Horizontal Drilling Brisbane • How Does It Work

Let’s say you want to install Gas, Power, Communications, Water or any other utilities, however the installation needs to pass challenging terrains such as your footpath, driveway, road or there are lots of trees in the area. Open cut trenching cannot be used in such scenarios due to massive destruction it can cause. Here is where horizontal drilling comes in.

The civil industry use horizontal drilling when they want to install water pipes and power cables and other utilities. So, how is horizontal drilling in Brisbane done and does it come with any benefits.

How Horizontal Drilling Brisbane & Logan is Done

The ground where the horizontal drilling is to be done is assessed to find the right positions where conduit or pipes should be installed. After assessment a mini excavator of 3ton – 4.5 ton will excavate an entrance and exit hole before the horizontal drilling commences. We then use tunnel boring techniques to aim the bore for the required level and depth. Once the entrance and exit holes have been dug each side of the road or driveway and ground conditions have been assessed we decide on which cutting head to use for the horizontal drilling.

We have several different cutters for nearly all ground conditions. Now the process of horizontal drilling in the rods begins. Each rod is constructed with continuing flights allowing the material to be continually ferried out.

The process of horizontal drilling requires each rod to be drilled in before another rod is pinned to the proceeding rod until the cutting head reaches the exit hole. We then retrieve the rods reversing the horizontal drilling process, leaving a neat bore hole ready for pipes and conduit to be pushed through. After we push through the required pipes, which can range from 1 pipe up to 8 pipes, we backfill the horizontal drilling exit and entry holes keeping the are safe, neat and tidy.

Horizontal Drilling Brisbane & Logan

 The Benefits

One of the advantages of horizontal drilling is that it is time-saving since it involves fewer activities. The primary goal of drilling is to create openings where pipes can pass through. Issues like putting the soil and dirt back to their original position are not included here.

Horizontal drilling is cost saving. This is because the entire process only requires a few operators. You won’t see a big team of workers coming to your home like the case with open-cut drilling. It is also important to note that the technique does not require heavy machinery.

Horizontal drilling minimizes ground disturbance and disorientation on the ground. This is possible because the method does not involve digging down into the ground.

You cannot ignore the flexibility that comes with this type of drilling. It can work anywhere, even in areas where there are obstacles like sewer lines, rocks or roots.

Overall, this short bore horizontal drilling is the most suitable and efficient method that you can use to install all utilities under your driveway, under road, footpath or trees.

The Importance of Health & Safety | Horizontal Drilling Brisbane

According to the Occupational, Safety and Health Act 1984, Health, Horizontal Drilling Brisbane employers are expected to provide and maintain a work environment that is practical and does not expose employees to hazards. Companies that do not adhere to these laws risk being charged hefty fines. At Little Boring, the health and safety of our employees, clients and the general public are of importance to us. That is why we comply with all health and safety rules by working safely, wearing and using safety equipment. Our health and safety program consists of ongoing training and the assessment of certain components in our operations for improvement to keep all our practices safe for everyone.

Regular Staff Training

All our staff is trained and prepped by a highly reputable and certified training expert in the industry. They are also expected to carry certification in training for the various equipment and services we provide. The goal of our health and safety program is simply to strive towards a hazard-free workplace. We achieve this by complying with all supervisory requirements and following our internal health and policy by;

• Maintaining open communication lines between our employees, contractors, subcontractors, and management
• Identifying safety hazards
• Ensuring proper equipment training so that everyone works safely

Horizontal Drilling procedure

Before undertaking horizontal drilling projects in Brisbane, we make sure to control and eliminate any possible hazard to guarantee workers and public safety. One of the biggest safety concerns that our contractors face is striking existing underground utilities. Hence, the first thing we do to prevent that from happening is to get the exact“ as constructed” drawings of the area from the DBYD (Dial Before You Dig). Using this information, we carry out a detailed risk assessment to identify and mark any existing utilities.

Since the “as constructed” drawing is not always accurate, we also use potholing and electronic detection to confirm the physical location of the service. Once the horizontal position of these utilities is identified, our contractors commence the drilling. Our drilling heads are all tracked by a qualified worker who has experience using the tracking device to help direct the operator on where to steer.

Our employees and anyone around the workplace has the right to decline working on something that they deem unsafe. Our managers and supervisors make sure to respond to these concerns and investigate hazardous conditions, supply appropriate safety protective equipment to all employees and making sure all that all the equipment is well maintained and that they meet laid down safety standards.