HDD – Horizontal Directional Drilling

Horizontal Directional Drilling (or simply HDD) is a trenchless technology that allows the installation of underground pipes and cable without  open trench excavation. The combination of a steerable drilling tools and guidance systems allows an active control of the drilling path. It results in the possibility to guide the drilling string through the soil, following a preassigned drilling path.

During the pilot bore stage, a guided borehole is drilled through the soil along the preassigned drilling path. Once the pilot bore has been drilled, one or more reaming passages are carried out in order to enlarge the diameter of the borehole. After the final reaming stage, the pipe or cable is pulled back into the enlarged borehole from the end point to the start point.

The crossing of rivers, roads, woods or sea lagoons, or simply the installation of pipes or cables along roads or in busy urban areas are possible by using HDD.

HDD operational stages

DIMENSIONAL RANGES AND MATERIALS

  • steel, HDPE, PVC, PP and cast iron; cables.

  • length ranges from 10 m (30 ft) up to 4.000 m (13.000 ft)

  • Diameter ranges from 50 mm (2 in) to 1.800 mm (72 in)

If you are interested in HDD you will find of interest the following case histories:

  1. R&D IN HDD AND DETAILED DESIGN OF LARGE RIVER CROSSINGS
  2. PROJECT OF A DN900 GAS PIPELINE INSTALLATION BY HDD
  3. LANDFILLS INSULATION BY HDD
  4. 28 KM OF URBAN CABLING PROJECT BY HDD
  5. HDD RIVER CROSSING AT SHARP BENDING RADIUS IN VERY DIFFICULT SOIL CONDITIONS
  6. DETAILED DESIGN OF A SEWER MAIN INSTALLATION BY HDD AND TRAINING OF THE ENGINEERING PERSONNEL
  7. HDD IN DIFFICULT ALLUVIAL SOIL
  8. DETAILED DESIGN OF THE CROSSING BY HDD OF A ROCKY HILL
  9. HDD IN CHALLENGING ROCK CONDITIONS AND COMPENSATION GROUTING BY HDD
  10. SEWER MAINS AND HOUSE CONNECTIONS BY HDD
  11. INSTALLATION IN VERY HARD AND ABRASIVE ROCK OF A DN700 CAST IRON WATER PRESSURE PIPE
  12. DIRECTIONAL DRILLING IN CUBA
  13. DEVELOPMENT OF DRY DIRECTIONAL DRILLING TECHNOLOGY
  14. LAUNCH OF THE DRY DIRECTIONAL DRILLING TECHNOLOGY IN THE NORTH AMERICAN MARKET

You can also find articles and papers related to HDD in the following sections of the website:

contact-info2