Railroad Crossings - Because railroad
tracks sustain a great deal of weight, standards are rigid when pipeline
crossings are proposed. The permitting process is generally
extensive, and installation depths are increased. Horizontal
directional drilling is a popular method for railroad crossings.
When installed properly, very little soil displacement is experienced,
and great depths can be reached without compromising the integrity of
the rails. For larger diameter crossings, or crossings where setup
area is limited, horizontal
auger boring is also commonly used.
Conservation Areas - When pipelines are installed in
environmentally sensitive areas, the installation should require as
little area disruption as possible. Directional
drilling can install pipelines through areas with little more than
human feet touching the earth above the pipeline.
Water Crossings - The horizontal directional drilling
process was invented specifically for this purpose. Directional
drilling can install pipelines under rivers, lakes, and other bodies
of water.
City Streets - Below ground level in modern U.S.
cities, the pipeline network can often be so cluttered to make open
trench installations inconceivable. Restoration costs and traffic
problems are also extensive. By using directional
drilling as an installation method, traffic disruption is minimized
to a small setup area, restoration is reduced to an entry pit and an
exit pit, and product can be installed deep below the maze of pipelines.
Preparation
should be extensive in city installations, as many of the underground
utilities are unmapped.
Highway Crossings - Installing pipelines under major
highways requires trenchless installation methods. Directional
drilling and Horizontal Auger Boring are usually the most practical
depending on size and soil conditions.
Basement Building Entry - Sometimes a pipeline
must be installed into the basement of an existing building. This
may pose a problem in areas where the basement is very deep below the
surface, or an obstruction prevents the wall from being uncovered
directly, such as an addition or a city sidewalk above the basement
wall. In this type of situation, the pipeline can be installed
directly from the surface through the basement wall with installation
methods such as directional
drilling, steerable
rod pushing or horizontal
auger boring. When the rod or product reaches the wall, a hole
can be core-drilled through the basement wall, and the product installed
directly.
Under Roads & Driveways - Percussion
moling is an excellent method for installing small diameter piping
below roads and driveways. In a vast majority of instances, moling
can greatly reduce the cost of installation under pavement over open
trench installations.
Golf Course Improvements - Meticulously landscaped
areas, such as golf courses, benefit from trenchless installation
methods. Directional
drilling or percussion
moling are excellent alternatives to straight open-trench
installations. In both methods, only entry and exit pits are
required, leaving small areas to be restored. Golf course
sprinkler systems are excellent applications for directional drilling,
because the pipe can be steered below the surface to exit where the
sprinkler head is desired.
Residential Areas - Landscaping, paving, and
public relations are all excellent reasons to consider adding trenchless
installation to all or sections of a residential installation project.
Directional
drilling can all but eliminate restoration, percussion
moling can make driveway, road, and garden crossings without
disrupting the surface, and horizontal
auger boring or steerable
rod pushing can cross roads with larger diameter pipe.
Environmental Remediation Wells - Horizontal
environmental remediation wells installed by directional drilling are
gaining acceptance, and with proper preparation, can result in far
superior remediation efficiency and cost savings. Screened
pipelines can be installed far below the surface, and attached to pumps
at ground level.
Soil Testing - Directional drilling has limitless
applications, and one of the newest is soil testing capabilities.
To sample soils in locations not accessible from the surface, such as
beneath structures or under waterways, directional
drilling makes the impossible, possible. A specialized
drilling head with a sampling container is used to steer the drill rods
to the specific location. The location and depth are then verified
and the sampling container opens to collect the soil, and the drill rods
and the soil sample are pulled back out of the ground.
