Horizontal directional drilling: what’s in it for utilities?

In the world of utilities, pipe and cable installations are a regular, routine process, and on such projects getting the job done quickly and effectively is the primary objective. For this reason, it’s important for utilities to take advantage of technological innovations and seize any opportunity that will facilitate the streamlining of these processes.

Cable and pipe installations often employ open cut trenching techniques, which – although successful at getting the job done – are tedious, time consuming, expensive, and can result in significant environmental and community disruption.

Revolutionising underground utility installations

When it comes to ticking the boxes for minimal disruption, efficiency and effectiveness in pipe and cable installations, horizontal directional drilling (HDD) has it covered. HDD is a method of installing underground cable, pipelines and service conduit without the messy open cut trench.

HDD offers some unique advantages when compared to other underground utility installation and traditional open cut methods. HDD negates the need to dig up large amounts of earth and relocate the displaced dirt and slurry, making it a faster and more efficient method of digging.

As well as its time-saving benefits, HDD offers significant cost savings for contractors, with faster job completion meaning reduced labour costs. HDD requires less dirt to be extracted, and as such there is less dirt that needs to be replaced. Further cost saving benefits are delivered by HDD’s smaller footprint, meaning less permits need to be purchased to conduct work, and the need to compensate businesses due to area disruption is removed.

Boasting a much smaller physical footprint than other open trench projects results in less community disruption, as HDD removes the need to cordon off large areas for construction. This also has environmental benefits, as HDD has significantly less impact on the surrounding earth, which is especially critical in environmentally sensitive locations. When it comes to utilities delivering optimal results, they need to be using the finest tools.

Only the best

With more than 20 years of underground utility installation experience, Vermeer is a market leader and innovator in the HDD industry.

Offering an impressive range of equipment, Vermeer is the HDD machinery of choice around the world. From heavy duty rigs for large-scale installations to smaller, more flexible rigs, Vermeer’s HDD range is versatile enough to go almost anywhere and can drill through almost any type of earth.

As well as delivering increased efficiency and effectiveness, the company’s range prioritises accuracy, with some of the larger Vermeer drill rigs offering interactive, full-colour displays that provide real-time location information, potentially replacing the need for hard copy bore plans.

Not only does Vermeer Australia offer HDD equipment for every job, they also have a dedicated team of experts who can assist with after-sale support, servicing, parts and maintenance requirements.