Louisiana Tech University’s Trenchless Technology Center (TTC) faculty and students won multiple awards for their 2022 research from the International Society for Trenchless Technology (ISTT). The ISTT honored a faculty research team and a doctoral student for academic and student research at the 38th International No-Dig Conference in Helsinki, Finland, in early October.

Dr. John Matthews (TTC Director and Professor of Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering Technology, and Engineering and Technology Management), Dr. Shaurav Alam (TTC Associate Director of Research and Associate Professor of Civil Engineering and Construction Engineering Technology), Dr. Jason Howell (Lecturer of Civil Engineering and Industrial Engineering), and Dr. Elizabeth Matthews (Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering and Construction Engineering Technology and Associate Director of Louisiana Tech’s MALT Industrial Assessment Center) earned the ISTT Academic Research award for their study on mitigating styrene emissions from steam-cured CIPP (cured-in-place-pipe) projects. For the study, they developed an interdisciplinary approach to reduce styrene emissions found in previous studies and presented recommendations to complete the process safely.

In addition to the Academic Research Award, the TTC also earned the Student Award. Doctoral Civil Engineering student John Kraft won for his paper on an “Alternative Approach for Assessment of Hydraulic Design Basis for Pressure Pipe Liners” which describes an alternative and innovative approach to reduce the time and cost of existing ASTM Standards and produces better conditions for pressure pipe rehab projects.

“The TTC was extremely honored to receive such a high honor for our work on styrene emissions,” Dr. John Matthews said. “And I am very proud that John’s work was recognized. It is truly a ground-breaking study for the field of trenchless technology.”

In addition to the Academic and Student Awards that the University earned, Louisiana Tech Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering and former TTC Director Dr. Ray Sterling was honored as one of only eight ISTT Fellows. Sterling was officially inducted as ISTT Fellow in the first cohort in 2019. His work in trenchless technology helped shape academic and commercial approaches to underground infrastructure.

“Faculty and students involved with the TTC are consistently at the forefront of innovative solutions and new products that improve underground utilities,” Dr. Hisham Hegab, Dean of Louisiana Tech’s College of Engineering and Science, said. “I’m glad that the ISTT has recognized their contributions to the field. I’m also pleased that the organization honored Dr. Sterling for his career in trenchless technology.”

The TTC won the Academic Award in 2012 for CIPP retrospective work with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Student Award in 2005 for the then Civil Engineering master's degree student John Matthews’s research on an automated trenchless technology decision support selection system.

Learn more about the TTC and its ongoing research and facilities.