There are mainly two methods when it comes to installing underground utilities. You can either dig deep trenches with an open-cut approach or drill with HDD drilling. But many contractors prefer using the HDD method for pipe and underground utility installation outperforms trenching in the following respects.

HDD Drilling Is Less Invasive And Causes Minimal Environmental Disturbance.

Imagine trenches being dug in densely populated areas. Many people and traffic would be inconvenienced, and you would most likely have to pay more to obtain a license or permit from the local authorities. Furthermore, you would be at high risk of a utility strike, which would be quite costly if it occurred.

Due to the existing infrastructure and services, it is now impossible to employ the open-cut method for underground pipe construction in most cities. The good news is that you can hire an hdd company to help you. Trenchless drilling creates little to no disruption to existing structures or utilities and traffic.

Trenchless drilling is the most suited approach for conduit installation in densely populated cities since it does not require ground excavation. The only work needed by HDD contractors is to dig an entrance pit and a receiving pit; the drilling rigs will take care of the rest. The rigs will drill and install conduits along a predetermined bore path.

Drilling and installation take place underneath. Thus no excavation is required. As a result, there is no more spoil material strewn about the installation site. Furthermore, modern drilling rigs are engineered to reduce noise levels. HDD drilling is minimally invasive and environmentally favorable for these reasons.

HDD Drilling Is More Cost-Effective And Time-Saving Than Conventional Drilling.

The open-cut approach takes longer to complete than horizontal directional drilling. The conduit installation can be done in a short amount of time after an hdd company has constructed the bore path. Smaller jobs can be finished in a single day. While the length of time it takes to complete the project varies on its size and scope, directional drilling is often faster.

Trenching is labor-intensive and time-consuming, especially when the subsurface area is hot and dry. Using the open-cut method adds to the overall price due to the additional labor and time required.

Also, horizontal drilling saves time and money while also protecting the environment and producing high-quality conduit installations. On the other hand, the open-cut method takes longer and costs more money to finish, as well as posing a risk to the public and the environment.

In most circumstances, directional drilling is recommended for subsurface utility installations, especially in industrialized and densely populated areas.

HDD Drilling Is Safer And Facilitates Quality Installation.

If you choose the open-cut method for an underground pipe installation project, you are putting the construction crew and others at risk. Deep trenches are necessary for conduit installation, but a crew member could slide and fall in these deep pits if no safety measures are put in place. A member of the public could possibly fall into the trench if they are not paying attention. Directional drilling, on the other hand, poses no risk to the installation crew because no trenches are dug.

When it comes to quality, directional drilling is the way to go. Even the heaviest conduits can be installed without producing cracks or breaks thanks to the drilling rigs. According to a 2017 Horizontal Directional Drilling Survey, the most frequent form of directional drilling pipe is high-density polyethylene pipe (HDPE), which is used in about 47% of conduit installation operations.

It is preferable to install pipelines and utilities using a horizontal drilling approach to protect their quality. The drilling rigs also have controls that direct the installation personnel. This means that the pipes will be put exactly where the bore path was planned.

Takeaway

Given the right conditions, HDD can be an effective method for installing pipelines and underground utilities. Even so, site constraints frequently dictate the best building method; however, if site conditions allow for both open-cut and HDD, both options should be considered.