When businesses and residents wish to extend existing utilities, water, or install conduit through heavily congested areas, directional boring is the answer. It allows underground connections to be repaired or established without compromising landmarks, disrupting vehicle and pedestrian traffic or damaging the environment.

Directional boring, commonly called horizontal directional drilling ("HDD"), is a steerable trenchless method of installing underground pipes, conduits and cables. The pipe, conduit or cable will travel in a shallow arc along a prescribed bore path designed by your contractor and Ben's Mighty Mole. A drilling rig creates minimal impact on the surrounding area. Directional boring is commonly used when trenching or excavating is not practical. It is suitable for a variety of soil conditions and jobs including road, landscape and river crossings. Installation lengths up to 2000 m have been completed in the industry, and diameters up to 1200 mm have been installed in shorter runs.

Pipes can be made of materials such as PCV, polyethylene, polypropylene, doctile iron and steel if the pipes can be pulled through the drilled hole. Directional boring is not practical if there are voids in the rock or incomplete layers of rock. The best material is solid rock or sedimentary material. Soils with cobble stone are not recommended. There are different types of heads used in the pilot-hole process, and they depend on the geological material.

The process starts with making a receiving hole and entrance pits. These pits will allow the drilling fluid to be collected and reclaimed to reduce costs and prevent waste. The first stage drills a pilot hole on the designed path, and the second stage (reaming) enlarges the hole by passing a larger cutting tool known as the back reamer. The reamer's diameter depends on the size of the pipe to be pulled back through the bore hole.

Ben's Mighty Mole LLC  increases the diameter according to the outer diameter or the conduit to achieve optimal production. The third stage places the product or casing pipe in the enlarged hole by way of the drill stem; it is pulled behind the reamer to allow centering of the pipe in the newly reamed path.

HDD is done with the help of a fluid known as drilling fluid. It is a mixture of water and, usually, bentonite or polymer continuously pumped to the cutting head or drill bit to help the removal of cuttings, and to stabilize the bore hole, cool the cutting head, and lubricate the passage of the product pipe. The drilling fluid is sent into a machine called a reclaimer which removes the drill cuttings and maintains the proper viscosity of the fluid. Drilling fluids hold the cuttings in suspension to prevent them from clogging the bore. A clogged bore creates back pressure on the cutting head, slowing production.

Ben's Mighty Mole LLC  focuses on the customer. When you award a project to Ben's, a dedicated program is established just for you. Ben's works with you from the start to the finish.

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