Navigational Drilling Systems
The D7x11 Series is powered by a turbo-charged, Tier II 47 HP (35 kw) Kubota engine. Featuring 1300 ft-lb (1762 Nm) of rotational torque and 9000 lb (4082 kg) of thrust/pullback making it easy to install product efficiently. A small footprint provides increased access to confined areas and heightens machine manoeuvrability. A width of 35.5" (90.2 cm) allows the machine to transport through and fit into narrow areas.
What is Directional Drilling?
This “state of the art” technology is pretty high tech as far as ditch digging goes; mainly because there is no ditch. It is quite literally the drilling of a hole horizontally. The drill head contains an electronic device that tells the operator where it is and where it is pointed. You can actually steer the bore for hundreds of feet; up, down, and even around. Once the hole is drilled, the conduit, pipe, wire or other material that needs to be buried is connected to the drill steel. As the steel is pulled out, the material is pulled in. Hence the term, "trenchless technology." Other terms you may hear are: directional drilling, horizontal directional drilling or HDD, directional boring.
Directional drilling is ideal for installing infrastructure beneath highways, roads, and railway tracks, without affecting traffic load on these networks. The technology can also be used for crossing of rivers, streams, and lakes.
The advantages of Directional Drilling:
- Saves expensive or historic landscapes and structures: Directional drilling minimizes the need to remove expensive landscaping or endanger historic structures with excavation.
- Eliminates unsightly excavation and trenching activity: Conventional trenching operations require many pieces of equipment, all of which contribute to noise and sight pollution on site, as well as litter the environment with spoil pipes and trenches. Only the drill, with a minimal amount of support equipment, is required on horizontal directional drilling projects – and trenches are eliminated.
- Reduced impact on residents and business around construction site: There is no need to close roads or redirect traffic around the construction site, thus maintaining normal traffic patterns and access to businesses and residential property.
- Reduction in long-term costs associates with settlements: Installations utilizing directional drilling reduce and in some cases eliminate settlements above the new pipe or conduit. This is particularly advantageous when installations are conducted beneath roads, highways, rail lines and foundations.
- Minimum disruption to road, rail and other service users.
- Significantly reduced construction time: With the elimination of costly and time-consuming excavation and restoration associated with open trenching, installations can be performed in less time. Additionally, the mobility and quick times of the directional drill reduce costs as well.
- Minimum restoration costs.
