Horizontal directional drilling is the most cost-effective, safe, and efficient method for highway bores. It’s currently the industry standard for trenchless technology and for bores that are between 2 and 48-inch in diameter and 600 ft to 1800 ft in length.
But what is it that makes horizontal directional drilling the industry standard compared to traditional drilling? Is it really the better option?
In this three-part series, we’ll go into the details of horizontal directional boring and why trenchless boring is really the number one method for drilling.
The mess-less method that is horizontal directional drilling
Horizontal directional drilling, or HDD, is used for a variety of things. In the gas and oil industry, it’s used to drill wells through a gas-bearing rock or an oil zone at a certain angle from a vertical hole.
When installing utility pipelines like communications lines, HDD is used by drilling a pilot bore hole along a pre-determined path. HDD is commonly used because it allows for utilities to get from one place to another without harming the existing area around the two points.
Why opt for HDD over the traditional method?
The traditional method of drilling is also known as trenching or open cut drilling. Trenching can be used to connect and install utilities just like HDD.
Yet, trenching can have its limitations. For instance, you may have obstacles in the way of installing your utilities that you’re unable to get around.
It’s for this reason that trenching is only used when the ground above the area where the utilities will be installed are able to be disturbed. There can’t be any roadways, buildings, rivers, or other obstructions.
HDD allows contractors to install utilities despite these obstructions because the trenchless technology enables them to go under roads, rivers, or sidewalks if necessary.
Stay tuned for part two where we’ll go more in-depth about using trenching vs. trenchless technology and why HDD is an optimal choice.
Need a directional boring contractor for your project?
Horizontal directional drilling is used for a variety of applications including oil lines, communications lines, water lines, and gas pipelines.
In fact, up to 2.5 million miles of pipelines are used to transport fuel products from source to market across the United States. Trenchless drilling plays a major part in their installation.
If you’re looking for Texas directional drilling contractors to help you with the installation of your communications line or other utilities, American Directional Boring has the experienced drilling services you need to get the job done. To learn more about our trenchless pipe drilling and other underground drilling services, contact American Directional Boring today.
