Map of World - Click a place Brad's been

November 2019 - 30 Days of Night

The entire month was spent out in "the Field" about 1.5 hr drive South of Fox Creek, Alberta staying in a Camp working Nights. So not a lot of vitamin D, but enough tasty food to have me flirting with 90kg (200 lbs)!  Yikes!!!

The Job - One of the bigger pipeline companies in Canada and the world employed a company to implement a "Direct Pipe" installation which they contracted us to "Steer". Direct pipe is a newer technology derived from conventional tunnelling and micro-tunnelling.  Essentially a steerable tunnel boring machine unit thrusted forward by large hydraulic clamps that pull the trailing Product pipe behind it and in to the hole to cross under a river without disturbing it.

End of October drive to Edson for all the "Fun" orientations, etc.  The next day back to Edmonton to pick up supplies and then on to Camp.

Some side highway to get to Edson

"The People's Mechanic"

Yikes, what happened?

Oops

Greggs in Edmonton

Like an Airport terminal for industrial supplies

Look at the Ridgeline go!

The Camp - A little room, shared bathroom with the Day guy next door, great food, a little gym and free Golden Tee!

Looks like a Horror Movie
My little Camp room



The Site - Tricky 15 min drive where you may slide off the road on the way. Temperatures over the month ranged from 4 C to - 28 C.

No expense spared on Rig Mats

50" Direct Pipe TBM
(Tunnel Boring Machine)

Cutter face

Ken C showing a little leg

Berland River

Look at all that matting $1000 each

Cold setting in

Pipe thruster

Don't worry, they don't let me touch
the buttons

Steering control

My command centre

Check out this mouse stand up
He's killing!

That's what we are mining through

Holding the pipe product

fueling up

A little slippery

Keep that beaver tail warm

no clamp zone

Can't HDD this gravel stuff

Snow snow

Wing night

I was up to 197 lbs, damn wing night

Not my lunch, but that will add some lbs


Oh crap...those screens can't take
all this rock

Section 2 in position

Building internals and sending it down

Filling the bin

A little tight spot

What night is it? what year?

Oh crap, that's not supposed to be
concave. Pump bearing.


Heading Home - Then it was over. Night shift got within 10 m and that was enough for Day shift to finish it off.  A long time since I had seen the sun and actually needed to wear sunglasses even at night on the 6.5 hr drive back to Calgary.

It's been a slice

My fav train bridge

Always a happy chappy smiling
after the job ends

Like the gate way to freedom


Golden Tee Scores - For my records.

Greek Hills

Shady Acres

Highwood Links

Pelican Cove

Laurel Park

Monument Valley

Bear Lodge