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Mud Mix Masters
Blending the Right Balance of HDD Rig, Mud System and Locating for Utility Jobs
By Jason Morgan
 Utility contractors are drawn to dirt. Excavating the earth, exposing multi-colored layers of soil and creating clean-cut trenches are all in a day’s work. But sometimes you need a specialized solution for a specific problem — be it installing utility lines under a street, residential driveway or even a flooding, spring river.
That is when a horizontal direction drill (HDD) rolls onto the jobsite. These rigs enable the installation of gas, oil, water, sewer and other underground infrastructure components without the need for excavation, which is a must for projects that demand little disturbance to the environment. It also lets contractors maneuver around existing utilities when trying to install new ones in close quarters.
“[HDD rigs offer] lower overall cost of installation due to greatly reduced restoration cost,” says Richard Levings, Ditch Witch’s senior product manager of HDD products. “It is less disruptive to the environment you are working in and customer satisfaction is much higher.”
Before testing the muddy waters of horizontal drilling, contractors should do their homework. These systems are a tad more complicated than an excavator or wheel loader. You’re not just buying a drill — you’re buying a complete drilling system.
An HDD unit creates a shallow arc along a prescribed bore path using a fixed-length of drill rods that are threaded together to create what’s called a drill string. This drill string is advanced (drilled) through the ground from an entrance to an exit location. This is called drilling a pilot hole. The pilot hole can be drilled to precise locations because of the drilling tool’s slanted steering plate. The orientation of the tool and its slanted steering plate is what determines the direction the tool will move when pushed into the ground without rotation. The steering plate reacts off the soil and a deviation in the tool’s direction is achieved.
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Mud systems are generally comprised of the mud mixing and storage system, the mud pressure pump for pumping the drilling fluid down the hole, the hoses or piping system, trash pump and power unit. |
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When considering the HDD, you’ll want to cover the basics. Most HDD machines are comprised of an anchor, transport undercarriage, operator’s station, drill stem and locator system. First consider application and a quality rig.
“To size a machine, the contractor needs to understand what diameter and length of product he wants to be able to install. He also needs to understand if most of his work will be
rural or residential, where a small footprint machine may be a benefit,” explains Ed Savage, trenchless segment manager for Vermeer Mfg. “Also remember, without a quality drill stem, your machine is useless. ”
When looking at the machine’s features — think safety first. Make sure that the machine has features such as a two-way
communication remote lockout, which is utilized when
making tooling changes. Other than keeping yourself and your crew’s safe, you want a quality machine, so take a look at the drill stem design.
When you sit down at the bargaining table, medium- to heavy-duty HDD rigs run between $300,000 and $4 million. Since it’s not a cheap investment, you’ll want to double your research efforts and know what you’re getting into before signing on the dotted line.
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