17/10/2016

Industry History

HDD Techniques & Bore Planning

HDD for utility installations has been around in a

rudimentary form since the 1960s. HDD became more
mainstream in the late 1980s to early 1990s when major
underground manufacturers began building HDD rigs.

Matthew Izzard (Vermeer UK)

No Dig Live 2016 Mini-Masterclass
1991 D-7

Markets Served

When to Consider HDD?

Is the pipe 5 ft (1.5 m) deep or more?

Is the pipe below water table?
Is the soil unstable?
Is the underground congested with other utilities?
Is the installation in an urban area?
Is the installation under a roadway, railroad or river?
Is the installation in a residential area?
Are installation lengths over 180 ft (60 m)?

If yes to 2 of above questions, consider Directional Drilling!

2014 D100x140 Horizontal HDD

Gas
Renewables
Irrigation
Fibre / Telecom
Electricity
Clean Water
Gravity Sewers
De-watering

Directional Drilling:

Basic Equipment:
Drill Rig
Drill Rods
Drill Tooling (Head / Reamer)
Navigation System
Mixing System
Bentonite / Polymer Mix

Bore Path Best Practice

An ideal bore with the least
amount of resistance will
have gradual, minimal bends
for the drill stem and product
to go through with finesse.
Always drill downhill and pull
the product back up hill. This
will aid in keeping the bore
path full of drilling slurry
during the pilot bore and
maintain flow through the
annular bore space during
product pullback.

End

Beginning

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Equipment and Product Selection

Bit

Machine
Pit Launch
Surface Launch
Small
Medium
Large

Dirt
Loose rock
Rock

Product

HDPE
MDPE
Steel
PVC
Fiberoptic
Cable

Drill Rig Capabilities

Distance

Diameter

Pilot bore

Torque rating

Rod specifications
Weight on bit
Hole size
Downhole friction
coefficient

Speed
Flow capacity

Pullback
Product specifications
Surface setup
Downhole friction

Proposed Bore Plan

Drill Bit Examples

Dirt/Hard soils

Pilot Bore

Cobble and gravel

Pre-Ream with Trailing Rod
Soft medium rock
Reaming Pullback with Product
Hard rock

Rod Steering Capabilities

If the pitch reading is negative, then the drill head is
pointed down. For example, a negative 10% pitch means
the drill head will fall 1 (0.3 m) for every 10 (3 m) along
the bore.
A positive pitch means the drill head is pointed up. A
positive 10%, for example, means the drill head will rise
one 1 (0.3 m) in the next 10 (3 m) of drill rod that is
advanced in the bore.

Drill Rods
Specifications:
Strength (tensile, torsional)
Bend radius
Connection

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Locator Frequency Selection

Walking the bore path prior to the
bore and watching the locators
signal strength can provide
information on possible sources of
interference. Manufacturers of
locating systems provide different
levels of allowable signal strengths
to help with this issue.
If interference is a problem, it may
be necessary to use a transmitter
with a stronger signal, such as a
deep transmitter or cable
transmitter system.

Sonde Warnings
The sonde can overheat
due to:
Lack of proper coolant flow to the
drill head
Left in direct sun exposure too long
Left in housing during pullback
mode

Hole size related to installation length

Length
Overcut
0 > 50m/150ft
20%
50m/150ft > 100m/300ft
30%
100m/300ft > 300m/1000ft
40%
> 300m/1000ft
50%
Condition/product
ROCK
50%
STEEL
50%

Pre-reaming
Target surface A = B = C
Same surface means same Torque/Horsepower and same speed
d = final hole diameter (mm)
d = final hole diameter (")
n = amount of reaming stages
m = number of ream

Pre ream diameter(mm) =

m x final hole diameter(mm)

n

One function of a back reamer is to enlarge the bore

hole to a size large enough to allow for the installation of
the required product.
The second objective of the reamer is to mix the cuttings
from the back reamer with the drilling fluid to create a
slurry that can be displaced to the side of or discharged
out of the bore path to allow room for the product.

Volume Calculation
Hole diameter

220F (104C)

Reamer Theory

Reaming

C B A

100F (40C)

Pressures

Length (m)

Rotation
Depth (m)

Soil volume (m3) = Hole diameter (m) x 0.785 x ( length (m) + Depth (m))
Fluid volume(m3) = 3 x Soil volume(m3) (no information on soil conditions)
Fluid volume (gallons) = Soil factor x Soil volume (gallons)
Fluid volume(liters) = 1000 x Fluid volume(m3)

Soil factor is related to the type of soil

1 > 3 for non-cohesive soils (sand, gravel, cobble)
4 > 10 for cohesive soils (clay, loam, fine sand)

The rotation pressure gauge provides an indication of the resistance to

rotation. It can be affected by ground conditions, reamer size or type
and bore path lubrication.

Thrust/Pullback
The thrust/pullback gauge provides an indication of the thrust or
pullback force output of the machine. It can be affected by product
weight, diameter, length and buoyancy. It can also be affected by bore
path lubrication, bends in the bore and flowability of slurry through the
annular space.

Drilling Fluid
The drilling fluid pressure gauge is best used as an indicator that flow is
occurring. Pressure is the resistance to flow and can vary based on flow
rates and nozzle sizes used in the tooling. A spike in drilling fluid
pressure may indicate a blockage or excessive thrust speed.

17/10/2016

Monitor Cutting Returns

While monitoring the drill pressures, the solids returning
back to the entry point can also provide information on
the types of soils being encountered and can provide
information on whether the drilling fluids need to be
modified on the pullback.
For example, you are using a polymer additive on the
pilot bore. If rock is encountered or sand is detected in
the returns, you may decide that a bentonite solution is
required on the pullback.
If large chunks of clay are in the returns, bentonite may
need to be used with the polymer solution to enhance
the gel strength (carrying capacity) of the drilling fluid.

Pullback Speeds
It is important to not rush the back-reaming process. The
back reamer needs time to cut the formation and to mix
the cuttings into a slurry.
One of the key problem areas affecting failed bores is
the failure to properly plan pullback timing.

Surface Heaving
The possibility of heaving the surface is largely affected
by reamer size and depth.
Some of the causes that lead to heaving include:

Failure to make a good pilot bore

The use of incorrect drilling fluid additives for the soil type
Too low of drilling fluid volumes
Poor drilling techniques resulting in poor mixing of the drilling fluid and
soil
Improper back reamer selection
Improper sizing of back reamers

Drilling Fluid
Requirements

Daily Machine Checks

Check all drill fluids for proper operating levels and
leaks. Always refer to the machines maintenance
manual for specifics. (see examples below)

Engine oil
Engine coolant
Hydraulic fluid
Gearbox oil
Diesel fuel
Fuel/Water separator

Thixotropic behavior
Fluid when in motion
Solid when not in motion
Transport of the cuttings
(viscosity)
Prevent fluid loss in the
formation (filter cake)
Unstable formation
Less fluid for transport
Hole stabilization
Keep the cuttings in
suspension (gel strength)
Cutting encapsulation
Prevent clay balling

Pipe Centric Planning & As Built

Atlas Bore Planner
computer software or
BoreAid design tool
will map out the bore
path as well as provide
a rod-by-rod navigation
plan according to the
soil, elevation and utility
data inserted.

Check air restriction indicator

17/10/2016

Bore Planning:

Bore Planning:

Assess Site Conditions

Detailed Calculations
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Pullback Force
Pullback Stress
Pullback Strain
Bending Stress
Bending Strain
Axial Tensile Stress
Axial Tensile Strain
Shear Stress
Hoop Stress
Unity Checks
Earth Pressure
Water Pressure
Surcharge
Net Pressure
Earth Deflection
Buoyant Deflection

Bore Planning:

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Product Pipe Selection (PE, PVC, Steel)

Topography
Soil Layering
Soil Type Database
Image Overlays

No Dig Live 2016: Outdoor Stand 51/53

! Print Customized Reports

! Export to CAD

! As-Built Import & Analysis

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2014 Vermeer Corporation. All Rights Reserved.