Drill baby drill!(Directionally, HDD content)

   / Drill baby drill!(Directionally, HDD content) #81  
I can't close my eyes and bring my pointer fingers to touch in front of me.

Very impressive if the two drillers can meet halfway underground!

Makes one wonder how the France/England Chunnal dig connected under a 21 mile wide sea...
 
   / Drill baby drill!(Directionally, HDD content) #82  
I can't close my eyes and bring my pointer fingers to touch in front of me.

Very impressive if the two drillers can meet halfway underground!

Makes one wonder how the France/England Chunnal dig connected under a 21 mile wide sea...
I don't 100% understand the wireline guidance, or the math and headings and all that. I do understand pitch, and depth, and even drill to box stuff. You start getting into this telemetry stuff, it's another world.

On the Chunnel, I assume they were doing some complicated math to make those hit.

I've been on hundreds or probably several thousand HDD (horizontal directional drill) jobs, and about a dozen jack and bore jobs, but there is also "micro tunneling" which I've never even seen, or even talked with anyone who has seen first hand. My understanding is, it's basically a small scale version, from 24" on upto 12ft+ version of the Chunnel boring machines. I guess it becomes semi practical at around 60". Biggest HDD I've ever been part of is 36" diameter, but i know guys who have been part of 42 and 54" HDDs.
 
   / Drill baby drill!(Directionally, HDD content)
  • Thread Starter
#83  
The the ground has been frozen or then frozen and top melted(0 traction). So I’ve been almost only drilling. Here are a few pictures.
IMG_1502.jpeg
IMG_1509.jpeg
IMG_1510.jpeg
 
   / Drill baby drill!(Directionally, HDD content) #84  
Rods and reamers staged near exit pit.
20250617_092758.jpg
20250617_092906.jpg
 
Last edited:
   / Drill baby drill!(Directionally, HDD content) #86  
Big stuff. Wonder how many gallons of water they will us on that?
This one is a 30" at about 1400LF. So, a ton.

We also have a different one coming up, about 65 ft deep to clear some bridge fender piles on a creek/river crossing, and they are flying in a special, not for sale yet, locator. Pretty sure on that creek they are using a pretty normal sized machine, in the 40T class.
 

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