A founding father

Dr Ariaratnam, known in the industry as Dr Sam, became involved in the trenchless industry in 1996. “I was a young Assistant Professor at the beginning of my career at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

“While in Edmonton, I was invited to help start a new trenchless chapter and subsequently became one of the founding fathers of the Northwest Chapter, a regional chapter of North American Society for Trenchless Technology (NASTT). The trenchless community in Edmonton was very supportive early on in my career and taught me a great deal about trenchless methods,” Dr Sam says.

This led Dr Ariaratnam to build a research and educational program in trenchless at the University of Alberta and get involved on a North American level. He continues to develop research and education at Arizona State University.

Moving the industry forward

Dr Sam has two main areas of interest and expertise – horizontal directional drilling (HDD) and trenchless pipe replacement (pipe bursting).

“I have written numerous technical papers and conducted various research projects in these two areas and am co-author of the Horizontal Directional Drilling Good Practices Guidelines and the Pipe Bursting Good Practices Guidelines, which are available through the NASTT website. I continue to be involved in interesting research projects, which are intended to move the industry forward.”

When asked about mentors that have inspired him, Dr Sam talked about how wonderful the industry is – that there are so many people willing to give their time to assist others in gaining a better perspective of the trenchless industry.

“There have been many people that have inspired me. Early on in my career, I received a lot of guidance from a number of industry icons including Frank Canon from Baroid IDP, Dr David Bennett from Bennett Trenchless Engineers, Dr Tom Iseley from IUPUI, and Dr Ray Sterling from Louisiana Tech University. All these individuals continue to inspire me today. I am honoured to follow Dr Sterling’s footsteps as not only the second North American, but also the second academic to be named ISTT Chairman,” Dr Sam says.

An opportunity for growth

Dr Sam says currently the biggest challenge facing the industry is gaining acceptance of trenchless on a wider scale.

“It is estimated that approximately 95 per cent of all underground utility projects are currently done by open cut methods. I look at this as an opportunity for growth. It is surprising just how many people have little to no knowledge of trenchless applications. Continued training, education, and research are imperative to promoting the merits of trenchless on a global scale.”

On Dr Dec Downey

Dr Sam has said in regards to previous ISTT Chairman, Dr Dec Downey, “I feel that spending the past three years as Dec’s understudy has prepared me for the challenges and opportunities of being the ISTT Chairman.

“He has provided leadership in promoting Trenchless Technology education and training and was instrumental in securing the addition of four new Affiliated Societies. I plan on utilising Dec’s experience by having him continue to serve as an ambassador for ISTT during my Chairmanship.”

On the ISTT

Over the next three years, Dr Sam has great plans and goals for the ISTT. Based on three operational elements, they are:

• Trenchless education and training;
• Trenchless information,; and
• Trenchless outreach.

“In addition to supporting our current Affiliated Societies through outreach efforts, I have set a goal of continuing the growth of ISTT by adding new affiliates from targeted regions of the world. Additionally, I feel that it is important for ISTT to deliver more training courses on a broader scale to help educate people on the merits of adopting trenchless methods with a goal of increasing their utilisation,” Dr Sam says.

When asked about how he plans to achieve these goals, Dr Sam says “I look to work closely with the Executive Sub Committee (ESC) to leverage our skills and foster collaboration with our Affiliated Societies in achieving these goals. Additionally, I plan on reaching out to other groups such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, International Water Association, and others to promote collaboration.”

“I have known Dr. Ariaratnam since 2001 when he was elected to serve on the NASTT Executive Committee and I was the Society’s Executive Director. From the beginning, Sam impressed me with his knowledge and his energy. Sam has a non-stop motor. ISTT is fortunate to have someone of Dr. Sam’s talent and dedication as Chairman. We can be certain that he will vigorously and aggressively pursue the advancement of ISTT’s education and training mission. I look forward to continuing to work with Sam in this regard.”

– ISTT Executive Director John Hemphill

“It would be difficult to count the milestones in Dr Sam’s path to success but, progress can often be measured by the friends and colleagues one makes along the way. Sam’s ability to communicate the benefits of Trenchless Technologies is unrivalled and now that he has ascended to the premier leadership position in the trenchless industry, NASTT could not be more proud. Sam’s energy, knowledge and passion will serve us all well and will help him make the decisions that are critical to effectively promote our innovative science. Congratulations Sam from the entire NASTT family!”

– NASTT Executive Director Mike Willmets