2013 hdd supplement

HorizontalDirectional

Drilling Guide

A Comprehensive Look at the North American HDD Industry

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OVER 40 YEARS EXPERIENCE IN HORIZONTAL BORING, HDD AND [email protected] | www.stsmixers.com | 800-567-0978

SURFACE TO SURFACE MIXERS…The Right Mix, Every Time

STS Mixers take mud to a higher yielded form faster and more consistently than any competitor, and with less waste. Guaranteed to perform as stated by STS, or you can return the mixer for a full refund**. We’re proud to say with 20 plus years of selling mixers, not one has been returned.

What makes the STS Mixer so superior and dependable?SUPERIOR ENGINE AND PUMPWith a modified pump and an engine/motor with the horsepower to back it, we can create more system pressure and fluid flow for mixing and shearing.The STS design is also better equipped to move the yielded product to the drill so the mixer can be more conveniently located at the job site.

VENTURI AND SHEAR FILTEROne of the great attributes of the venturi system & shear filter cartridge combination, is it’s ability to break down large particle of material and prevents blockage of openings in the nozzle, jets etc.

VACUUM-INDUCED HOPPERWhile you may be wasting time and money throwing out damp bags of bentonite with a competitor’s machine, our customers rave that clumps or even rainy days don’t hinder them with our equipment.

IN-TANK MULTI-JET NOZZLESProperly sized and positioned jets ensure the contents of the tank achieve superior mixing and agitation to produce a better, faster yield.

STS Mixers are the top performers for the right mix, every time. With the widest selection of options available, you can get the right fit to your project or work environment.

• 2”, 3” and 4” pump models to choose from• Available with gasoline, diesel, electric or hydraulic drive.• Customizable to meet the needs of your logistics.• Lease options available.

Even when your drilling equipment supplier offers to throw in the mud mixer at a great discount is this ultimately the right deal for efficiency and economy? STS Mixers create better drill performance, prolong the life of your drilling equipment and reduce waste. Make your decision based on total cost of ownership and operation (COO) and not just the purchase price.

Go to www.stsmixers.com to see how the STS patented mixer stacks up against the competition.

** Freight not included

M-750G

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10 2013 Horizontal Directional Drill Specs

Drill specs from North America’s drill rig manufacturers.

22 Technical Paper: Design Considerations for

Intersect Method of HDDUnidirectional HDD has been the conventional method of practice for many decades. However, ever increasing project challenges demand innovative methods of pipe installation using HDD. One such method is the intersect method. By Abhinav Huli and Dennis Doherty

26 Locating Software and Equipment Play Key Role

in Illinois HDD ProjectThis project was a text book HDD project using the latest technology to ensure and prove success. By Siggi Finnsson

28 Three Generations of the Melsheimer Family

Solidify Melfred Borzall’s Place in the Advancement of HDD ToolsDick Melsheimer is truly a legend of HDD. But Dick, as well as anyone at Melfred Borzall, will likely tell you it has been the work of three generations of Melsheimers who have helped grow the company for nearly 70 years. By Andrew Farr

32 HDD Plays Key Role in Oklahoma Contractor’s

Pipeline WorkGrowing energy demands have helped keep an Oklahoma-based group busy building pipelines, constructing gas plants, compressor stations, crude oil pumping stations and assisting clients with material acquisitions. By Jeri Lamerton

36 Stimulus Dollars Help Fund Fiber Upgrade for

Antiquated ‘Ma Bell’ SystemThe existing Bell System infrastructure serving several small rural communities along the Iowa/Missouri border was an aging system of spliced lines and slow connections. So, Grand River Mutual Telephone Corp. initiated an upgrade using HDD. By Randy Happel

40 Trenchless TrendsHelping HDD contractors surpass

new thresholds is a piece of equipment that was developed in 2000, but has continued to gain market acceptance over the past decade: the Herrenknecht Pipe Thruster. By Bradley Kramer

42 Wind & Solar Power Projects Benefit from

HDD TechnologyThe use of HDD is helping wind and solar power projects gain installation efficiencies in terms of labor and material costs. By Steve Cooper

46 Experience Trumps Technology

In just a little more than 30 years, HDD technological advances have been tremendous with navigation/guidance technology leading the way. These improvements are not a result. They are the catalyst for HDD expansion and growth. By John English

50 Product Showcase

4 TRENCHLESS TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT www.trenchlessonline.com

Horizontal Directional Drilling Guide

8 HDD Market Having Strong, Solid 2013 Rig sales are up and the work is out there says industry insiders of the 2013 HDD market. By Sharon M. Bueno

CONTENTS

ADVERTISER . . . . . . . . . . . . . PAGE #Barbco .................................................... 30Benjamin Media Resource Center ............... 48BMI OBG.................................................. 34Carson Corpor tion .................................... 29Carson Underground ................................ 27Derrick Equipment .................................... 13E & M Specialty Co. Inc. ........................... 54

Gateway Directional Drilling ....................... 33Geophysical Survey Systems Inc ............... 35Hard Rock HDDP ...................................... 31HDD Productivity & Profitability Seminar .... 17J.T. Miller Inc. .......................................... 54Kem-Tron Inc. .......................................... 23Laney Directional Drilling .......................... 34Lee Supply ............................................... 25McElroy Manufacturing Co. ....................... 54Mears Group Inc....................................... 49Melfred Borzall .............................Back CoverMiller Pipeline .......................................... 43Mincon, Inc.............................................. 24

Mud Technology Intenational Inc. ............... 54NASTT Archived Webinar .......................... 29Oz Directional Drilling ............................... 32PowerStream Technology .......................... 54Ritmo America ......................................... 32Southeast Directional Drilling ..................... 45Straightline HDD Inc. .................................. 7Sur face to Sur face ..................................... 2Torquato Drilling Accessories, Inc. ............. 55Underground Tools Inc. ............................. 47Vermeer ..................................................... 5Wyo-Ben Inc. ............................................. 3

AD INDEXTrenchless Technology Supplement

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6 TRENCHLESS TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT


PUBLISHERBernard P. [email protected]

EDITORIALEditor: James W. [email protected]

Managing Editor: Sharon M. [email protected]

Assistant Editor: Andrew [email protected]

Contributing Staff Editors:Brad Kramer • Keith Gribbins Kelly Pickerel • Pam Kleineke

SALES+MARKETINGMarketing Director: Kelly [email protected]

Regional Sales Manager: Dan [email protected]

Conferences Manager: Melanie [email protected]

Conferences Sales Coordinator: Brittany [email protected]

PRODUCTION+FULLFILLMENTProduction Manager: Chris [email protected]

Graphic Artists:Sarah HaughawoutDeb McManus • Elizabeth Stull

Web/Interactive Manager: Mark [email protected]

Audience Development Manager: Alexis R. [email protected]

Circulation & Fullfillment Coordinator: Lillian [email protected]

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARDChairman: Dr. Tom Iseley, P.E.Indianapolis, Indiana, Professor/Director at CEMT at IUPUI

Dr. Samuel Ariaratnam P.E. Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona

Dr. David Bennett, P.E. Bennett Trenchless Engineers, Folsom, California

Steven R. Kramer, P.E. HNTB, Washington, D.C.

Joseph Loiacono, ing. Sanexen, Montreal, Quebec

Irene McSweeney, P.E. Boston Water and Sewer Commission, Boston, Massachusetts

REPRINTS Wright’s Media Ph: 877-652-5295 • Fax: 281-419-5712

Chief Executive Officer: Bernard P. [email protected]

President: Robert Krzys [email protected]

Controller: Marianne [email protected]

10050 Brecksville Rd.Brecksville, OH 44141 USA (330) 467-7588 • Fax: (330) 468-2289 www.trenchlessonline.com e-mail: [email protected]

EDITOR’S MESSAGEThe 2013 Horizontal Directional Drilling Guide Is Back & Better Than Ever!

We’re having a three-peat! For the third consecutive year, we have published a special supplement on horizontal directional drilling — the 2013 Horizontal Directional Drilling Guide. The response to our previous HDD supplements was tremendous and buoys our perspective that the HDD market continues to grow stronger and stronger.

In speaking with HDD rig manufacturers, a common thread connected all of their thoughts about the HDD market: This is a great time to be in the HDD industry. New equipment sales are increasing with each passing month, companies (manufacturing and contractors) are consolidating their efforts to make the competition even stronger and contractors have a backlog of work. Pipeline and utility construction, longer crossings and wider diameters are driving the industry to greater heights and widespread acceptance.

In the 2013 Horizontal Directional Drilling Guide, we take a look at one of the HDD industry’s pioneers, Dick Melsheimer, who offers his insight into the early days of the fledgling industry and how his company has been able to sustain its success. I love when we can spotlight the history of the HDD industry, reflecting on how this infrastructure- and construction-changing industry began and how it has evolved. These are some of the most interesting stories we share with our readers.

The 2013 Guide also brings you interesting case studies and technology innovations in dealing with pipeline, gas and telecom work. One of the most popular features of the Guide has been our Drilling Rig Specs (starting on pg. 10), in which we invite the drilling rig manufacturers to submit their rig product fleet for you, giving you a glimpse of what these machines can do. You will notice a few additional players in this year’s specs section from previous years — always a good sign for the industry!

We also enjoy bringing you the very latest in products and technology through our Products Showcase. Each year, we invite manufacturers of HDD equipment to send us a write up of their products and we also get an excellent response. The diversity of products out there once again shows the growth and inventiveness of the market.

The 2013 Horizontal Directional Drilling Guide is a source of pride for our staff and we enjoy bringing this special product to you. The HDD industry is vibrant, exciting and expanding and we hope this book reflects those terms. I am looking forward to what the future holds for the HDD industry and what we can bring to you in 2014!

Sharon M. Bueno, Managing Editor

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PUBLISHERBernard P. [email protected]

EDITORIALEditor: James W. [email protected]

Managing Editor: Sharon M. [email protected]

Assistant Editor: Andrew [email protected]

Contributing Staff Editors:Brad Kramer • Keith Gribbins Kelly Pickerel • Pam Kleineke

SALES+MARKETINGMarketing Director: Kelly [email protected]

Regional Sales Manager: Dan [email protected]

Conferences Manager: Melanie [email protected]

Conferences Sales Coordinator: Brittany [email protected]

PRODUCTION+FULLFILLMENTProduction Manager: Chris [email protected]

Graphic Artists:Sarah HaughawoutDeb McManus • Elizabeth Stull

Web/Interactive Manager: Mark [email protected]

Audience Development Manager: Alexis R. [email protected]

Circulation & Fullfillment Coordinator: Lillian [email protected]

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARDChairman: Dr. Tom Iseley, P.E.Indianapolis, Indiana, Professor/Director at CEMT at IUPUI

Dr. Samuel Ariaratnam P.E. Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona

Dr. David Bennett, P.E. Bennett Trenchless Engineers, Folsom, California

Steven R. Kramer, P.E. HNTB, Washington, D.C.

Joseph Loiacono, ing. Sanexen, Montreal, Quebec

Irene McSweeney, P.E. Boston Water and Sewer Commission, Boston, Massachusetts

REPRINTS Wright’s Media Ph: 877-652-5295 • Fax: 281-419-5712

Chief Executive Officer: Bernard P. [email protected]

President: Robert Krzys [email protected]

Controller: Marianne [email protected]

10050 Brecksville Rd.Brecksville, OH 44141 USA (330) 467-7588 • Fax: (330) 468-2289 www.trenchlessonline.com e-mail: [email protected]

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The horizontal directional drilling in-dustry is having a strong and stable 2013, industry manufacturers say,

with new equipment purchases up and contractors taking advantage of the pipe-line- and telecom-related work that is be-fore them.

With the economy continuing to im-prove, the HDD industry is also is mov-ing forward with contractors craving new drill rigs and tooling to meet the demand of work that needs to be done. While optimism abounds, there is a back-drop of caution to their words as if no one wants to jinx the building strength of the HDD market. The hard lessons learned from the troubled economy of the past few years are being played out by contractors who are smarter and sav-vier when it comes to their spending and knowing what they looking for.

The HDD market players are walking with a stronger bounce in their step these days, shrugging off the anxiety and gloom of the Great Recession of 2008. Over the past few years, there have been HDD con-tractor, manufacturer and engineering consolidations, including several in the last year that involved leading manufac-turers and large application contractors. The Toro Co. joined the HDD party with its acquisition of Astec Underground’s drill rig line. The pioneering HDD manu-facturer The Charles Machine Works pur-chased American Augers, giving it posses-sion of its larger, pipeline-oriented drilling rigs, as well as acquiring an industry-lead-ing player in the used equipment market MTI Equipment. Arizona-based contractor Southeast Directional Drilling was pur-chased by Power Line Holdings and TR Drill acquired the drill rig line of Tulsa Rig Iron. What does all this mean for the HDD industry as a whole?

Oil and gas continue to bolster and drive the HDD market. The Marcellus shale region — which encompasses all of Penn-sylvania, as well as parts of New York, Ohio and West Virginia — remains a hot spot and so is the Bakken shale region in North Dakota — which stretches from Canada to North Dakota and in Montana and could possibly be the largest finding in U.S. histo-ry, next to the oilfield in Alaska. These areas have been a boon for contractors, particu-larly those who handle small- to medium-size diameter pipe. The demand for 4G and

greater bandwidth continues to push the telecom/fiber market.

In talking with HDD manufacturers for this story, the same theme was invoked by all with each interview: This is a great time to be in the HDD industry.

State of the MarketComing off a strong and solid 2012, the

HDD market started off 2013 a little slow-er but as the year has continued, work and purchases increased.

“Last year was a great year for HDD and this year also looks to be a good year so far,” says Vermeer global product manager John Kuyers, a veteran of the HDD industry. “It’s going to be interesting. This market ebbs and flows and we’ll have to see how long the flowing continues before it ebbs again. But I see that the contractors are busy and they have a steady backlog of work.”

Some see the strength of the market as an indication that horizontal directional drilling is more accepted than ever. Rich-ard Levings has been through HDD’s ups and downs since its beginnings, experi-encing the booms and busts of the mar-ket. Known for his years with Ditch Witch, he recently was named the director of product management at American Augers, overseeing all of their product lines.

“The industry is going very well. Be-tween 1990 and 2000, we built accep-tance in the underground industry and people became familiar with HDD. When

the fiber-optic boom took over, everybody saw how HDD worked,” Levings says. “The huge acceptance and change from open trench to trenchless came after the fall of the fiber market when we had all these drilling units to do work and people start-ed using them. Now, HDD is the method of choice and accepted as very efficient and cost-effective and we have contrac-tors who know what they are doing.”

Levings also points to the oil and natu-ral gas pipeline work that has buoyed the HDD industry at just the right time — at the start of the economic downturn in 2009. “That kicked in at just the right time,” he says. “They need everything from 2-in. flow lines to large diameter pipelines. As that market took off, some of the traditional HDD markets started to re-bound, such as telecom, water and sewer. Though times have been tough for many, it’s been very good for the underground construction market.”

MTI Equipment purchasing manager Shawn Hendricks also sees the uptick in buying over the last few months. MTI Equipment services the used equipment needs of directional drillers, as well as serving has a dealer for Melfred Borzall tooling, Digital Control and Hunting Ibe-ria. “The start of the year was a hair down [from 2012,]” he says. “But in talking with customers, I think there were a lot of con-tracts that were out there but never re-ally came to fruition until these last few


HDD Market Having Strong, Solid 2013 By Sharon M. Bueno

Lots of changes in the HDD industry in the last year, including The Charles Machine Works acquisition of American Augers line of maxi drill rigs. The Toro Co. also entered the market, buying the rig line of Astec Underground.

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www.trenchlessonline.com TRENCHLESS TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT 9

months. Over the last two months, things have really picked up. Customers need a machine now.”

Something else enticing contractors to buy their rigs now: avoiding the high price tag that will come with Tier 4-com-pliant rigs, which are on their way in full in 2015. “Some of it is Tier 4 avoidance,” Kuyers says. “And the increased costs as-sociated with it.”

What Are They Buying?Manufacturers say that the purchases

being made for rigs are typically in the 20,000-lb and larger class machines — pointing to the rigs needed for the pipe-line work. Hendricks says his custom-ers are buying rigs between 36,000 and 100,000 lbs and that is something Ditch Witch director of product definition Ran-dy Rupp concurs with.

“From our orders and sales, it is trend-ing more toward the mid-size and to larger machines,” he says. “I don’t know if the [pipeline work] is all of the driver for that. There is still a lot of phone and cable work going on. As our smartphones demand more bandwidth, companies are scrambling to make sure those networks are upgraded. There is still a lot of private sector money being spent in the under-ground industry.”

But the answer to the age old ques-tion of new equipment vs. used equip-ment seems to be trending toward new rig purchases, and for number of reasons. When the economy soured and custom-ers tightened their purse strings, buying used equipment or making do with what you had was the business philosophy of the consumer. But today, consumers are looking to replenish their fleets with new rigs — the cost for new and used is some-what comparable these days.

“Contractors are buying again but there is still a high demand for used equip-ment,” Rupp says. “A few years ago when the economy was down, none of the rig manufacturers were building very many directional drills. So the machines that were built three years ago are the ones that would be for sale as used drills today, making the used market very tight right now, driving people to purchase more new units.”

Hendricks says the used equipment market has seen a resurgence in compe-tition with the new equipment. “We are finding ourselves competing with new equipment guys more than ever,” he says. “The dealers are more aggressive in their

pricing and customers are buying new again, more than in the past few years.”

Key HDD IssuesWith such a positive outlook on what

is happening in the HDD industry, what are some key challenges that it faces? Mud disposal and the handling of drilling fluid continue to top the list, with the issue get-ting a lot of attention in recent years due to the oil and gas work.

“It’s one of the things we have to watch,” Rupp says. “It’s been brought up in recent years because there were certain locations and certain municipalities that were cracking down on it…It’s becoming more critical [of an issue] because it’s be-coming more widespread.”

He says the issue is making it more ex-pensive for companies to find disposal

sites, forcing them to drive two or three hours to a site, affecting their ability to make money. “A lot of the things that larger drills have to do with reclaimers, we see it migrating down to the smaller drills as municipalities and states begin to regulate how much of that fluid can actually escape from a jobsite.”

Levings agrees, saying “It’s a perceived thing and people don’t understand that it’s just dirt and water. But it’s something that could keep the market from expand-ing more.”

Levings also points to the increased congestion of easements as something that will affect the HDD industry. “It’s becoming a serious issue,” he says, not-ing that more and more easements have multiple power, gas and sewer lines, which makes for expert maneuvering, drilling and pre-planning for drillers.

“It’s definitely crowded. You can still work in the easements but contractors need to do more potholing and locat-ing of the existing utilities before they drill. It’s time-consuming and costly, resulting in thinner profit margins for contractors.”

The issue of congested easements also goes along with the critical issue of crossbores. “It doesn’t matter if it’s sewer or gas lines,” Levings says. “It is so important to be aware and through the proper pre-planning and pre-bor-ing. You need to identify what’s in your borepath before you bore. Crossbores have given the industry somewhat of a black eye in the past so it’s important that we as an industry pay attention to that and rectify it as we go forward so it doesn’t haunt us in the future.”

The FutureNo one can predict the future and know

for sure the HDD market will continue its upswing beyond the next few years but industry insiders say all their data points to sustained growth. “It’s definitely a grow-ing industry,” Hendricks says. “There is so much infrastructure that needs attention. There are studies about how much pipe that is in the ground that will need to be replaced over the next 10 years. HDD has a lot to do with the future.”

”“I would love to have a crystal ball and tell you this is the way it’s going to be,” Kuyers says. “As a whole, the market seems pretty robust. The work is out there and the contractors are working.

Sharon M. Bueno is managing editor of Trenchless Technology.


Contractors are heading back to the manufacturers to bolster their fleets with new equipment — a great sign for the market.

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As the HDD market continues to pick up, you may be looking to add to your drilling rig fleet. You may be loyal to your dealer or are interested in seeing what else is available that may meet your com-pany’s needs. Directional drill rigs come in all shapes and sizes and colors.

With this section, we present a glimpse of what the drilling rig manu-

facturers have to offer. This year, you will note two new players in the rig market: The Toro Co., which pur-chased the Astec Underground drills in 2012, and TR Drills, which acquired those made by Tulsa Rig Iron. Also in-cluded in the rig specs for the first time are the rigs from McLaughlin Group Inc.

Trenchless Technology contacted the industry’s rig manufacturers and asked them to provide the specifications for their fleet. No direct quality compari-sons between equipment or manu-facturers are implied. All information is provided by the manufacturers. To get additional information, contact the manufacturers directly.


RIG SHOWROOM: 2013 Horizontal Directional Drill Specs

COMPANY HISTORY The American Augers line of under-ground construction equipment in-cludes auger boring machines, maxi rig and midsize directional drills, mud pump and cleaning systems, as well as tooling and accessories. American Au-gers products are manufactured at the company’s 241,000 sq ft facility in West Salem, Ohio, in the heart of Amish coun-try between Columbus and Cleveland. Since the founding of American Augers in 1970, there has never been a change in the company’s core value: having products developed by a can-do work force that focuses on mechanical, tech-nological and customer-based design improvements. American Augers was the first HDD manufacturer to eliminate chain and utilize a rack-and-pinion car-riage design, which is now the industry

standard. Our rack-and-pinion drive provides smoother carriage movement, more precise operating control, long system life and no complicated parts. American Augers machines are support-ed through a dedicated parts and tech-nical service department. In October 2012, American Augers was sold to The Charles Machine Works Inc., Perry, Okla.

PRODUCT LINEUP DD-110 / DD-110SDD-155TDD-220TDD-440DD-440TDD-625DD-1100RS

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT The next midsize horizontal direction-al drill from American Augers debuted in early 2013. The DD-155T features a low noise design, incredible torque, and unique drilling angles available with multi-functional job-easing op-tions. In addition to the usual Ameri-can Augers quality and innovation, the new midsize boasts the industry-leading American Augers support by a dedicated parts & technical service department with the best warranty in the market.

AMERICAN AUGERS135 State Route 42West Salem, OH 44287Ph: (330) 869-7107Web: www.americanaugers.com

Co/ Thrust/ Spindle Torque Pilot Maximum Maximum Drill Engine Maximum Fluid Flow Model Pullback (lbs) Speed (rpm) (ft-lb) Bore OD Backream (in.) Bore (ft) Pipe (ft) HP Pressure (psi) Rate (gpm) DD-110 110,000 150 14,000 6 varies varies 20 260 1100 200 DD-110S 110,000 150 14,000 6 varies varies 15 260 1100 200 DD-155T 155,000 100 30,000 9 varies varies 20 275 1500 450 DD-220T 220,000 95 30,000 9 varies varies 34 365 1500 650 DD-440 440,000 80 60,000 9 varies varies 34 2@375 ea. 1500 1000 DD-440T 440,000 80 60,000 9 varies varies 34 600 1500 1000 DD-625 625,000 90 80,000 13 varies varies 34 600 1500 1000 DD-1100RS 1,100,000 75 100,000 13 varies varies 34 765 1500 1000

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COMPANY HISTORY Barbco has been manufacturing Direc-tional Drills since the mid-1990s. Since then we have become known as a manu-facturer that “really puts the horsepower behind the specifications.” Our directional drills will exceed your expectations of how a drill should perform. The reason is simple. We start with quality components that have stronger duty cycles and couple them to higher flywheel horsepower creating unmatched performance that the operator can actually feel when on a tough pull. Barbco’s machines are utilized throughout the world on a daily basis with a proven track record of long durability in the field for performance, reliability, better quality construction and a simple design for easy maintenance and operation. In times of service needs, Barbco, once again, meets or exceeds our customer’s expecta-tions. We have a vast knowledge in field experience both in private, military and government projects and can be of assis-tance on any project that the equipment is designed to be used for.

PRODUCT LINEUP Directional Drill Models that are avail-able from Barbco today are:BD40HP, BD60HP, BD80HP, BD100, BD120, BD150, BD250, BD500, BD750 and BD1M.

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT BD60HP (High Performance)This BD60HP produces a full 60,000lbs of pulling force and an awesome pull-ing speed of 164 fpm. A generous rota-ry torque of 12,500 ft- lbs. with a rotary speed of 220 rpm. These powerful perfor-mance specifications are no match for the durability we have built into our welded steel frame and rack-and-pinion drilling derrick. Other features include a large on board drilling fluid system, enclosed cab with climate control, automatic rod load-

er and automated steer and ream drilling cycles. We encourage you to compare our specifications and price to any manufac-turer in the business.

MAINTENANCE TIPGrease all moving parts and change air and oil filters regularly.

BUY/LEASE TIPSChoose your equipment wisely. Be sure to review the specifications before the price. Ask the manufacturer to explain how they determined what horse pow-er to put on-board their Rig. Point out that there are three main functions that all must be powered correctly (thrust, rotary and mud), each requiring a cer-tain amount of horse power. Add them up and see if the unit is properly pow-ered.

BARBCO INC.315 Pekin Dr.Canton, OH 44730Ph: (800) 448-8934Web: www.barbco.com

Co/ Thrust/ Spindle Torque Pilot Maximum Maximum Drill Engine Maximum Fluid Flow Fluid Model Pullback (lbs) Speed (rpm) (ft-lb) Bore OD Backream (in.) Bore (ft) Pipe (ft) HP Pressure (psi) Rate (gpm) Tank (gal) Barbco/ 40,000 250 6,800 Subject to Subject to Subject to 10-15 201 1,000 138 N/A BD40HP ground conditions ground conditions ground conditions Barbco/ 60,000 220 12,500 Subject to Subject to Subject to 15-20 225 1,000 138 N/A BD60HP ground conditions ground conditions ground conditions Barbco/ 80,000 185 15,000 Subject to Subject to Subject to 15-20 250 1,000 230 N/A BD80HP ground conditions ground conditions ground conditions Barbco/ 100,000 125 17,500 Subject to Subject to Subject to 20 440 1,000 275 N/A BD100 ground conditions ground conditions ground conditions Barbco/ 120,000 125 20,600 Subject to Subject to Subject to 20 440 1,000 275 N/A BD120 ground conditions ground conditions ground conditions Barbco/ 150,000 90 27,000 Subject to Subject to Subject to 20-35 540 1,000 400 N/A BD150 ground conditions ground conditions ground conditions Barbco/ 250,000 90 47,600 Subject to Subject to Subject to 20-35 540 N/A N/A N/A BD250 ground conditions ground conditions ground conditions Barbco/ 500,000 90 63,000 Subject to Subject to Subject to 35 700 N/A N/A N/A BD500 ground conditions ground conditions ground conditions Barbco/ 750,000 90 80,000 Subject to Subject to Subject to 35 950 N/A N/A N/A BD750 ground conditions ground conditions ground conditions Barbco/ 1,000,000 90 95,000 Subject to Subject to Subject to 35 1,400 N/A N/A N/A BD1M ground conditions ground conditions ground conditions

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COMPANY HISTORY Headquartered in Perry, Okla., since its founding in 1949, the Ditch Witch or-ganization is a family-owned and -oper-ated company that designs and manu-factures a wide variety of Ditch Witch underground construction equipment, including horizontal directional drill-ing systems, trenchers, vacuum excava-tion systems, vibratory plows, mini skid steers, electronic guidance and locating tools, drill pipe, and downhole tools. All of these products are recognized around the world for their advanced design, rug-ged construction, long-term durability, ease of use, exceptional efficiency and reliability. The Ditch Witch product line represents the most complete range of equipment for installing utilities un-derground. Ditch Witch equipment is distributed exclusively by a worldwide network of independently owned and operated Ditch Witch dealerships, which offer new and used equipment, as well as genuine Ditch Witch parts, service and financing. Ditch Witch dealers are cho-

sen for their commitment to the under-ground construction profession and thor-oughly trained to represent the highest standards in the industry.

PRODUCT LINEUP JT5JT922JT1220JT2020JT25JT30JT30 All TerrainJT4020 JT4020 All TerrainJT100JT100 All Terrain

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT Ditch Witch JT25 HDD System: The new JT25 horizontal directional drill, an ex-ceptionally powerful and productive horizontal directional drill designed specifically for the utility contractor. Of-fering 27,000 lbs of thrust and pullback and 4,000 ft-lbs of rotational torque, the

JT25 is an ideal drill for installing utility pipe and cables of up to 12 in. in diam-eter at lengths of up to 500 ft. Featuring a 130-hp Tier 4i Cummins diesel engine, the JT25 the quietest drill in its class and, in fact, the quietest among all drills. The simple, durable JT25 is a workhorse designed for low-maintenance, high-quality performance.

MAINTENANCE TIPThe JT25 was designed for greater up-time with a simples, durable, and custom-er-driven design. The daily maintenance points are in one easy-to-access location.

DITCH WITCH1959 W. Fir Ave.Perry, Okla 73077Ph: (800) 654-6481Web: www.ditchwitch.com

Co/ Thrust/ Spindle Torque Pilot Maximum Maximum Drill Engine Maximum Fluid Flow Fluid Model Pullback (lbs) Speed (rpm) (ft-lb) Bore OD Backream (in.) Bore (ft) Pipe (ft) HP Pressure (psi) Rate (gpm) Tank (gal) Ditch Witch 4,100/5,000 195 550 2.5 4.5 4’11” 24.8 750 5 N/AJT5 Ditch Witch 9,000/9,000 186 1,100 3 variable 6 53.5 750 13 40JT922 Ditch Witch 10,000/12,000 180 1,400 3.5 variable 10 60 1,250 15 N/AJT1220 Ditch Witch 17,000/20,000 225 2,200 4 variable 10 85 1,500 32 N/A 2020 Ditch Witch 27,000/27,000 220 4,000 4.5 variable 9’8” 130 1,200 50 N/AJT25 Ditch Witch 24,800/30,000 225 4,000 4.5 variable 9’8” 148 1,500 50 N/AJT30 Ditch Witch 24,800/30,000 225 4000 4.75 variable 9’3” 148 1,500 50 N/AJT30 All TerrainDitch Witch 36,000/40,000 240 5,000 5 variable 14’9” 190 1,300 120 N/AJT4020 Ditch Witch 36,000/40,000 240 5000 6.25 variable 14’3” 190 1,300 120 N/AJT4020 All Terrain Ditch Witch 70,000/100,000 210 12,000 6 variable 14’9” 268 1,000 230 N/AJT100 Ditch Witch 70,000/100,000 210 12000 6.25 variable 14’1.5” 268 1,000 120* N/AJT100 All Terrain

*120 gpm will soon be 200 gpm (within a month) for AT100

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COMPANY HISTORY Herrenknecht is a technology and mar-ket leader in the area of mechanized tunnelling systems. As the only company worldwide, Herrenknecht delivers cut-ting-edge tunnel boring machines for all ground conditions and in all diameters – ranging from 0.10 to 19 m. In addition, Herrenknecht develops solutions for the production of vertical and sloping shafts. The tailor-made machines create underground supply tunnels for water and sewage, for gas, oil, electricity, Inter-net and telephone lines (Utility Tunnel-ing), as well as efficient infrastructure for car, metro and railway traffic (traffic

tunnelling) around the world. Our tun-nel boring machines are forging ahead with the world’s longest railway tunnel and the largest metro lines. They help to cross under water with supreme ac-curacy and to lay pipelines throughout continents. The Herrenknecht Group employs around 5,000 members of staff worldwide. With 77 subsidiaries and as-sociated companies working in related fields in Germany and abroad, a team of innovative specialists has formed under the umbrella of the Group, which is able to provide integrated solutions with project-specific equipment and service packages — close to the project site and the customer.

PRODUCT LINEUP The maxi and mega rigs developed and manufactured by Herrenknecht exert pulling forces of between 120,000 and 1,349,000 lbs and achieve a maximum torque of between 35,000 and 110,000 ft-lbs, depending on the model. All Her-renknecht HDD rigs have their own diesel powered energy supply, housed in sound-proof 20-ft containers. The ca-pacity of these power packs can vary from 300 to more than 1,300 hp, de-pending on the application. The com-pany offers frame, trailer, crawler and modular rigs.

HERRENKNECHT AG162 132nd Ave. E, Ste. 200Summer, WA 98390Ph: (253) 447-2302Web: www.herrenknecht.com

Co/ Thrust/ Spindle Torque Pilot Maximum Maximum Drill Engine Maximum Fluid Flow Fluid Model Pullback (lbs) Speed (rpm) (ft-lb) Bore OD Backream (in.) Bore (ft) Pipe (ft) HP Pressure (psi) Rate (gpm) Tank (gal) HK100C 220, 000 80 44,250 8 1/2 48 4,000 31.5 443 1,500 600 N/AHK150C 330, 000 72 51,650 9 7/8 48 6,000 31.5 590 1,500 760 N/AHK150T 330, 000 72 51,650 9 7/8 48 6,000 31.5 590 1,500 760 N/AHK250C 551, 000 72 66,400 12 1/4 72 8,000 31.5 644 1,500 1,000 N/AHK250T 551, 000 72 66,400 12 1/4 72 8,000 31.5 644 1,500 1,000 N/AHK300T 661, 000 72 66,400 12 1/4 72 9,000 31.5 644 1,500 1,000 N/AHK400C 881, 000 60 88,500 15 80 12,000 31.5 1288 1,500 1,200 N/AHK400T 881, 000 60 88,500 15 80 12,000 31.5 1288 1,500 1,200 N/AHK400M 881, 000 60 88,500 15 80 12,000 31.5 1288 1,500 1,200 N/AHK500T 1,102,000 60 103,300 17 1/2 80 15,000 31.5 1288 1,500 1,200 N/AHK600T 1,349,000 60 109,200 20 80 15,000 31.5 1288 1,500 1,200 N/A

tti_10-21.indd 14 7/17/2013 11:34:34 AM



COMPANY HISTORY For more than 85 years, McLaughlin has been actively involved in the drill-ing tool industry. During that time McLaughlin has developed a reputation for designing and building dependable, low maintenance trenchless construc-tion equipment. McLaughlin takes pride in providing solutions for OEMs and the underground industry.

PRODUCT LINEUP MCL 10H pit-launched directional drill

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT The MCL 10H is a pit-launched direc-tional drill that fits into a tight foot-print with either a 5-ft and 7-ft model. This drill has 1030 ft-lb of torque and 13250 lb of pullback. The MCL 10H is ideal for installing up to 12-inch water and gas lines on projects with setback restrictions.

MAINTENANCE TIPBasic equipment preventative mainte-nance and inspection of hoses, fittings and fluid levels increase jobsite produc-

tivity by reducing downtime. Wear com-ponents should be inspected prior to project mobilization.

BUY/LEASE TIPSThe McLaughlin MCL10 is a compact high performance Pit Launch Direction-al Drill for installations up to 10” diam-eter. The Mcl 10 Pit Launch machine is ideal for water service installations and crossings where easement restrictions do not allow for surface launch HDD methods.

MCLAUGHLIN GROUP INC.2006 Perimeter Rd.Greenville, S.C. 29605Ph: (864) 277-5870Web: www.mightymole.com

Co/ Thrust/ Spindle Torque Pilot Maximum Maximum Drill Engine Maximum Fluid Flow Fluid Model Pullback (lbs) Speed (rpm) (ft-lb) Bore OD Backream (in.) Bore (ft) Pipe (ft) HP Pressure (psi) Rate (gpm) Tank (gal) MCL 10H 17,670/13,250 0-125 1,030 3 12 150 2.33 Hydraulic 1,000 6 230(5-ft version) MCL 10H 17,670/13,250 0-125 1,030 3 12 150 4 Hydraulic 1,000 6 230(7-ft version)

tti_10-21.indd 15 7/17/2013 11:34:39 AM



COMPANY HISTORY Prime Drilling (distributed in North America through TT Technologies) is a global leader in the design, development and production of advanced horizontal directional drilling rigs and allied equip-ment. We understand that a successful crossing is particularly dependent on the reliability of the equipment involved. For this reason, it is not enough for us to focus on superior technical character-istics. We are driven to delivery robust, low-maintenance drill rigs that bring top performance in the most demand-ing environments. Today, there are more than 150 Prime Drilling HDD rigs in suc-

cessful operation around the world. Our products and services are backed by a highly qualified team with decades of experience in the field of horizontal di-rectional drilling technologies.

PRODUCT LINEUP HDD rigs with pull force from 25 up to 600 tons, pipe pusher, bentonite pumps, mixing units, recycling units, drill rods, reaming tools, measure-ment equipment and all necessary ac-cessories.

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTCurrent highlight is a drilling rig for

execution of horizontal and vertical drills. The drilling angle for HDD is 6 to 16 degrees and for vertical drills 16 to 90 degrees. This drilling rig is avail-able with 100-, 250- and 500-ton pull forces, torque ranges between 36,878 and 110,634 ft-lbs and the drive power between 449 and 1,320 HP.Particularly noteworthy is the rod handling system with loading crane and manipulator. The magazine contains ø 3.1/2, 5 and 7 in., as well as Range 2- and 20-ft rods. The drilling rig is available with self-propelled crawler or with steel frame and has rack-and-pinion drive, so that pull and push force are equal.

PRIME DRILLING GMBH TT Technologies Inc. (North American Partner)Ph: (800) 533-2078Web: www.prime-drilling.de

Co/ Thrust/ Torque Engine Maximum Fluid Operating Weight Model Pullback (lbs) (ft-lb) Speed (Net HP) Pressure (psi) Ground Pressure PD 30/18 CU 67,442 13,276 ft-lbs 305 1,595 16,000 kg (160 lb/ft²) PD 60/33 CU 134,885 24,340 ft-lbs 305 1,595 16,500 kg (160 lb/ft²) PD 80/50 RP 197,847 36,878 ft-lbs 449 1,595 24,500 kg (160 lb/ft²) PD 150/70 RP 337,213 51,630 ft-lbs 449 1,595 29,000 kg (160 lb/ft²) PD 250/90 RP 562,022 66,380 ft-lbs 650 1,595 32,000 kg (160 lb/ft²) PD 400/120 RP 899,236 88,507 ft-lbs 775 1,595 62,900 kg (160 lb/ft²) PD 500/150 RP 1,124,045 110,634 ft-lbs 775 1,595 62,900 kg (160 lb/ft²) PD 600/180 RP 1,348,853 132,761 ft-lbs 1,255 1,595 60,900 kg (160 lb/ft²)

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COMPANY HISTORY The Toro Co. is a leading worldwide provider of innovative construction, landscape, rental and turf equipment, as well as irrigation and outdoor light-ing solutions. With sales of more than $1.9 billion in fiscal 2012, Toro’s glob-al presence extends to more than 90 countries through strong relationships built on integrity and trust, constant innovation, and a commitment to help-ing customers enrich the beauty, pro-ductivity and sustainability of the land. Since 1914, the company has built a

tradition of excellence around a num-ber of strong brands to help custom-ers care for golf courses, sports fields, public green spaces, commercial and residential properties, and agricultural fields. In February 2012, Toro acquired certain utility and underground prod-uct assets of Astec Underground, Inc.. Toro’s underground equipment lineup includes vibratory plows, trenchers and horizontal directional drills for the un-derground utilities market.

PRODUCT LINEUPDD2024, DD4045

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTThe Toro DD-2024 horizontal direc-tional drill offers 20,000 lbs of thrust/pullback force with up to 2,400 ft-lbs of rotary torque. Powered by an 83-horse-power B3.3C Cummins turbocharged diesel engine, it features field-proven quad rack-and-pinion drive with adjust-able force limiter. The onboard mud pump flows 15 gpm at 1,250 psi. The floating carriage has two speeds, in-cluding a 120 ft/min fast mode.

THE TORO CO.8111 Lyndale Ave.Bloomington, MN 55401 Ph: (952) 887-8861Web: www.toro.com

Co/ Thrust/ Spindle Torque Pilot Maximum Maximum Drill Engine Maximum Fluid Flow Fluid Model Pullback (lbs) Speed (rpm) (ft-lb) Bore OD Backream (in.) Bore (ft) Pipe (ft) HP Pressure (psi) Rate (gpm) Tank (gal) DD2024 20,000 0-200 2,400 4 N/A N/A 10 74 1500 0-30 N/ADD4045 40,000 0-225 4,500 4 N/A N/A 10 160 1500 0-70 N/A

tti_10-21.indd 18 7/17/2013 11:34:49 AM



COMPANY HISTORY Starting August 2012, Tulsa Rig Iron sold

all trenchless assets back to its origi-nal creator Roger Woods with business partner Andy Braithwaite, who together saw an opportunity to bring the supe-rior quality and performance of Tulsa Rig Iron’s tradition into the future. The most significant and unique aspect of the TR Drill is a patented hydraulic cylin-der feed system, which will completely eliminate the issue of motor stall that fre-quently occurs on rack and pinion drills. Built with the same raw power of Tulsa Rig Iron, the new evolved version of the

line of TR drills will have the smallest footprint to power ratio than any other drill in the industry making remote drill-ing much easier than in the past. TR Drills is built on an eye-catching design and a cutting-edge drilling experience. It’s built from a tradition of performance with a commitment to quality.

PRODUCT LINEUPTR Drills focus is on three models TR-7, TR- 14 and the TR – 40 with future models to follow

TR DRILLS280 Center St.Petrolia, Ontario, CanadaN0N 1R0Ph: (519) 882-8781 Web: www.trdrills.com

Co/ Thrust/ Spindle Torque Pilot Maximum Maximum Drill Engine Maximum Fluid Flow Fluid Model Pullback (lbs) Speed (rpm) (ft-lb) Bore OD Backream (in.) Bore (ft) Pipe (ft) HP Pressure (psi) Rate (gpm) Tank (gal) TR - 7 7,200 143 1,250 2.5 10 300 6 37.5 800 8 n/aTR - 14 14,000 l 130 1,600 3 12 350 6 57 1,500 15 n/aTR - 40 38,500 160 5,000 4.5 30 1,500 10 185 3,000 100 n/a

COMPANY HISTORY TT Technologies, Inc., Aurora, Ill., is a manufacturer of trench-less technology equipment for the installation and replace-ment of water, sewer, gas and electric utilities. The equipment is field proven, logging more than 45 years of experience. With more than 200 patents worldwide, TT Technologies is a leader in trenchless applications ranging from pipe pulling, pipe ram-ming, pipe bursting, sliplining, and directional boring. A nation-wide network of regional customer service offices and distribu-tion locations assures products and expertise are always nearby. Comprehensive hands-on training seminars are held at the cor-porate offices in Aurora, Ill.,as well as regional shows, seminars, and demonstrations throughout North America each year.

PRODUCT LINEUPTT Technologies full line of trenchless equipment includes: Grundomat piercing tools, Grundodrill directional drills, Grund-osteer guided piercing tools, Grundocrack pipe bursting tools,

Grundoram pipe ramming tools, Grundomudd bentonite mix-ing and delivery systems, Grundowinch constant tension winch-es and Grundopit mini-directional drill rigs.

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT The compact Grundodrill 4X is designed for residential ser-vice, small diameter main installations and “last mile” opera-tions, offering 9,800 lbs of thrust and pullback. Using the compact drill is less intrusive and ideal for areas where larger units are not an option. The drill features a dual hydrostatic pump system and a four-auger stake down system that pro-vides greater stability. The Grundodrill 4X also comes with the exclusive Smart Vice system that performs vice cycling operations automatically.

TT TECHNOLOGIES2020 E. New York St.Aurora, Ill. 60502Ph: (630) 851-8200Web: www.tttechnologies.com

Co/ Thrust/ Spindle Torque Pilot Maximum Maximum Drill Engine Maximum Fluid Flow Fluid Model Pullback (lbs) Speed (rpm) (ft-lb) Bore OD Backream (in.) Bore (ft) Pipe (ft) HP Pressure (psi) Rate (gpm) Tank (gal) 40/60 13,200/8,800 110 662 2.1 4 200 2 23 800 10 225 4X 9,800 230 950 2.5 10 320 5 37.5 800 10 225 15XP 33,047 180 3,262 4 20 985 32.75 142 870 40 2,000 18ACS 40,465/44,961 200 7,375 6.5 24 1,000 32.75 198 870 40 2,000

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UNIVERSAL HDD1221 Flex Ct.Lake Zurich, IL 60047Ph: (847)955-0050Web: www.unihdd.com

Co/ Thrust/ Spindle Torque Pilot Maximum Maximum Drill Engine Maximum Fluid Flow Fluid Model Pullback (lbs) Speed (rpm) (ft-lb) Bore OD Backream (in.) Bore (ft) Pipe (ft) HP Pressure (psi) Rate (gpm) Tank (gal) UNI12x15 12,000 210 1,500 2.25 N/A N/A 6 66 1,200 30 N/A UNI12x15L 12,000 210 1,500 2.25 N/A N/A 10 66 1,200 30 N/A UNI22x22 22,000 210 2,200 3.5 N/A N/A 10 99 1,200 30 N/A UNI30x40 30,000 240 4,000 3.5 N/A N/A 10 140 1,200 75 N/A UNI60x70 60,000 200 7,000 3.5 N/A N/A 15 174 1,200 170 N/A UNI80x100 80,000 200 10,000 5 N/A N/A 15 200 1,200 200 N/A UNI110x120 110,000 160 12,000 5 N/A N/A 15 250 1,200 250 N/A UNI160x240 160,000 120 24,000 5 N/A N/A 20 375 1,200 325 N/A UNI220x240 220,000 120 24,000 6 N/A N/A 20 400 N/A N/A N/A UNI250x400 250,000 120 40,000 6 N/A N/A 20 425 N/A N/A N/A

COMPANY HISTORY Formally known as Robbins HDD, Uni-versal HDD combines the world re-nowned underground tunneling tech-nology and expertise of manufacturing large-scale horizontal directional drills. In 2000, the company acquired Con-tractors Manufacturing Services, and merged the two underground equip-ment giants. Contractors had special-ized in manufacture of some of the world’s largest horizontal directional drills, with push/pull capacities up to 550,000 lbs. With combined knowl-edge, expertise and resources, Uni-versal HDD began design of the next generation of the HDD equipment. This equipment would push the limits and challenge the industry around the world.

Universal HDD machines have drilled all over the world and in all manner of soil and hard rock conditions. The company

works alongside its customers, making crossings on nearly every continent, un-der the biggest, widest rivers, and under hill and dale. It is this diversity of envi-ronments that has taught the company what works best in virtually every type of geology. The company has taken that knowledge and applied it to how it de-signs and builds its equipment.

PRODUCT LINEUPIn 2012, Universal HDD introduced a new line of rigs: UNI 22x22, UNI 70x90, UNI 110x120, and UNI 300x400. These drills feature the most advanced tech-nology in the industry, while maintain-ing the simple design, high productiv-ity and reliability.

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTCustom Build ProductsUniversal HDD remains a leader in the design and manufacture of custom

horizontal directional drills and equip-ment. The company begins with com-mon platforms, but engineers and con-structs horizontal directional drilling machines that meet the specific needs of customers. Pound-for-pound, at Uni-versal HDD we provide more value to our customers, both in the equipment and customer support.

BUY/LEASE TIPUniversal HDD customers rely on the company’s extensive knowledge and expertise when they request a ma-chine. These customers look to experts at Universal HDD to teach them how to use the equipment, including how to optimize its performance in the field. The company will assemble a team from Robbins and Universal HDD’s val-ued component suppliers to create a training program as customized as the equipment.

tti_10-21.indd 20 7/17/2013 11:34:57 AM



COMPANY HISTORY Vermeer was formed in 1948 with the introduction of a mechanical hoist de-signed to offload grain from wagons and eliminating the back-breaking la-bor of shoveling. Since then, Vermeer has been on the forefront of innova-tion and leading technology in agricul-tural and construction equipment that continue today with market-leading equipment solutions and product de-signs that help maximize efficiency and minimize labor.

PRODUCT LINE-UPD6x6 NavigatorD9x13 Series II NavigatorD16x20 Series II NavigatorD20x22 Series II NavigatorD24x40 Series II NavigatorD36x50 Series II NavigatorD36x50DR Navigator

D60x90 NavigatorD80x100 Series II NavigatorD100x120 Series II NavigatorD100x140 Navigator D330x500 NavigatorD500x500 NavigatorD750x900 NavigatorD1000x900 NavigatorD1320x900 Navigator

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTThe D100x140 is powered by a 275-hp (205.1 kW) CAT diesel engine that meets EPA interim Tier 4 and EU Stage IIIB emissions certification and produc-es 100,000 lb (445 kN) of thrust/pull-back force. The unit is rated at a maxi-mum of 14,000 ft-lb (18,981.5 Nm) of rotational torque or maximum rota-tional speeds up to 203 rpm. Increased torque and speed transfers more power downhole to improve productivity.

Two large color digital displays include an integrated multifunction display (MFD) locator remote and machine per-formance data that displays rotational speed and torque, thrust/pullback pres-sure, drilling fluid pump pressure and diagnostics, as well as the engine after-treatment functionality.

MAINTENANCE TIPDo not overlook daily maintenance points, as they can help maintain the rig’s peak performance and reduce pre-mature wear to vital components.

BUY/LEASE TIPThe strength and commitment of a manufacturer’s after-the-sale support is an important consideration in making a rig purchase decision.

VERMEER1210 Vermeer Rd. EastPella, IA 50219Ph: (641) 628-3141Web: www.vermeer.com

Co/ Thrust/ Spindle Torque Pilot Maximum Maximum Drill Engine Maximum Fluid Flow Fluid Model Pullback (lbs) Speed (rpm) (ft-lb) Bore OD Backream (in.) Bore (ft) Pipe (ft) HP Pressure (psi) Rate (gpm) Tank (gal) D6x6 5,500 180 550 N/A N/A 150 6 26 500 5 N/A D9x13 Series II 9,000 176 1,300 N/A N/A 300 6 47 500 15 N/A D16x20 Series II 16,000 248 2,000 N/A N/A 400 10 65 1,000 25 N/A D20x22 Series II 20,000 208 2,200 N/A N/A 350 10 83 1,000 25 N/A D24x40 Series II 24,000 270 4,000 N/A N/A 500 10 125 1,300 50 N/A D36x50 Series II 10’ rod 36,000 227 4,995 N/A N/A 450/500 10 140 1,300 50 N/A D36x50 Series II 15’ rod 36,000 227 4,995 N/A N/A 450/500 15 140 1,300 50; 70 N/AD36x50DR 38,000 210 6,000 N/A N/A 500 10 140 1,300 50; 70 N/AD60x90 60,000 200 9,000 N/A N/A 450/360 15 185 1,200 150 N/A D80x100 Series II 80,000 180 10,000 N/A N/A 360 15 200 1,100 150; 200 N/A D100x120 Series II 100,000 120 12,000 N/A N/A 300 20 225 1,100 150; 200 N/A D100x140 15’ rod 100,000 203 14,000 N/A N/A 270 15 275 1,100 230 N/A D100x140 20’ rod 100,000 203 14,000 N/A N/A 300 20 275 1,100 230 N/AD330x500 339,600 80 50,700 N/A N/A N/A 32 540 N/A N/A N/AD500x500 475,100 73 52,900 N/A N/A N/A 32 800 N/A N/A N/AD750x900 786,200 57 99,400 N/A N/A N/A 32 1200; 1600 N/A N/A N/A D1000x900 985,100 57 99,400 N/A N/A N/A 32 1200; 1600 N/A N/A N/AD1320x900 1,328,000 57 99,400 N/A N/A N/A 32 1200; 1600 N/A N/A N/A

tti_10-21.indd 21 7/17/2013 11:35:02 AM


Unidirectional HDD has been the conventional method of practice for many decades. However, ever

increasing project challenges demand in-novative methods of pipe installation us-ing HDD. One such method is the inter-sect method where a single alignment is achieved by drilling from both ends so as to connect the drills underground. This method has been used for many reasons in recent times. The decision on whether a HDD project is conventional or intersect can be based on many factors such as drill fluid properties, geometry of drill, local topography, geology along the alignment, entry and exit elevations, total length of HDD, depth of installation, avail-ability of equipment, length of the conduc-tor sleeves and the capacity of overburden to restrain the drill fluid pressures. It is important to note that HDD de-signs are iterative processes and all the design considerations are interdepen-dent. It is necessary to examine them as a whole instead of examining individual factors affecting the design. A graphical HDD pressure analysis provides us with a better understanding of the intersect method, in particular, the effect of drill fluid pressures in an HDD intersect. The graphical HDD pressure analysis is also intended to assist in the overall design and decision-making process by conduct-ing parametric analysis of various align-ments based on anticipated drill fluid pressures and geology.

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS Alignment Control

Alignment control is a combination of accurate interpretation of the geological conditions, contractor’s experience and use of appropriate tools to successfully drill through the given soil conditions. Although conventional drills can be ac-complished for lengths greater than 8,000 ft (Bennett, 2008); alignment con-trol can be a major challenge beyond 4,000 ft in adverse soil conditions. In such cases, it may be necessary to use the intersect method.

Equipment and LogisticsBased on the equipment available to the

contractor at the time of the project, inter-sect method facilitates the use of combi-nations of small and large rigs to execute the drill successfully. Unidirectional drill on the other hand may need large rigs and sequential drills to do the same.

Geology along the Alignment and Installation Depth

The local geology is often the most important design consideration for any HDD project. The design begins with the geotechnical boring program to assess the subsurface conditions. The boring locations are planned depending on the length of drill and expected variations in the subsurface conditions. In order to come up with a sound design for any HDD project, it is necessary to assume some of the design parameters based on the design model used. In the case of the cavity expansion model, it is im-portant to obtain critical soil character-istics such as density, friction angle and soil cohesion, which are not normally available from geotechnical boring logs alone. There have been many publica-tions in the past emphasizing the impor-tance of conducting appropriate tests to obtain project specific data.

Unfortunately, not all projects can ac-commodate an exhaustive test program that may be required to collect all the soil parameters. This makes it important to have reality checks since the available test data may only be indicative of the general site conditions and are usually conducted on a small percentage of area compared to the total area of the site. An experienced HDD engineer should therefore analyze and apply the data to reflect realistic conditions for the design. In other words, a Geotechnical Baseline Report that provides a reasonable in-terpretation of the geotechnical condi-tions is crucial for any complex HDD project. In the absence of such reports, the graphical HDD pressure analysis described below can be used as supple-

mental software. This method of analysis would benefit design consultants and contractors alike in helping to improve their overall understanding of the inter-sect design process and its advantages.

In-situ ConditionsWaterways: Long distance drilling

in waterways presents its set of unique challenges such as length of drills, pro-tected marine habitats, etc. In such cases, using the intersect method versus se-quential drills will reduce the numbers of drills, disturbance to the natural to-pography, permitting requirements and associated costs.

Urbanized areas: Highly urbanized areas have their share of challenges such as congested streets, space constraints to set up equipment, topography, high traffic density, pedestrian traffic, and presence of emergency services. Associ-ated challenges include high social costs, opposition from the public, permit chal-lenges, time constraints. In such cases, intersect method can help reduce the social impact to the public and in turn, the economic impact to the businesses in the vicinity of the project by reducing the equipment setup areas and increas-ing the length of HDD. This is substanti-ated by the graphical HDD pressure ana-lyzer used for a HDD project in a highly urbanized area in a city in the southeast as described below.

HDD alignment design and drill pres-sure analysis

The change in elevation between the entry and exit locations and the type of geology dictate the alignment design. Figure 1 shows the vertical HDD align-


TECHNICAL PAPER: Design Considerations for Intersect Method of HDD By Abhinav Huli and Dennis Doherty

Figure 1. HDD alignment and surface profile indicating the difference in elevation

tti_22-25.indd 22 7/17/2013 11:37:09 AM


ment for the project with the difference in elevations of approximately 70 ft. The alignment has three vertical curves. The top of rock runs parallel to the surface at a depth of approximately 50 ft. How-ever, rock is much closer to the surface for the last third of the alignment on the uphill side necessitating introduction of a vertical curve in the middle of the alignment to avoid the rock.

Figure 2 indicates the anticipated maximum allowable pressure for this alignment. The variation in the maxi-mum allowable pressure is based on

the soil conditions and the overall depth of the alignment. Further, chang-es can be made to the geometry of the alignment and the soil properties at the design stage in order to under-stand the influence of each soil param-eter (in this case friction angle, cohe-sion and shear modulus since cavity expansion theory is used to model the pressures). Upon completion of this process, the values of the anticipated maximum allowable pressures remain unchanged throughout the design.

The next step of the design in-volves calculation of the anticipated minimum drill f luid pressures (Pmin) required to successfully execute the drill. One of the unique aspects of the design of Pmin is that some of the drill f luid parameters can only be known during the actual drilling since they are adjusted in the field based on the drill pressures experi-enced for the given soil condition. The calculation of Pmin is in essence only an approximation of what the actual drill pressures would be based on the engineer’s experience.

The anticipated minimum drill f luid pressures decrease when drill-ing from a point of lower elevation to a point of higher elevation. This oc-curs when the drill mud is assisted by gravity during its return to the entry pit. In Figure 3, Pmin increases gradu-ally to a value of approximately 45 psi. However, it then drops due to a combination of ascending alignment geometry, decreased overburden and the head on the higher side of the alignment, which aids in the return of the drill mud. This could result in


Figure 2. Graphical representation of the anticipated maximum allowable pressure for the HDD alignment

Figure 3. The anticipated minimum drill fluid pressure drilling from lower side to the higher side as shown in blue

tti_22-25.indd 23 7/17/2013 11:37:13 AM


inadvertent returns of drill f luids as indicated in Figure 3 by the blue line when it crosses the red line. This oc-curs prior to the final vertical curve and therefore cannot be contained by a conductor sleeve.

It is suggested that the engineer cal-culate Pmin when drilled from both di-rections in order assess the most con-servative design. Drilling from a point

of higher elevation to a point of lower elevation results in an increase in Pmin. This occurs due to the increased pressure required for the returning drill mud to overcome the head on its way toward the entry location which often leads to frac-out as shown in Fig-ure 4. Drilling from higher side to the lower side, the value of Pmin increases to a value of approximately 110 psi be-

fore it reduces gradually as the align-ment flattens toward the lower side. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, frac-out occurs on the exit side of each drill. Again, this occurs prior to the verti-cal curve. Although conductor sleeves (casing pipes) are used to mitigate the risk of frac-outs, it may not be possible to employ conduct sleeves on the exit side as easily as on the entry side in the case of conventional HDD.

In such cases, both the values of Pmin are overlapped on each other in order to obtain an optimum point of intersection for a given set of drill fluid parameters. The location of the intersecting point should be along straight segments in or-der to reduce the chances of misalign-ment. Graphical representation of the point of intersection enables a better understanding of the appropriate loca-tion of intersection and various factors affecting the design.

Another unique aspect of HDD de-sign is that certain drill f luid proper-ties are assumed as a part of the de-sign process to predict the drill f luid pressures. In reality, these drill pres-sures depend on the type of drill mud used by the contractor and their in-si-tu properties. Since these properties cannot be accurately known ahead of time, the engineer must assume cer-tain drill f luid properties during the


Figure 4. Anticipated minimum drill fluid pressure drilling from the higher side to the lower side

Figure 5. Location of HDD intersection at STA 15+30

tti_22-25.indd 24 7/17/2013 11:37:16 AM


design stage. The graphical HDD pres-sure analyzer assists the engineer to make changes to the drill f luid prop-erties such as yield point, density and plastic viscosity in order to track the change in the point of intersection and thus obtain a general idea of a safe point of intersection. Figure 5 in-dicates the point of intersection to be at approximate STA 15+30. Figure 5 and 6 indicate the change in the loca-tion of intersection due to the change in the assumed mud density from 10 to 11 ppg, yield point from 20 to 35 lb/ft2 and plastic viscosity from 30 to 24 cp.

Upon setting the baseline design pa-rameters, the software can be used in the field to monitor drill mud opera-tions. Insitu samples of drill f luids can be used to conduct sensitivity analy-sis to understand the effect each pa-rameter has on the overall design and customize a combination that would make the HDD successful. A combi-nation of changes in drill rate, pump rate and real time analysis of drill f luid parameters can assist an experienced

HDD or drill f luid engineer to effec-tively extrapolate the drill pressures based on the samples examined and thus mitigate the risk of hydrofracture to the extent possible.

Technology has come a long way in recent years to make the underground intersect a reality. However, despite hav-ing all the technologies that assist in ex-ecution of HDD by the intersect method, the aim of this paper is to emphasize the importance of having a thorough under-

standing of down hole mud pressures which is crucial for the intersect design of HDD. The proposed graphical HDD pressure analyzer provides a visual plat-form which helps to produce technically sound designs and thus mitigate risks in-volved in this method of HDD.

Abhinav Huli and Dennis Doherty are engineers with U.S.-based Haley & Aldrich Inc. The full paper (Design Considerations for Intersect Method of HDD) can be accessed by NASTT members at www.nastt.org.

Copyright 2013 by the North American Society for Trenchless Technology.

Original paper distributed at NASTT’s 2013 No-Dig Show.

All rights reserved.

www.nastt.org


Figure 6. Location of intersection can be optimized based on the availability of equipment, geometry of drill and the drill fluid parameters

tti_22-25.indd 25 7/17/2013 11:37:20 AM



The Village of Volo in Illinois — about an hour northeast of Chica-go — originally depended on pri-

vate shallow wells. To facilitate future development, Volo built a public water supply system. This system was limited to using groundwater from the deep aquifer because of limited capacity of the shallow aquifer. Studies have shown that the current and future demand on the aquifers is not sustainable. Addition-ally these aquifers have naturally occur-ring radium and barium that must be removed to meet the Illinois drinking water standards. The long-term treat-ment and disposal costs are prohibitive and will continue to rise.

To meet these challenges, the Vil-lage of Volo is looking at a long-term solution of using Lake Michigan, which would provide the most viable and cost-effective source of high-quality drinking water for the village. As part of this long-term initiative, Volo con-tracted RA Mancini to install a new water main. RA Mancini is a family-owned and operated business that has provided quality utility construction services in the Chicago area for more than 70 years. The 7,000-ft water main ran along Highway 12. Horizontal di-rectional drilling was used for the ma-jority of the run, creating a number of bores. This bore was one of the longest at 2.200 ft.

The product selected for the main was of 16-in. Fusible C-905 DR 18 PVC manufactured by Underground Solu-tions Inc. As the joints are fused, gas-kets and possible leaks are eliminated. The fusing also provides high tensile strength allowing longer distances to be pulled.

For the HDD installation, Mancini used a Ditch Witch JT 100 with the on-board crane and heavy duty anchor system. This machine provides 100,000 lb (445 kN) of pullback and 12,000 ft-lbs (16,270 N•m) of torque which was ideal for this bore.

For the locating system, Mancini used a DigiTrak F5 by Digital Con-trol Inc. in conjunction with a DCI 12kHz/19khz dual-frequency Fluid

Pressure Transmitter (FPT) and the F5 TensiTrak. The F5 and FPT provides lo-cating abilities, plus it allows the driller to monitor and record the fluid pres-sures during the drilling of the pilot while the TensiTrak provides the pull forces on the product pipe and drill-ing fluid pressures during the pullback. This data can be recorded and down-loaded to the F5 LWD DataLog Map-ping System to create reports. These reports contain the details of the job in tabular and graphical formats.

The pilot bore was started on Feb. 15, 2013. Prior to the start of the bore, the F5 was calibrated with the 12/19 FPT in the drill head to ensure accurate depth readings. One can see the snow on the ground, the temperature was around 15 F. The pilot bore went quickly and took a total 10 hours spread over Friday and Monday, despite some complica-

tions caused by the cold weather. The LWD software generated the following charts, bore profile, pressure chart and the force chart. The bore chart shows the bore depth and the terrain.

The pressure chart shows where some of the cold weather complica-tions occurred in the bore. The com-plications caused the drilling fluid pressure to jump. These four areas are labeled A, B, C and D on the pressure chart. These pressures were displayed on the F5 locator in real-time as the bore was progressing.

It is crucial to a driller to be able to monitor the fluid pressure at the drill head. A sudden spike in the pressure can indicate an impending frac-out. A frac-out is when the drilling fluid causes a fracture in the soil allowing the drilling fluid to propagate to the surface.

Locating Software and Equipment Play Key Role in Illinois HDD Project By Mark Bartel

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The first of the four spikes in fluid pressure (Area A on the chart) occurred when the drill ran into some harder ground conditions. With the ability to see the pressure increase in real time, the crew was able to manage the pres-sure increase by reducing the drilling speed and drilling fluid pressure. The ability to manage the drilling fluid pres-sure gives the crew a powerful tool to minimize the likelihood of a frac-out. The second pressure spike (Area B on the chart) occurred on Monday after the rig had been sitting for the week-end in the cold weather. This spike was due to the cold weather conditions affecting the bore and drilling fluid. In this instance the crew was unable to avoid a frac-out. However, with the real-time pressure monitoring the crew recognized the problem immediately and the clean-up chore was minimized. The third pressure spike (Area C) oc-curred when the crew was starting the exit of the bore. With the pressure indi-cations, the crew minimized the pitch change for a gradual exit grade but was still unable to avoid a frac-out. Once again though, the pressure information provided in real-time allowed them to adjust the exit, and fluid pressure to minimize complications with a frac-out. The exit portion of the bore was difficult because of the angle and the cold weather. The final pressure spike occurred near the bore exit. Because of the cold weather the frost was 15 to 20 in. deep. At that angle with the hard frost, a frac-out also occurred. At this point the crew brought in an excavator to open up the receiving pit.

The pullback of the product was delayed several weeks because of the cold weather. The pipe was fused and staged in preparation to the pullback. Because of the cold weather, the fus-ing operation was contained a tent. All the joint fusion must be complet-ed following Underground Solutions Inc. (UGSI) procedures with UGSI trained fusion technicians. The fusion process includes logging of the data which includes the time and pres-sure of each fusion.

As part of the pullback procedure, the F5 TensiTrak was used. This device is put in line with the product during pullback to measure and display the pullback forces in real-time. This data can be saved on the F5, located and then later down-loaded to LWD software to generate a

report. This report is important as it en-sures the safe pulling force specification of the pipe was not exceeded.

In the Force chart, the start of the bore is at the right. One can see the force increase as the pipe is pulled through the bore. A good crew keeps the bore free of sharp bends and course corrections to minimize the pullback force. As seen from this chart, the maxi-mum was 63,750 lbs. This less than half of the maximum safe pulling force spec-ified for this pipe.

This project was a text book HDD project using the latest technology to ensure and prove success. The Mancini crew was able to quickly drill the pilot bore and pull-back the product while minimizing the environmental impact and maintaining the integrity of the water main. This is another stepping stone for the Village of Volo in their long range water use planning.

Mark Bartel is a software engineer manager at Digital Control Inc.


tti_26-31.indd 27 7/17/2013 11:37:47 AM

Let’s face it, the trenchless technol-ogy industry wasn’t created over-night. The industry, and specifically

the practice of horizontal direction drilling, was a process that evolved out of successes and failures. Over the years it has become a specialty construction method born from the trial and error of drilling techniques and the use of new equipment and tooling. It is in Melfred Borzall’s company history, that some of the most important developments in the manufacturing of this tooling were developed.

This past March, Dick Melsheimer sat amongst a panel of his peers at what was perhaps the most popular new technical track at the 2013 No-Dig Show in Sacramento, Calif. It was the “Legends of HDD: From an Idea to an Industry” session, and Melsheimer, president of Melfred Borzall, Inc., joined a group of pioneers and icons of the directional drilling industry, including Martin Cher-rington, Lon Brisco and Ron Halderman for a panel discussion on the growth of the HDD market.

That day, Melsheimer was truly recog-nized as a “legend” of HDD. But Dick, as well as anyone at Melfred Borzall, will likely tell you it has been the work of three generations of Melsheimers who have helped grow the company for nearly 70 years.

Early Years Prior to starting what would become

Melfred Borzall in the 1940s, Dick’s fa-ther, Fred Melsheimer worked for Baker Oil Tools, a manufacturer of drill bits for oil well drilling. Until that time, Fred Melsheimer had mostly worked as a ma-chinist and welder but was interested in developing new ways to install under-ground utilities with minimal disrup-tion on the surface. Despite not having much experience outside of oil and gas applications, Fred picked up some ideas for products during his time with Baker Oil Tools that would later be integrated



Tooling that Bores All Three Generations of the Melsheimer Family Solidify Melfred Borzall’s Place in the Advancement of HDD Tools By Andrew Farr

Dick Melsheimer (right) with his sons Eric (left) and Peter.

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into products developed by Melfred Borzall. In 1946, he decided to try his hand in the business and started Mel-fred Welding & Manufacturing.

“He pretty much took some ideas they used for vertical oil well drilling and miniaturized it and used them go-ing horizontally,” said Dick Melsheimer, talking about his father.

At that time, early horizontal direc-tional drilling patents were still a long way from being established, and the act of boring a horizontal hole was acknowledged as slurry boring, rather than HDD. Drilling was performed with a small drill rod, generally 20-ft lengths. According to Dick Melsheimer, similar to today, drilling crews would spud-in a drill rod — only, in this case, into the ground manually — and work from one pit to another. The one big difference being, drill rods would be steered by manually moving the drill rod with a hook or shovel to move it to where it needed to go.

“In those days, the power source was a handheld air motor where two men

would hold on to a motor and would supply power by manually pushing and pulling,” said Melsheimer.

Fred Melsheimer initially devel-oped a set of tools for installing natural gas distribution lines by way of drilling horizontally rather than trenching or using open-cut meth-ods. This included a 2-in. diameter “fish tail” bit, 20-ft lengths of 1 1/8-in. diameter drill rod, a back reamer and a pulling swivel.

Throughout the 1950s, Melfred Weld-ing & Mfg. continued to work mainly with gas companies in southern Califor-nia to develop tooling used to replace existing gas lines in residential areas. One of the early notable patents Mel-fred Borzall established was in the ma-chinery to power these tools that came in the early 1960s.

Next Generation Dick Melsheimer and his brother

Ted started working for the company full-time in the early 1960s, and in addi-tion to manufacturing drilling tools and

various pieces of equipment, Melfred moved into developing the machinery to power the tools.

Soon after, Dick and Ted Melsheimer patented a machine they called the “Dyna-Mole,” a new type of wheel-mounted boring unit. The Dyna-Mole was a hydraulic self-propelled, 30-hp machine similar to a small tractor that would push and pull drill rods, replacing the need for the manual la-bor necessary up until that time.

“It was a big leap forward from manu-ally pushing on it, to where you had a rub-ber tire vehicle supplying all the power to it,” Dick Melsheimer said. “When we developed the Dyna-Mole, that helped to kick the industry to where we could do long bores. Putting in 2-in. gas lines, [contractors] could average 1,000 ft a day, and on a good day they could put in 1,500 ft of polyethylene gas line. Even to-day, it would be hard to match that kind of production. But when HDD and the electronics [digital tracking equipment] came out, that part of the business start-ed going away.”


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tti_26-31.indd 29 7/17/2013 11:37:55 AM

Modernization As equipment began to modernize

over the years and the market for drill rigs became dominated by companies like Vermeer and Ditch Witch, Melsheimer said Melfred’s involvement in equipment manufacturing began to phase out and the tooling became the primary focus.

“A lot of the theories we used on making tools back then, we’re still using a lot of the same ideas now — just mak-ing the tools much stronger and heavier for the amount of power we’re putting through them,” he said.

In 1981, Dick Melsheimer left the com-pany briefly to start up a separate equip-ment manufacturing company, called Borzall Equipment. When Fred Melsheimer passed away in 1986, the two companies merged back together under the name Melfred Borzall (If you haven’t figured it out, the name “Melfred Borzall” comes from the combination of Fred Melsheimer’s last and first name, respectively, and the name of Dick’s separate company, Borzall).

Since then, Melfred Borzall has con-tinued to improve upon the pieces of

tooling it has developed, revolutionizing the process and efficiency of HDD. In ad-dition to the tooling staples like drill bit and blades, drill rods, reamers and pulling swivels that have remained part of Mel-fred’s core product line, the company also experimented with locating equipment.

Dick Melsheimer said in the years following the development of the Dyna-Mole, the company developed a locating device using similar technol-ogy to what Digital Control, Inc. (DCI) eventually developed, only without ad-vanced steering capabilities. The device allowed the ability to locate a drill head, but Melsheimer said in the end, the product was never marketed well, due to the fact that it was slow-moving and therefore never commercially viable.

Nevertheless, Melsheimer credits digital tracking systems as being an es-sential tool in the modernization of the HDD industry. Today, another big prod-uct push in Melfred Borzall’s catalog is its transmitter housing devices. The de-vices are made from high-strength, heat-treated alloy material and allow protec-tion for transmitters for digital tracking



Dick Melsheimer is considered an HDD pioneer but will modestly tell you that it is the work of three generations of Melsheimers who have helped the company grow for nearly 70 years.

tti_26-31.indd 30 7/17/2013 11:38:02 AM


systems. The transmitter housing also has a fluid nozzle that points in the di-rection the drill needs to steer by main-taining the same angle as the blade.

Directional DepotToday, Melfred Borzall employs 38

workers and is based primarily at its manufacturing facility in Santa Maria, Calif., where it moved from Los Ange-les in 2000. Melfred also continues to remain a family business as Dick’s sons Eric and Peter are also heavily involved in the business as chief engineer and marketing director, respectively.

One initiative the company has under-taken in recent years has been in mar-keting its products. Peter Melsheimer joined the company in 1989 and soon realized the need to step up the promo-tion of products and create a network among its distributors. The answer was Directional Depot — a DBA started by Peter around 1995 as a way to better market Melfred’s drilling accessories.

“No real marketing had been done other than a catalog, but it was some-thing that needed to be done,” said Pe-ter Melsheimer.

Although Directional Depot is a name that has now become somewhat syn-onymous with Melfred Borzall, it mainly refers to a mail order catalog the com-pany sent out to distributors, which is now available on Melfred Borzall’s web-site as well.

“At first it was a better way to com-pete against big drill rig manufactur-ers,” Peter said. “That worked out well for us for a number of years, especially early on. In the early days, there wasn’t a huge market and not a whole lot of education about the products.”

In recent years, Melfred has also been instrumental in educating the local com-munity on the industry and the practice of manufacturing drilling parts. The com-pany often holds career days at its facil-ity and invites students from local school districts to tour the manufacturing plant where they can see first-hand the poten-tial in the drilling industry.

It is in this dedication to the indus-try’s future that Melfred Borzall con-tinues to be a leader in a unique facet of the directional drilling industry and continues to make the Melsheimer fam-ily truly one of HDD legends.

Andrew Farr is an assistant editor of Trenchless Technology.


A welder in Melfred Borzall’s shop works on a custom “Turbonator” reamer.

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Growing energy demands have helped keep an Oklahoma-based group busy building pipelines,

constructing gas plants, compressor sta-tions, crude oil pumping stations and as-sisting clients with material acquisitions.

The Gateway Companies LLC, Shaw-nee, includes Gateway Services Group, Gateway Pipeline and Gateway Direc-tional Drilling. The companies operate primarily in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas.

For constructing energy pipelines, Gateway Pipeline uses large track tren-chers, excavators, side booms and as-

sorted support equipment and haul vehicles.

However, horizontal directional drill-ing (HDD) serves as a critical element on many pipeline projects in extend-ing pipe beneath rivers, streams, other bodies of water, highways and railroad crossings and other areas where excava-tion either is impractical or impossible.

In addition, environmental restrictions make HDD the only viable method in some areas.

Gateway Directional Drilling LLC, performs directional drilling work for its sister company Gateway Pipeline and subcontracts HDD jobs, also.

“We are a family-owned directional drilling company with a reputation for


HDD Plays Key Role in Oklahoma Contractor’s Pipeline Work By Jeri Lamerton

tti_32-35.indd 32 7/17/2013 11:38:02 AM


completing projects in a timely manner without sacrificing safety,” said general manager Gary Paule. “We are an ISNET-compliant company with a full-time safety manager to ensure field person-nel meet all government and client safe-ty regulations and requirements.”

Paule said Gateway got in the di-rectional boring business when a drill unit came with a company acquired by Gateway.

Committed to HDD work, the compa-ny soon acquired a 30,000-lb pullback Ditch Witch JT3020 All Terrain (AT) drilling system.

“Less than a year later,” he said, “we were in the market for a larger model to expand our capabilities.”

The choice was a Ditch Witch JT100 with 100,000 lbs of pullback.

“The majority of our work is oil and gas related, but we have the capability and have completed projects in oth-er industry categories, as well,” said Paule. “The new machine extends the capabilities we can offer our clients.”

Gateway Directional Drilling’s clients primarily are energy companies. HDD

installations range from 100 to 1,600 ft to install HDPE and steel pipes in diam-eters from 2 to 24 in.

Paule said typical installations in-clude crossings of rivers, creeks and highways.

Examples of three recent projects northwest of Canadian, Texas, all com-pleted with the JT100, are:

Project 1• Obstacle: Dry creek

• Soil conditions: Sandstone and caliche

• Length of bore: 900 ft

• Product installed: 24-in., .500 wall steel natural gas pipe

• Pilot hole: Completed in approximately three days using 8-in. radius rock bit

• Pullback: Total time, just over two hours. Reamers were 12-, 18-, 24-, 30- and 36-in. fly cutters and a 28-in. barrel reamer. Fifteen-foot-long drill rods came back at the rate of about two minutes per rod.


Horizontal directional drilling serves as a critical element on many pipeline projects in extending pipe beneath rivers, streams, other bodies of water, highways and railroadroad crossings.

tti_32-35.indd 33 7/17/2013 11:38:09 AM


Project 2• Obstacle: Creek

• Soil conditions: Sandstone, caliche, and sand

• Length of bore: 810 ft


• Pilot hole: Completed in approximately three days using 8-in. radius rock bit

• Pullback: Total time, just over two hours. Reamers were 12-, 18-, 24-, 30- and 36-in. fly cutters and a 28-in. barrel reamer.

Project 3• Obstacle: Canyon and cap rock

• Soil conditions: Rock (sandstone)

• Length of bore: 1,005 ft


• Pilot hole: Completed in approximately four days.

• Pullback: Total time, 2 hours, 45

minutes. Reamers were 12-, 18-, 24-, 30- and 36-in. fly cutters and a 28-in. barrel reamer.

The three projects were for one of the largest marketers of natural gas and natural gas by-products in the United States. They were the first jobs done with the JT100.

“The JT100 is performing to every expectation we have,” said Paule. “We have been especially impressed with the machine’s unique system of lifting the pipe into the top basket and pull-ing off the full top basket during pull-

back. We had no down time for basket changes. Its auger-style stake-down sys-tem helps to make set-up and teardown quick and easy. The pipe loading system is simple and quick with less buttons to push. The rig handled the larger 30- and 36-in. fly cutters very well. We had no trouble turning the reamers, and the rig did not struggle to handle them.

The company’s JT3020 model utilize a patented mechanical, dual-pipe All Terrain (AT) system that enables them to effectively bore and steer through rock that is beyond the capabilities of


Completing HDD crossings safely and efficiently requires good planning and management, education and training of employees, and disciplined and efficient execution.

tti_32-35.indd 34 7/17/2013 11:38:16 AM


conventional equipment of compa-rable size and pullback ratings. Unlike conventional HDD equipment using a single drill stem and a slant-face boring head to control steering, AT models use a mechanical, dual-pipe system that de-livers maximum downhole horsepower. An inner rod drives a rock bit, and the outer pipe steers the downhole tool for drilling pilot holes and provides rotary torque for the hole opener during back-reaming. The AT system enables simul-taneous drilling and steering through rock and rocky soil. AT equipment re-quires no more drilling fluid than con-ventional equipment.

Paule says completing HDD cross-ings safely and efficiently required good planning and management, education and training of employees, and disci-plined and efficient execution.

“Taking care of equipment with pre-ventative maintenance also is essential,” said Paule.

“Equipment dealers are key partners in a construction company’s success,” he added. “We have a great relationship

with the sales, parts and service depart-ments of Ditch Witch of Oklahoma. They have played a significant part of our company’s success thus far and we plan on relying on them to help our business grow in the future.”

For Gateway Directional Drilling, the plan for the future is continuing to grow and meet market demands in the near term.

“Long term,” he said, “our strategy

is to partner with our sister compa-nies, Gateway Services Group (Survey, Drafting and Engineering Services) and Gateway Pipeline, and to start of-fering design/build capabilities in or-der to better serve our customers.”

Jeri Lamerton is public relations manager for The Charles Machine Works, Perry, Okla.


Environmental restrictions make HDD the only viable method in some areas.

tti_32-35.indd 35 7/17/2013 11:38:34 AM


The existing Bell System infrastruc-ture serving several small rural communities along the Iowa/Mis-

souri border was an aging system of spliced lines and slow connections.

So, Grand River Mutual Telephone Corp., located in Princeton, Mo., initi-ated an upgrade. The local service pro-vider applied for and was awarded a Last-Mile Award, made possible by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service, to install new lines.

More than $14 million of the $20-plus million project was provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The award allows broadband connectivity to be brought directly into homes, business-es and community anchor institutions, such as schools, libraries, health clinics and hospitals.

Grand River Mutual, along with gen-eral contractor MasTec North America, based in Shevlin, Minn., selected instal-lation contractor Jackson Creek Enter-prises, headquartered in nearby Aller-ton, Iowa, to install the new network. Spanning more than 150 miles, the Grand River Mutual Fiber-to-the-Home Broadband Deployment Project–Ser-vice Area 5 will provide broadband ser-vice to the towns of Corydon, Millerton, Allerton and Lineville, Iowa, and Pow-ersville, Mo., including 1997 homes and 339 local businesses.

“We have completed projects locat-ed in Long Island, N.Y., to San Diego,” says David Wampler, founder and presi-dent of Jackson Creek Enterprises, “so it’s nice having a job that is situated right in our backyard. Our primary work involves municipal water and sewer work, along with some environ-mental remediation using horizontal

directional wells. It had been many years since we last completed a fiber project, especially a job located near my home. I like being able to sleep in my own bed at night.”

Wampler founded Jackson Creek Enterprises in his home town of Al-lerton, Iowa, in 2000 after spending more than five years as an international product support specialist for Vermeer Corp., based in nearby Pella, Iowa. Dur-ing his tenure with Vermeer, Wampler was responsible for supporting new crews and advancing the concept of horizontal directional drilling (HDD) around the world. He has consulted and worked alongside HDD crews in 22

countries, including Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Australia and New Zea-land, as well as more than half of the states in the United States.

Wampler selected a Vermeer D7x11 Navigator Series II horizontal directional drill from his fleet of four HDD models — all manufactured by Vermeer — for Jackson Creek Enterprises’ role in the Grand River Mutual job, which includes installing more than 75,000 ft of 1 1/4- to 2-in. high-density polyethylene (HDPE) main line conduit, along with connec-tions to each home and business.

“All of the main line consists of con-duit that we’re installing using HDD,” Wampler says. “I bought a Vermeer


Crews were able to complete individual bores ranging in length from 700 to 800 ft on average while individual drops connecting homes and businesses fell within the 20- to 40-ft range.

Stimulus Dollars Help Fund Fiber Upgrade for Antiquated ‘Ma Bell’ System By Randy Happel

tti_36-39.indd 36 7/17/2013 11:38:15 AM

www.trenchlessonline.com

tti_36-39.indd 37 7/17/2013 11:38:18 AM


LM42 plow to bury the individual drops to connect the homes and businesses. The majority of the conduit is 1-1/4-in., but there are places where there is 2-in. pipe within the network where we’ve bundled multiples. At those locations we pulled back two or three, some-times even four conduits. We also set all of the pedestals. All lines terminate into a pedestal at some point.”

Extensive PotholingThe fertile, rich topsoil, with intermit-

tent pockets of sticky clay, prevalent in this region and known for its ability to produce bumper agricultural crops, is also an HDD operator’s delight; hence, ground conditions were of minimal concern. The biggest challenge for Wampler’s crew of experienced trench-less installation specialists was locating the several utility lines beneath the sur-face within the city limits of the many communities connected by the new fiber network. To minimize disturbance and potential damage to existing under-ground lines required extensive pothol-ing and locating efforts.

“We’re very diligent about looking for and locating existing utilities,” Wampler says. “We have great city crews here that have done a fabulous job of marking water and sewer lines, and we’ve been very fortunate. We won’t cross anything unless we have first potholed the loca-tion to confirm visually where all these different utilities are located. Most of the time, our potholing crew could keep a day ahead of the drill; but with minimal ground condition challenges, we’ve been able to document impres-sive production rates.”

The main line — originating from a pri-marily rural landscape — was designed to route into a central office within the town, with subordinate lines fingering back out to different quadrants. The city was divided into four sections by a team of planning engineers with each section served by a dedicated route. The primary objective was to link the primary rural fiber line to the central office, then offshoot a net-work of routes to each quadrant of town. Wampler’s crews were able to complete individual bores ranging in length from 700 to 800 ft on average; while individual drops connecting businesses and homes fell within the 20- to 40-ft range.

The main line conduit was installed at a depth of 36 in. or greater, while con-nections to individual homes and busi-

nesses were installed with a Vermeer LM42 vibratory plow at an average depth of 18 in. Scant amounts of a polymer/bentonite drilling fluid mixture were in-troduced into the bore path periodically — primarily to help keep electronics cool — since maintaining bore integrity wasn’t as much of a concern drilling in the heavy clay soil composition as it would have been if boring through oth-er conditions that are less stable. A stan-dard 6-in. fluted back reamer was used to bore those areas where multiple con-duits were pulled back simultaneously.

With the main line of the first of two phases of the project nearly completed, Wampler is stepping up efforts to finish drop connections to homes and business-es before moving on to Phase 2; work that will connect the towns of Allerton, Clio and Lineville, Iowa, and Powersville, Mo.

“We have about another year’s worth of work remaining to complete the

entire project,” Wampler says. “And all of that is right here within 20 miles of where I live. After moving away from most fiber installations after the tele-com bust of 2001, I must admit that we are enjoying this project. Maybe it has something to do with being so close to home, and being familiar with the con-ditions here.

“The D7x11 Series II drill works great and HDD has been a very efficient in-stallation approach. This may not be the most challenging job, but every once and in a while, it’s really nice to have one that goes according to plan. We also take a lot of pride knowing that our lo-cal company is responsible for bringing enhanced communications services to the good folks of these communities.”

Randy Happel is a features writer for Two Rivers Marketing, Des Moines, Iowa.


The Grand River Mutual job included installing more than 75,000 ft of 1 1/4-in. to 2-in. HDPE main line conduit, along with connections to each home and business.

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tti_36-39.indd 39 7/17/2013 11:38:45 AM


The history of mankind tells the story of pushing boundaries. It is a trend evident on construction job-

sites, where contractors seek to com-plete projects bigger and faster than those that came before. In the horizon-tal directional drilling sector, rig crews continue to test the limits of distance and diameter. Helping these contrac-tors surpass new thresholds is a piece of equipment that was developed in 2006, but has continued to gain market acceptance over the past seven years: the Herrenknecht Pipe Thruster.

Developed as a pipe assist tool for HDD and incorporated into the Her-renknecht’s Direct Pipe and the newly unveiled Pipe Express systems, the Pipe Thruster aids in installing pipe by supplying boosted push and pull forces, which come in handy in tough soil conditions. The Pipe Thruster is especially useful on longer crossings and larger diameter pipe, according to Dr. Gerhard Lang, in charge of business development for the company’s utility tunneling business unit.

“The primary reason it was devel-oped back 2006 was that Herrenknecht was designing HDD machines and fo-cusing on larger rigs, those around 1 million lbs,” Lang says. “The drill pipe can only handle a certain load, and it’s limited on one side. Why not help by pushing the pipe on other side?”

The Pipe Thruster is available in three sizes, with push and pull force capabili-ties of 300, 500 and 750 tonnes (up to 1.6 million lbs). Usable pipe diameters range from 8 to 60 in., depending on the application. The Pipe Thruster clamps onto steel pipe and can apply either push or pullback forces with the push of a button. For HDD assist ap-plications, the unit is placed at the exit side of the crossing and applies pushing forces on the product pipe as the drill rig pulls back.

The Pipe Thruster not only aids in pushing the pipe into the ground, but it can also recover stuck, jammed or defective pipelines. The system can re-verse course in the case of an obstruc-tion in the bore path, rather than need-ing to build a recovery shaft.

“In crossings with highly permeable, such as sand and pebbles, where HDD has certain risks, like losing circulation, there Direct Pipe can applied where HDD contractors can use the benefits,” Lang says. “One of the major benefits of Direct Pipe is minimal frac-out risk and less impact on the environment.”

When used as an HDD backup, the Pipe Thruster can propel contractors to record lengths. The biggest project the system has been used on, according to Lang, was a project in Turkmenistan that used a 750-tonne Pipe Thruster on a 1.7-km installation of 56 in. pipe. (For

more project details, check out the in-set on page 41.)

Benefitting the HDD Market

While HDD contractors in Europe have been quicker to adopt the Herren-knecht technology, the Pipe Thruster is making inroads to North America, Lang says. The company rolled out its equip-ment slowly, focusing on local markets in Germany and then the Netherlands. European contractors experience low-er insurance fees when they are able to show they have a backup system to minimize risk.

“The United States is a lucrative mar-ket because of the larger oil and gas pipeline work coming up,” Lang says. “Three contractors in the market are using the Pipe Thruster in directional drilling.”

He says the companies that have pur-chased the equipment are using it for a variety of applications. However, the companies declined to participate in this article.

“Engineering companies, especially geo-engineers, are specifying the use of such backup systems in certain types of work,” Lang says. “It’s just about to take off and get a foothold in the United States. We have seven installations in the U.S. now, ranging from 30 to 48 in.”


Engage Thrusters!Herrenknecht Technology Enables Bigger, Longer PipelinesBy Bradley Kramer

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By setting up the Pipe Thruster at the pipe side during pipeline installa-tion, the unit supports the HDD rig as it pushes the pipe toward the rig side. Therefore, the forces acting on the pipeline are applied more evenly. To help avoid damaging the pipe coating, two axially arranged hydraulic cylin-

ders exert variably adjustable force on the product pipe via a clamping unit. The clamping plates are lined with rubber and provide a large contact surface, thereby minimizing the con-tact pressure and shear stress applied on the pipe. Several coating tests have been done so far for companies like

Chevron, Saipem, Eon-Ruhrgas, Trans-Canada and others without any coat-ing damage.

Bradley Kramer is managing editor of North American Oil & Gas Pipe-lines, a sister publication of Trench-less Technology.


EAST WEST GAS PIPELINE, GODAVARI RIVER CROSSING — RAJAHMUNDRY, INDIA

Natural gas is expected to account for one fifth of the energy mix in India by 2025. To achieve this target, the 1,386-km long East-West Gas Pipeline was built and had to cross the Godavari River on the East Coast of the Indian subcontinent. For this purpose, a 2,400-m protection tunnel, including the installed pipeline, had to be completed before the summer monsoon flooded the banks of the Godavari.

In order to deal with time constraints, two identical Her-renknecht EPB Shields tunneled from each bank towards the central shaft in the middle of the river. The EPB machines were also equipped with a slurryfier box. It enables safe tunneling also in sections with water bearing incohesive soil. After three months, the two machines came together precisely as sched-uled in the central shaft.

With up to 5 m per minute, the prefabricated string was in-stalled on time – before the monsoon could come.

Project BackgroundContractor: Züblin International GmbHTunnel lengths: 1,250 m, 1,150 m, 75 mPipeline length: 2,475 mPipeline diameter: 48 in.Equipment: 2 × EPB Shield, M-813M, M-1090M, Pipe Thruster, HK500PT, H-022Max. thrust and pulling force: 500 tonnes (1 million lbs)

BARROW ISLAND, AUSTRALIA One of the biggest raw material projects in the world is be-

ing developed in West Australia around the small Barrow Island. An offshore system of pipelines, a large-scale natural gas extrac-tion facility, and an onshore natural gas liquefaction plant are being built on the island. State-of-the-art Herrenknecht tech-nology was used to connect the gas liquefaction plant to the pipelines on the seabed and to supply the offshore equipment.

Together with the customer, Herrenknecht engineers adapted the pipeline installation equipment to the strict en-vironmental regulations in place for the Barrow Island nature reserve. Beside two Herrenknecht HDD rigs, a modified Her-renknecht Pipe Thruster was also used to enable the installa-tion of smaller pipes (up to 8-in. diameter). With the pull sup-port of a pipeline installation vessel, the pipelines were pushed into the prepared borehole from the landside towards the sea by the Pipe Thruster. Nine pipelines with a length of up to 520 m were installed safely and precisely, ensuring optimum pro-tection of the environment.

Project BackgroundContractor: AJ Lucas Group Ltd.Pipeline length: 450 – 520 m (a total of 4,500 m)Pipeline diameter: 8 – 34 in.Equipment: 2 × HDD Rig, HK250T, HK400CM, H-123, H-124, Pipe Thruster, HK500PT, H-125Max. thrust and pulling force: 500 tonnes (1 million lbs)

Herrenknecht Pipe Thruster + HDDContractors around the world have been using Herrenknecht’s Pipe Thruster with HDD rigs on large scale projects.

What follows are two snapshots of recent energy pipeline projects that have used this innovative combination.

Projects at a Glance

tti_40-41.indd 41 7/17/2013 11:38:49 AM


Two of the most popular renew-able energy sources are using horizontal directional drilling

(HDD) for installing power cables. Wind and solar farms are sprouting up throughout the United States and are usually on large tracts of land — sometimes with hundreds of units in place that now generate substantial “greener” energy.

The use of HDD is helping these projects gain installation efficien-cies both in terms of labor and mate-rial costs. Protection of the electrical cables that run from either a wind-mill or a solar collection unit and transmit power is being made pos-sible by burying them underground, typically, through the use of conduit made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE). The durable material enables

the HDD process to be used, thereby reducing timelines and promoting faster performance.

Design engineers of these ‘green-friendly’ projects are also acutely aware of the need to protect the environment and find HDD lessens the impact on the terrain during construction for these environmentally-conscious, innovative power supply sources. The HDD instal-lation method reduces the impact on the environment, boosts the ability for faster start-ups and extends lifecycle ex-pectations for reliable pipeline perfor-mance which is projected to effectively function for hundreds of years in the future, if not the entire anticipated life-cycle of the energy farm.

“HDPE conduit has the right cost-to-benefit ratio that includes the pipe stiffness necessary to withstand the

weight of deep burial while being able to be flexible and strong enough to allow for HDD,” stated Plastics Pipe Institute executive director Tony Rado-szewski. PPI is the major trade associa-tion representing all segments of the plastic pipe industry.

“It’s ideal, especially for projects where there is a need to reduce ground disruption such as in a wet-land or going under a road because HDPE conduit can be ‘snaked’ un-derneath sensitive environments or challenging settings,” he said. “Plus, the HDPE conduit is flexible enough to resist seismic shifts that could dis-rupt service. The polyethylene itself is chemically resistant to high acidity or alkalinity from the soil as well as being waterproof — all of which protects the cable inside. The length of HDPE


Wind & Solar Power Projects Benefit from HDD Technology By Steve Cooper

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conduit in either 50-ft long ‘stick’ sections or hundred-foot coils can reduce the number of joints neces-sary for the installation, which in turn, reduces the overall project costs as does joining pipe sections with heat fusion.

“From a sustainability stand-point, HDPE pipe and alternative power sources form a unique part-nership,” Radoszewski said. “Like solar and wind energy, a plastic pipe system is a sustainable and en-vironmentally responsible choice that will serve generations to come. Ecologically efficient during manufacturing since it requires sig-nificantly less energy to fabricate, transport and install than other pipe products — the conduit is also strong, durable, light-weight and flexible while providing excel-lent protection for the power and fiber cables inside.

“And what is especially important or electrical cable use,” he said, “is that HDPE conduit does not require

any cathodic protection that would be needed to prevent corrosion of a pipe with a metal surface.”

Project designers and installers of both solar and wind energy projects are finding that using either large diameter conduit to accommodate high voltage wire or smaller conduit with cable already installed, known as Cable In Conduit or CIC, provides benefits for HDD.

A Shining Example of HDD Conduit Use

The largest solar farm of its kind in North America elected to locate power and control cables in under-ground conduit made from HDPE as a way to increase the life of the facil-ity. Brought online in July 2011, the 2.2 MW solar farm in South Burling-ton, Vt., covers 25 acres and includes 382 solar trackers. Cables convey power from the solar trackers to the electric grid. AllEarth Renewables Inc., Williston, Vt., designed the so-


Contact a representative in your area.Call 800.428.3742 or email [email protected]

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• Latemodelfleetwithanaggressiveequipmentreplacementschedule

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• In-houseborepathdesigncapabilities

The use of HDD is helping wind and solar farm projects gain installation efficiencies

both in terms of labor and

material costs.

tti_42-45.indd 43 7/17/2013 11:38:51 AM


lar farm and manufactured the AllSun Trackers Series 24 solar trackers.

To protect the natural environment, installation of the HDPE conduit under a forested area used HDD. All low volt-age wiring used UL 1990 certified Ca-ble In Conduit (CIC) provided by Blue Diamond Industries LLC, Lexington, Ky. Blue Diamond is a member company of the PPI.

The AllSunTracker conduit included nearly 70,000 ft of ¾-in. CIC pipe with three 6AWG cables — black, green and white — and 5,000 ft of 2.5-in. diameter CIC with 4/0 wiring for the panel feed-er lines. Blue Diamond supplied CIC on reels ranging from 2,000 to 10,000 ft. The company is listed by UL for specification UL 1990, Nonmetallic Underground Con-duit with Conductors and its CIC is manu-factured under ASTM D 3485.

“Most solar farms use underground PVC pipe,” stated AllEarth engineering technician Doug MacDonald. “With PVC pipe, the wire is pulled onsite af-ter installation. We found that HDPE conduit saves in multiple ways that in-cludes less labor to install. For this proj-ect, the HDPE conduit came preloaded with the wire, which enabled us to use a smaller conduit size, reducing the cost of materials and bore size. In addition, less handling and post-installation work meant more savings.”

“Typically, when other types of con-duit are used, it can turn into a very la-bor-intensive project,” explained Rado-szewski. “This is because a trench must be dug, the conduit installed and then a pull rope is blown through the conduit so that each wire can be pulled back through. Because HDPE conduit can have the wire installed when the pipe is being extruded, it comes to the job site ready to go. This saves considerable time and money.

“Custom lengths can be ordered and sometimes a single reel will hold thou-sands of feet, which puts more conduit at the site to further expedite installa-tion,” he continued.

The AllSun Trackers are pole-mounted, dual axis trackers that follow the sun throughout the day guided with a GPS system. Each of the 382 units move from east to west and up and down, tracking the sun in order to maximize efficiency as it transforms solar energy into elec-trical energy. Total power produced

by the South Burlington Solar Farm is estimated to be approximately 3,000,000 kw hours a year — 45 percent more than the amount of electricity that could be produced by a fixed roof-top photovoltaic sys-tem of the same size. The project is owned and operated by the Chitten-den County Solar Partners LLC. The value of the electricity generated by the farm has been tagged at $924,000 a year and is enough to power more than 400 homes.

The HDPE conduit provided the solu-tion to go under a heavily forested sec-tion of private property and a section of wetland.

“We directionally drilled two, 400-ft runs of 5-in. diameter HDPE pipe used for the main power feed and communi-cation cables,” explained Aaryn French, project manager for Engineers Con-struction Inc., Williston, Vt. “And be-cause we had the cable already in the conduit, it saved us a lot of time. We were killing two birds with one stone. Installing the pipe and wire at the same time — that was a huge benefit. It was more efficient than using sticks of PVC — probably five to 10 times faster.

“This is probably one of the big-gest applications of using CIC in

this specific manner. In this applica-tion it was cost efficient, time effi-cient and it just worked really well.” French continued. “That’s because we weren’t trying to put together PVC and putting a pull string in and pulling the wire. This was a one shot deal....you complete the bore, you know your two end locations, tie it in, backfill and you’re done.”

Wind Turbines Whirl with Large Diameter Conduit HDD

One of the country’s newest wind power operations, the Beebe Wind Farm in Breckenridge, Mich., has 34 turbines operational with another 16 to come on-stream during 2013. The crew from M. J. Electric LLC, Iron Mountain, Mich., found the use of HDPE conduit sped installation and enabled them to use either cut-and-cover trenching or HDD. The 34.5kV lines are housed in the 8-in. diameter HDPE conduit and are buried as deep as 30 ft with some runs being 1,000 to 2,000 ft long. The land used for the Beebe Wind Farm is an agricultural farm.

“There are usually four or five tur-bines on a circuit which are strung


Protection of the electrical cables that run from either a windmill or a solar collection unit and transmit power is being made possible by burying them underground, typically, through the use of conduit made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE).

tti_42-45.indd 44 7/17/2013 11:38:54 AM



together with an underground collec-tion cable out in the farmer’s field, or the grasslands, depending on what part of the country we’re in,” explained M.J. Electric director of purchasing Rick Moore. “Ultimately, each circuit collect-ing the energy generated by the wind turbine ends up at a substation.”

M. J. Electric was responsible for the underground collection system, sub-station and subsequent transmission lines at Beebe. “We used HDPE conduit exclusively for underground boring op-erations for runs under roads, ditches, ponds, creeks and under environmen-tally-sensitive areas. We standardized on either SDR 11 or SDR 13.5 — both these Standard Dimension Ratios will easily provide the strength for the long bores,” Moore said.

The large gauge collector circuits typically take 10,000 to 15,000 ft of conduit, which was provided for the Beebe project by Endot Industries Inc., Rockaway, N.J., in 40- and 50-ft lengths. Called Enduct IDE 850, SDR 11, the side walls are 3/4 of an inch thick with a nominal outside diameter of 8.6 in.

and complies with the ASTM F2160 ‘Standard Specification for Solid Wall High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Conduit Based on Controlled Outside Diameter (OD)’. Endot is also a mem-ber company of PPI.

According to Rod Brossart, general foreman for M. J. Electric, “On the Beebe wind farm we also directionally bored under drainage ditches that were 12 to 15 ft deep and 25 to 30 ft wide. I think we were 8 to 9 ft below the bottom of the ditch, so in some parts that put us 25 ft deep if you were to dig straight down from the top of the ditch.

“When we directionally bore, we can steer it but can only angle it down about 10 percent — basically 1 ft for ev-ery drilling rod. So if we’re going across a drainage ditch that is 30 ft wide and 15 ft deep we have to do our math so that we’re far enough back to set up and be able to be at the depth needed at the middle of that ditch and then be able to come back up. It’s easy to set up the fusing equipment, put the sections together and pull it straight in through the directional bore.”

In the past, according to Moore, it would be typical to use the same cast iron pipe found in water systems. “This would certainly be a premium cost for conduit or galvanized rigid steel conduit, and use couplings to join sections just like in any industrial application,” Moore said. “These products come in 10-ft-lengths vs. the 50-ft lengths we get for the HDPE conduit and it’s quick to fuse together, so there is certainly a cost-savings with not having to deal with such great heavy small pieces; we can deal with longer, bigger sections and no welding or mechanical couplings. From our standpoint, HDPE is certainly the way to go.

“Corrosion is also an issue. People put steel pipe underground all the time, whether it’s a gas pipe or a water line. HDPE provides a high degree of protec-tion regardless of the chemicals in the ground especially around farms. HDPE certainly wins in that regard from a cor-rosion standpoint.”

Steve Cooper has been reporting on the water and pipe industries for several decades.

tti_42-45.indd 45 7/17/2013 11:38:58 AM


From HDD’s inception, navigational capabilities have been the most critical component of industry

expansion. In just a little more than 30 years, technological advances have been tremendous with navigation/guid-ance technology leading the way. These improvements are not a result — they are the catalyst for HDD expansion and growth, resulting in incalculable eco-nomic and environmental benefits.

That said, it is critical that those in-volved in pipeline and utility construc-tion understand the most important com-ponent in today’s HDD isn’t technology: It is experience. Know-how is strictly a human asset and the most difficult to acquire. This factor is magnified by the risk and complexity of HDD. Proficiency requires training and experience. This doesn’t come with the purchase of a rig or a steering system. The consequences of an improperly planned, improperly drilled or improperly placed pipeline can be catastrophic. How to minimize risks? Plan for success and avoid shortcuts. To do so there are a couple of rules: 1) One; the earliest possible involvement of an experienced HDD contractor cannot be over stated; and 2) Experience and skill are seldom reflected with a low-bid.

HDD pioneers would drill a segment of drill pipe and then pump a compass and camera down-hole to check orientation, make adjustments and then repeat the same time consuming procedure each seg-ment. Tedious work but these early naviga-tors became very good with magnetics. HDD navigation became a specialized skill. There have been advances in technology but also an increase in the skills required to perform more complicated tasks. It hasn’t become easier. Due to the complex-ity of the designs and the congested areas in which HDD is now required the experi-ence level of today’s contractors and navi-gators is even more critical.

The first big HDD advance (early 1980s) was a magnetic steering tool

that could be left in the non-magnetic housing while drilling. This improved speed but did nothing for accuracy. In the late 1980s, a method establishing an artificial magnetic field above the drill path changed the industry forever. A small wire, looped either side of the proposed drill path, could be energized with an known voltage of direct current from a welder (which already existed on all HDD locations), creating a specific magnetic field that could be detected by the underground magnetic steering tool with pinpoint accuracy. Simple and precise, the HDD boom was officially on.

We have amazing technology that continues to improve. Steering tools are shorter and less expensive. Surface tracking is faster and is more accurate, even at greater depths. This improved accuracy not only expands the loca-tions that HDD can operate, it expands the potential length in which HDD is applicable. Drillable distances are largely limited by the formation, so the ability to intersect theoretically doubles the length capabilities in any given for-mation. Projects that could never have been conceived are now successfully completed thanks to precise naviga-tional skills. Experienced HDD contrac-tors, using a drill bit as small as 8 ½ in., operating rigs from opposite directions, routinely intersect planned bore paths, tagging one bit with the other. How can anyone question HDD navigational ac-

curacy when drill rigs can set up at the widest point of the Mississippi River, and tag bits hundreds of feet below the surface? Intersects/intercepts are not always bit to bit. We also drill to, and sometimes through, pre-planned win-dows, threading drill strings through vertical caissons, at depth capabilities in excess of 200 ft.

That said, only a small percentage of HDD projects require an intersect. More and more do require planned lateral curves or a combination of curves. Yes, some do get carried away with designer drills but the ever increasing capabilities allow engineers to design HDD projects that could never be considered without today’s guidance capabilities.

The technology doesn’t stop with accuracy. With our improved steering tools, the HDD contractor can simulta-neously monitor and record drill pipe and annulus pressure. Real time drill pipe pressure, at the steering tool, im-proves down-hole motor and bit perfor-mance. The annular pressure can assist in the prevention of mud loss or inad-vertent returns. Both features, when used in the proper application, speed operations and save money. When use needlessly, they slow operations and raise costs; again, an issue of experience.

HDD SoftwareThe newest HDD software incorpo-

rates a number of advantages that save


Experience Trumps TechnologyBy John English

HDD steering technology continues to improve. Horizontal Technology’s John English and Don Chaddock display a steering tool; technology has become shorter and less expensive over the years.

tti_46-49.indd 46 7/17/2013 11:39:03 AM


contractors a fortune each and every year. When the surface tracking method was first developed navigators used very simple yet time consuming surface set up techniques. All surveys were based on a straight line from entry to exit and measurements of the tracking wire were completed with a long measuring tape, written on a note pad and manu-ally entered into a computer. A change of drilling plans, such as entry or exit loca-tion, would require every corner to be re-measured requiring many hours, if not days, of additional set up time. Curves and parallel drills substantially increased the chances for error. The computer pro-gram (and many of the programs still used today) couldn’t set up a curved drill path. Plotting a curve or parallel drill with all survey locations plotted as an in-creasing or decreasing distance from an arbitrary off-set line is complicated. Inex-perienced consultants, farming work out to low bidders, wouldn’t know the dif-ference. There were many re-drills due to survey or data entry problems. The latest HDD software uses the proposed drill path as the base line, curved or straight. Survey points are gathered with total sta-tions and recorded with data collectors which download all points, without er-ror, directly to the computer. A change in entry or exit? All corner points can be recalculated with the contractor ready to drill in couple of minutes.

After the ability to verify a drills under-ground location, the effective distribu-tion of real time data has had the biggest financial benefit to the HDD industry. Contractors who integrate this naviga-tional technology into their daily opera-tions have a definite advantage, saving time and resources. With the newest software, pre-bore plans can be changed, distributed for approval via emailed in minutes. In addition, superintendents, inspectors, office staff or other pre-cho-sen recipients can receive and review real time directional survey data as it is acquired by the navigator. This means a manager halfway across the world can view drill times, build rates, azimuth, inclination, as well as bit location in reference to the proposed drill path on multiple projects at the same time. Logis-tically, this can be a priceless asset when scheduling future operations.

The software can immediately convert as-builts to AutoCAD, translate and rotate points into various coordinate systems and be printed or emailed or for approv-

al within minutes of pilot hole comple-tion, minimizing contractor down time. This speeds up payment prerequisites, improving cash flow. The automated re-porting feature can print the pilot hole’s time stamped log, including tracked and calculated surveys. This report docu-ments all data entries and protects the contractor with navigational informa-tion that can be recreated if needed.

Thanks to the dependability of the earth’s polarity, for HDD, nothing is likely to take the place of magnetic steering tools and a properly set up surface coil. This “original technology” is the core, the foundation. Similar to welding, the original technology of turning two pieces of steel into one remains the advancement and an experienced, well trained welder is still the key, not a new type rod or new machine.

Horizontal Directional Drilling GuideHorizontal Directional Drilling Guide

tti_46-49.indd 47 7/17/2013 11:39:07 AM



Technology isn’t always better and isn’t always new. Our industry’s extraor-dinary growth has stretched the knowl-edge gap to the extreme. Sufficient fer-tilizer for the equivalent of late night TV hucksters selling tummy flattening Flex Belts or HD sunglasses. I am not saying that no one ever lost inches with the Flex Belt. What I am saying is the same guy selling today’s dust mop slippers was selling last year’s chia pets. With ev-ery short-cut something must be given up. A little skepticism can prevent buy-er’s remorse.

Time, by itself, can redefine technol-ogy. Throughout the early years, HDD was the environmentalist’s favorite tool, forcing its use on the pipeline industry. The idea that a pipeline can be accu-rately installed below a river or wetland, avoiding the standard open-cut method was an environmental home run. For the environmental movement, HDD and surface tracking was a Godsend. A couple of decade later, something as innocuous as temporarily stretching a 1/8-in. wire across a mosquito infested

swamp cannot be permitted. Forget that it is a safety issue, used to verify the precise location of a gas line, and that once removed, leaves zero environ-

mental footprint, “no tracking wire per-mitted in the swamp.” The exact same technology, the century’s most effective environmental tool, is now the enemy.

The newest HDD software incorporates a number of advantages that save contractors a fortune each and every year — software such as this that allows them to monitor multiple projects simultaneously.

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The latest version covers everything in the

2004 edition, includes a new chapter on

design and sections that are updated to

include new developments in technologies.

Publisher: HDD Consortium | Softbound/279 pages

Horizontal Directional DrillingGood Practices Guidelines — 2008 3rd Edition

*Selling price Subject to change without notice. Shipping and handling not included.

* Introduction and Backround * HDD Applications and Processes * Equipment and Materials * Design * Bore Planning * Jobsite Safety * Troubleshooting and Mitigation

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price: $169.99*

tti_46-49.indd 48 7/17/2013 11:39:17 AM



Some technology can get ahead of what’s wanted by the general workforce. Rig manufacturers tell me they have the ability to record rig activity (similar to the black box installed on aircraft). Imagine the depth of automated reports and records that could benefit schedul-ing, operations and bidding. But even the mention of this capability can scare off potential buyers. I don’t doubt their claim. Horizontal Technology’s DataTraX software can automatically email real time down-hole survey information di-rectly to any email address. Similarly, the use of this technology is often declined.

Technology must efficient to be beneficial. It can be regressive if used improperly. GPS land survey instru-ments are an example. Their accuracy fluctuates depending on the number and movement of satellites, overhead obstructions as well as weather condi-tions. If you are drilling between two live gas lines or are operating with limit-ed right-of-way that could be paralleled in the future, a technology offering less accuracy shouldn’t be acceptable. GPS

is new technology but more expensive, won’t always get the job done and is less accurate for HDD applications.

From a couple hundred to hundreds of thousands, the HDD industry grew so quickly many don’t understand their technology is already better than what they wish for. Each new HDD “expert” spends time trying to eliminate our first big advancement, a direct wire commu-nication to the steering tool. They right-fully point out that oilfield navigators use wireless tools. This comparison is as groundless as new breed environmental-ists comparing our water and bentonite with the oil industry’s carbon contami-nated drilling muds. First of all, the oil-field guys would love to have a wire with direct communication to their drill bit. For them, it isn’t feasible. We don’t need blow-out preventers, they do. Their drill-ing mud is used to prevent blowouts and control well pressures and thousands of feet of wire in the drill pipe would cre-ate problems. They communicate via an intricate mud pulse system and half the time our horizontal hole isn’t even

filled with mud. Their system fails far more often than our wire system and is extremely expensive in both equipment and time. HDD wireless tools exist and occasionally they make sense. I suspect, they will be in demand at the same time an excess profits tax is imposed on HDD contractors.

The future of this industry depends on experienced contractors using proven techniques. Profits must come from quality work, not from shortcuts. Navigational technology has solidified HDD as a viable construction method but HDD requires overall experience, skill and technique. The best naviga-tional system available is only as good as the operating technician. When a navigator is working for a quality con-tractor, has the best equipment, soft-ware and 24/7 support from an expe-rienced management team, the entire HDD industry benefits.

John English is founder and presi-dent of Horizontal Technology, which is headquartered in Houston.

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American AugersThe next midsize horizontal direc-

tional drill from American Augers de-buted at bauma 2013. The DD-155T fea-tures: a low noise design with advanced Quiet Pak technology, an incredible 30,000 ft lbs of torque and unique drill-ing angles from 12 to 22 degrees. These and other multi-functional job-easing options will make this the most versatile machine in your arsenal. Also unveiled was the new Mid-size Exit-Side Wrench ESW-M. This patent-pending device of-

fers up to 60,000 ft lbs (81,350 Nm) of break-out torque, up to 45,000 ft lbs (61,000 Nm) of make-up torque, 2,000 ft lbs (2,700 Nm) of torque on 60 rpm spinner, and remote control. The ESW-M is to be used with an excavator; easily pick up pipe or tooling from a stack. In addition to the usual American Augers quality and innovation, the new midsize boasts the industry-leading American Augers support by a dedicated parts and technical service department with the best warranty in the market.

ArmadrillcoArmadrillco believes in providing

drillers with less stress and the abil-ity for more profit. Armadrillco offers a

line of downhole tools that have been designed and proven by drillers since 2005. Its designer has been actually drilling for more than three decades; he not only designed these tools but also owns and runs Southwest Horizontal Drilling in Fort Worth, Texas. The trans-mitter housings have a sealed transmit-

ter cavity that keeps out dirt and debris. The door is also secured by vibration re-sistant locking pin that is easy to install and easy to remove but will not come out during a bore. The bits are designed to be easy and quick to change but the will not come off while drilling. Choose from three different styles: Bullet Tooth, Flat Shoe or a Roller Cone bit. All three styles are interchangeable and fit on the same transmitter housing.

Atlas Copco SecorocAtlas Copco Secoroc offers horizon-

tal directional drilling products to drill in hard rock and difficult conditions. The HDD equipment range includes Direct Shot Pilot Bits in all sizes and types, and “bit third” Hole Openers in-corporating a common, random bit third. Atlas Copco Secoroc engineers combined hard rock cutting structures, shirt tail wear protection and leading edge bearing and seal package technol-ogy to create a pilot bit specifically de-

signed for the HDD market. The result was the HDD Pilot Bit, which will drill fast, accurate holes and stay in the hole longer, resulting in lower total drilling cost. There are 29 Direct Shot Pilot Bits available in 11 different diameters rang-ing from 4 ¾ to 12 ¼ in. Atlas Copco Secoroc Hole Openers are the first bit third-type reamers designed specifically for the HDD industry by a rotary rock bit manufacturer. These Hole Open-ers uses random cutting structure bit thirds, precisely positioned to assure equal load distribution, maximizing cut-ter count for hard rock applications. Atlas Copco Secoroc Hole Openers are available in diameters from 10 to 60 in. The seven available bit thirds range in size from 6 ¾ to 17 ½ in.

CETCO Drilling ProductsLooking for a clay inhibitor that will

reduce torque and nearly eliminate the amount of clay cuttings from sticking to your drill? CLAY CUTTER is the an-

swer. CETCO Drilling Products has de-veloped a concentrated, non-hazardous, proprietary clay inhibitor that can be used with either polymer or bentonite

drilling fluid systems. CLAY CUTTER is readily dispersible and increases re-turns back to the surface. CETCO’s di-verse line of polymers and additives are able to handle any complex drilling conditions and consistently deliver the highest performance.

CLEAR-BORECLEAR-BORE is a 100 percent bio-

degradable, one-bag mix drilling fluid, that is now being manufactured in the United States. Developed in Ireland by the University of Ireland for Drilling Supplies of Ireland LLC, Clear-Bore has proven itself all over the world for more than a decade, company officials say. Ac-cording to CLEAR-Bore, the drilling flu-id: its product works in any and all soil conditions, without any other additives — even in salt water and phosphorus mines; takes only 22 lbs of CLEAR-Bore to make 1,000 gals of drilling fluid at a 60 viscosity; can be used as an additive with bentonite and recycles over and over; will nat-urally biode-grade in four to six weeks and can cut disposal cost of mud clean up by up to 80 percent; can cut res-toration costs in environmentally sensitive areas by up to 100 percent; and can make remi-dity wells in contaminated soil up to 80 percent more efficient.

Condux InternationalCondux International offers the

complete line of Triple D HDD and compaction boring tools and equip-ment. Products available through Condux include reamers, paddle bits and sonde housings for HDD applica-tions and a wide range of compaction boring tools. Triple D is a leader in the manufacturing of high-quality un-derground construction equipment.

Horizontal Directional Drilling Guide PRODUCTS

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Condux International has been manu-facturing cable installation tools and equipment for more than 30 years. Working directly with the electrical contracting, electrical utility, telecom and CATV industries, Condux offers the highest quality tools, engineered to reduce installation time and in-crease safety.

Digital Control Inc.The DigiTrak F5 Directional Drilling

Locating System represents the HDD industry standard. It incorporates DCI’s patented 3D antenna technology, target-in-the-box locating and intuitive picture-

driven menus with easy-to-use graphics. The versatile F5 system includes five unique frequency options providing the capability to overcome interference problems. Dual-frequency transmitters that allow switching from one frequency to another while the transmitter is in the ground represent a valuable time-saving feature. The Fluid Pressure Transmitter adds real time drilling fluid pressure data to its standard features. A prominent fea-ture of the F5 system is data logging with the DigiTrak LWD (Log-While-Drilling) System. Built-in Bluetooth technology transfers the data from the F5 receiver to a PC, where a variety of options are available for analyzing, displaying, print-

ing, and storing data. While drilling, the F5 system allows you to view (scroll through) all data logged by the F5 re-ceiver allowing for better decisions dur-ing the pilot bore.

Derrick Equipment Co.Derrick Equipment Co.’s Hyperpool

four-panel shale shaker is designed for the demands of civil construction and oilfield drilling operations. Fluid centering technology maximizes fluid throughput by the machine’s concave screen bed design which produces posi-

tive and uniform screen-to-deck sealing. The Hyperpool offers up to 50 percent more capacity over conventional shak-ers. The Hyperpool’s single side screen compression system reduces screen re-placement time to less than 45 seconds per panel, permitting complete screen changes in less than three minutes. The innovative screen compression system increases screen life, improves convey-ance and prevents solids from passing under the screen panels. The Hyperpool is powered by two Derrick Super G vi-bratory motors, which apply more than 8 Gs to the screen frame.

Ditch WitchIncorporating extensive customer

feedback from years of experience in all types of job conditions, the Ditch Witch JT30 All Terrain drill features a 160-gross-hp (119-kW), Tier 4i engine — the most powerful in its class and the quietest (maximum 85-dBA opera-tor sound pressure). With full power available to all machine functions, the JT30 All Terrain is able to operate with greater efficiency than any competing directional drill. Exclusive features in-clude “assisted makeup and breakout,” allowing the machine to automatically adjust the carriage thrust speed when making up and breaking out drill pipe. An intuitive carve mode enables the

operator to steer the patented TriHawk drill bit more easily; an exclusive dou-ble-pivot drill frame allows steep entry angles without raising the tracks off the

ground; and a heavy-duty anchor system enables the operator to push or pull with full machine thrust and maintain stability, resulting in a more productive and efficient bore.

HDD BrokerHDD Broker is proud to announce the

re-introduction of its exclusive “Book of Iron,” a comprehensive catalog of hun-dreds of pieces of used utility installation equipment that is mailed to HDD Broker customers and anyone who signs up to receive a free copy. In addition, each is-sue features multiple industry related articles pertaining to the used market-

place and helpful hints to help buy or sell equipment. Check out the most cur-rent edition and sign up to receive your copy at www.bookofiron.com. For a list of the most current used equipment list-ings, be sure to check out HDD Broker’s website at www.hddbroker.com.

Horizontal Directional Drilling GuidePRODUCTS

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Hunting TrenchlessHunting Trenchless introduces its

Roadmaps Conversion Guide for mak-ing the switch to Hunting easier. Not

only is all Hunting drill pipe specifically designed and precision manufactured to match the OEM specs of your drill, but Hunting pipe can make it work harder than it ever has. Hunting has the roadmaps to make conversions easy and the full line of saver subs, drive chucks, starter rods, and quick connects to make your switch seamless.

INROCKINROCK’s new patent-pending XTR-S

Extreme Reamer featuring a revolution-ary, proprietary, field interchangeable cutter design allowing drillers to easily change cutters, both tungsten carbide insert (TCI) and milled tooth (MT) on

jobsite, in minutes, without any welding, XTR-S cutters (TCI &MT) manufactured by INROCK. XTR-S removes all costs as-sociated with old, welded design split bit reamers, such as freight to a weld repair facility, weld repair time and cost or new body costs with each split bit reamer purchase and the need to actu-ally have two reamers of the same type to avoid costly downtime.

KEMTRON TechnologiesKEMTRON Technologies is the indus-

try leader for packaged mud recycling systems. The new Tango 1500T Package Mud Reclamation System defines the standard in performance and innova-

tion. With a 9,000-gal tank capacity, KE-MTRON is able to provide a hydraulic balanced mud system that operates at 1,500 gpm. To achieve 1,500 gpm, the hydrocyclone packages includes three 10-in. desanders and 18 5-in. desilters. Providing the same cone isolation flex-ibility, as found in its Tango 500 units, customers have the capability to use the Tango 1500 under three different flow rates: 500 gpm, 1,000 gpm and

1,500 gpm. With the larger tank capac-ity and less pipe congestion, KEMTRON has added top-mounted hydrofoil agita-tors. Coupled with a series of mud guns, the Tango 1500 will have the highest mixing power per gallon found in the industry. Additionally, the hopper has been lowered to the ground level for easy chemical injection.

McLaughlin Mfg.McLaughlin vacuums combine high-

pressure water and compressed air in one unit to meet the needs of vary-ing soil conditions and contractor ap-plications. A power pack added to the McLaughlin 500-, 800-, and 1,200-gal units make the air/water combination possible. Powered by a 99-hp turbo-charged Kubota diesel engine, the 185 cfm rotary compressor and a 3,000 psi water system provide productive, effi-cient and safe soil removal. Water pres-

sure is reduced to 1,500 psi using either a four-jet reduction tool or a “wobble” nozzle digging tool. McLaughlin also uses an industry-exclusive three-stage filtration system that features a wash-

able micro-poly filter and eliminates bag houses. Contractors can order the power pack with a combination of hy-draulic booms, sewer jetters and other options through the worldwide Ver-meer dealer network.

M-I SWACOM-I SWACO offers a complete suite

of fully supported drilling fluids and solids control products and services to the drilling industry. Its HDD, Mining & Waterwell group offers products a com-prehensive line of drilling fluids addi-tives to address any drilling condition. This is fully backed by onsite engineer-ing support if required. MAX GEL high yield bentonite offers excellent suspen-sion and hole stability while MAX BORE HDD is a one sack boring fluid specially designed for most any boring applica-

tion. Their performance is supplement-ed with our inhibitive polymer POLY-PLUS, as well as our readily dispersible filtration control polymer PLATINUM PAC. M-I SWACO’s Environmental So-lutions group offers a complete line of solids processing equipment to insure optimum fluid properties are maintained. The new high-efficiency MEERKAT PT dual-motion shaker per-forms at unparalleled levels and can be adjusted ‘on the fly’ for peak per-formance. Desanders, desilters, mud cleaners and centrifuges, along with a complete line of replacement screens, are also available.

Radius HDDRock drilling is hard. Rock reaming

can be an even bigger challenge. As part of itsr rock tooling line, Radius offers hole-openers for just such chal-lenges. Along with a large selection of hole-openers in stock, Radius also of-fers custom built reamers for even the most difficult conditions. Radius hole-openers feature oversized steel plates and shafts, as well as, re-enforced frame

Horizontal Directional Drilling Guide PRODUCTS

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construction to transfer the maximum amount rig torque to the cutting face for greater performance and durabil-ity. All Hole Openers are available with new TCI or mill tooth cutters. Premium re-run cones are also available as a more economical option. Radius continues to offer complete repair and rebuild services for all types of reamers and hole-openers. Contractors world-wide depend on Radius hole openers and reamers to cut the “tuff stuff.”

Railhead Underground Products

This puller quickly at-taches to the Railhead

Incredibit rock bit for the direct

pullback ap-plications required by the FTTP p r o j e c t s . No cut away slots in the bit. No bolts or m e ch a n i -cal fasten-

ers to worry about. In fact, this puller will fit the Railhead Incredibit you al-ready own. No need to buy a new bit. Simply remove the center tooth, install the puller, hook up and go.

RIDGIDPowered by OmniSeek technol-

ogy, the RIDGID SeekTech SR-20 utility line locator uses a combina-tion of multi-directional antennas, a revolutionary mapping display and state-of-the-art processing to provide users with more information to effec-tively and easily locate underground utilities. Specifically, the locator’s high-resolution monitor, equipped with an automatic backlight func-tion for low-light situations, displays line depth, current and field angle in real time to virtually guide users down the line. The unit also offers a volume-adjustable audible function

to let users know if they’re on target. And, in addition to tracing transmitted frequencies, the SeekTech SR-20 of-fers advanced modes that allow users to search for other metallic lines that might be present. By using a combina-tion of these different locate readings, users can quickly and easily confirm a good signal and locate or realize that there is distortion due to signal cou-pling in congested areas.

Underground Tools Inc.Underground Tools Inc. has an-

nounced the introduction of its new lineup of Heavy-Duty Maxi Rig Sonde Housings. Manufactured from a single bar of heat treated Nickel Steel Alloy, which offers superior impact and abra-sion resistance, these housings offer

more strength and versatility than any-thing on the market today. They are designed to work with slant-face steer-ing heads, roller cone bits, mud motors and even hammers. These high flow housings have epoxy filled slots and are capable of delivering the fluids re-quired by the maxi rigs while keeping the electronics cools. Designed with the professional contractor’s prefer-ence in mind, these housings are avail-able with end-load or side-load trans-mitter access configurations. Along with being wire line capable and with sizes ranging from 4 ¼- to 7-in. diam-eters UTI has a heavy-duty housing for every application.

VermeerVermeer Corp. has introduced

the D60x90 Navigator horizontal di-rectional drill (HDD), providing im-pressive power in a small footprint. The D60x90 is powered by a 185-hp John Deere Tier 4i (Stage IIIB) die-sel engine, which delivers 9000 ft-lb of rotational torque and 60,000 lbs of thrust/pullback. Combined with a compact design and modest foot-print, the power of the D60x90 rivals some physically larger drills. Contrac-tors can customize the D60x90 with features to fit their specific needs. A climate-controlled cab enhances op-erator comfort and offers protection from the weather. The optional front-mounted stakedown system can re-duce the amount of time and materials needed to set up the drill, enhancing jobsite efficiency. In addition, custom-

ers can choose from two diameters of 15-ft Firestick drill rod: 2.875-in. or 3.5-in. diameter. The D60x90 is avail-able with additional, quick-change rod boxes containing up to 300 ft of drill rod each. The new rod box design is removable by releasing two pins and a single latch, the quick-change rod box reduces the need to manually load drill rod.

Horizontal Directional Drilling GuidePRODUCTS

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