Trenchless Applications
Trenchless installation methods can improve the esthetics and function of a great variety of projects. Bay State Piping Company has a broad range of experience in methods and applications of trenchless technology. Our first-hand knowledge allows us to offer suggestions as to the economics and feasibility of methods for your project.
Applications common to many trenchless installations are listed below:
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.
