewer in Ontario

Track 5 (T5)

  1. Value of a PDB versus a traditional DBB-style delivery model for rehab civil projects
  2. 99 Avenue Sanitary Trunk Rehab – Phase 2
  3. Mitigating structural and environmental constraints with Class D pipe bursting in Chilliwack, BC
  4. From rust to robust: a CFRP trenchless triumph in penstock repair

SCHOLARSHIPS

NASTT has Municipal & Public Utility Scholarship awards for the event to enable attendance by employees of Canadian municipalities, government agencies and utility owners who have limited or no training funds. The scholarships award Full Conference and Exhibition conference registration (although one-day conference registrations are also available). Recipients have full access to all exhibits and technical paper sessions. NASTT membership is not a requirement. Applicants may be eligible for travel accommodations and reimbursement.

SPONSORS

Premium and event sponsors are No-Dig North 2025 and ISTT International No-Dig are:

Premium Sponsors

Platinum: Capital Infrastructure Group; Hobas; IMC; Nkote Coating Systems; Innovations Amplified;Insituform Technologies; Ipex; Michels; Trelleborg;

Gold: Associated Engineering; Channeline; Cooper Pump and Power; GEI Consultants; Geo Nex; Impreg; PW Trenchless; Easy-Sight;

Silver: Akkerman; Allied Trenchless; Brownline; Coreaqua; SCG Canada; Sunbelt Rentals.

Event Sponsors

Michels; Herrenknecht; Sunbelt Rentals; CCI; Robinson Consultants; Carbon Fibre Technologies; Stantec

EVENT SUMMARY

No-Dig North 2025 & ISTT International No-Dig conference are being held together over October 27-29 in Vancouver, BC. Conference registration fees are at different rates for NASTT members, non-members, and students. Attendees can choose to attend the fullconference, one-day or attend the exhibit hall only. Look out for early bird rates in the summer. Rates are also available for the Good Practices’ courses. Tickets for the Gala Awards Dinner (October 28) can also be bought at registration. Go to: www.nastt.org/no-dig-north