AN IN-DEPTH LOOK AT

THE HORIZONTAL
DIRECTIONAL
DRILLING PROCESS
 T
he practice of burying pipelines can be traced all the
way back to 200 BC, where ancient Romans used
sophisticated underground piping networks to sup-
ply its growing population with a steady supply of water.
At the time, massive amounts of manpower would’ve been
needed to excavate and install these pipelines in a way that
would adequately meet their needs.

Since then, even though the complexity of underground

utilities and the tools and equipment used to install them
have evolved significantly, the overall method of construc-
tion has remained mostly unchanged. Conventional meth-
ods of piping installation usually involve:

• Excavating above-ground trenches to the desired depth

• Preparing the trench for installation of the underground

utility

• Installation of the pipe or conduit

• Backfilling of the site and reinstatement of the preexist-

ing surface.

This traditional method has, however, presented numerous challenges

over the years. The shortcomings of excavation become more appar-
ent when utilities need to be installed across watercourses, wetlands,
roadways, and other areas with heavy vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
The cost to conduct such excavations and the ensuing disruptions that
occur can make conventional excavations either not economically fea-
sible or outright impractical.

The limitations of conventional excavation have caused many govern-

ments, municipalities and contractors to explore trenchless methods of
installing underground utilities in an effort to reduce construction costs
and minimize disruptions. One such technique that has seen a sharp
rise in popularity is Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD.)

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WHAT IS HORIZONTAL
DIRECTIONAL DRILLING?
HDD, also known as directional boring, is a minimal impact trenchless con-
struction technique used to install underground pipelines, conduits, cables or
any other utility along a predefined path. This method involves the use of a
surface drilling rig, with associated attachments, to create a non-vertical bore
path for the utility to be pulled through. HDD can be used to create bores with
a wide range of dimensions. Some heavy HDD rigs can drill bores of up to 60
inches in diameter with a length of over 9000 ft.

Read: A Step-by-Step Guide to HDD

This drilling technique gets its name due to the fact that the initial pilot bore is
steerable. Using advanced technologies and highly trained engineers and tech-
nicians, the drill head is electronically guided along a predetermined path to
ensure that the angle, depth, and exit point of the bore are in compliance with
engineering plans and calculations.

Horizontal directional boring is ideal for a variety of soil conditions and can be
used to install pipes and conduits of almost any material including polyeth-
ylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), steel, ductile iron or any other
material with enough flexibility to be pulled through a drilled hole.

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 WHY IS HDD USED?
Long distance underground pipes and utilities are usually constructed either
across large rural farmlands, or urban utility corridors. The conventional pro-
cess of clearing the approved route, excavating trenches, lowering and install-
ing sections of the pipe into the trench, and backfilling the removed soil has
numerous adverse economic and environmental impacts.

For rivers, wetlands and other sensitive areas, excavation and other construc-
tion-related activities can result in environmental pollution, disruption of wild-
life habitat, and expensive weir, dam, and pier construction. In urban areas with
significant amounts of development, excavations can result in the destruction
of above-ground infrastructure, traffic disruptions, and costly reinstatement of
structures.

Read: Horizontal Directional Drilling

7 Key Facts to Know

HDD provides a viable alternative to traditional construction in large river

crossings, and in protected, congested, or otherwise unique site-specific situa-
tions where minimal disturbance of the surrounding environment is preferred.

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STEP 1: DRILLING THE
PILOT HOLE
Every HDD project begins with the drilling of a carefully calculated and manu-
ally guided pilot hole. The pilot hole is essentially a horizontal bore along a pre-
determined path that is used to outline the intended route for the final product
pipe. This path requires careful planning during the initial stages of the drilling
process to ensure that the pilot hole avoids underground obstructions such as
water, wastewater, and electrical utilities.

At both sides of the pipe crossing, limited workspaces are established to fa-
cilitate the drilling equipment, and the product pipe fabrication; these areas are
referred to as the entry and exit sites. The typical entry site contains the drilling
rig and power unit, a drill pipe skid, mud recycling equipment, a control cabin,
and a shallow entry pit. Other features such as noise barriers and erosion con-
trol measures may also be located at the entry site.

The pilot bore process begins by inserting a rotating drill string connected to
a drill head (or cutting head) at the entry pit located at the entry site. The pilot
bore penetrates the entry pit and continues along a predetermined path to-
wards the exit site located at the surface on the other side of the crossing.

During the pilot bore drilling operations, a bentonite suspension slurry, also
referred to as drilling fluid or drilling mud, is continuously pumped through
the drill string and is discharged through the nozzles of the drill head. This
fluid mixes with the surrounding soil and suspends the cuttings, subsequently
transporting the resulting mixture back to the entry site where the mud recy-
cling unit removes the cuttings and recycles the drilling fluid for reuse at the
drill head. In addition to removing
entrained cuttings, the drilling
fluid also cools and lubricates
the cutting tools, and stabilizes
the surrounding soil around the
borehole.

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 PILOT HOLE MONITORING
AND GUIDANCE
The key element that sets this drilling method apart from others is the “direc-
tional” aspect. HDD is steerable, i.e., the course of the bore can be adjusted at
any time during drilling operations by navigating the drill bit up, down, left, right,
or in a combination of varying degrees of each direction to achieve the desired
bore path.

However, in order for an operator to determine which direction to steer the bit,
there must be some form of communication between the drill bit and the op-
erator. There are three main methods used for locating the drill head; these are
walk-over locating systems, wire-line locating systems, and gyro-guided drilling
systems.

1. WALK-OVER LOCATING SYSTEMS: In walk-over locat-

ing systems, a transmitter, also known as a sonde, is usually
placed in a housing unit behind the drill head. The sonde
collects and transmits detailed drill bit location information,
allowing personnel to track the exact location of the bit and
make appropriate adjustments as needed. Depth, pitch, roll,
temperature, and battery status are just some of the param-
eters that are recorded by the sonde.

As the pilot bore progresses, a crew member with a handheld

receiver unit walks directly above the drill bit location. The
sonde collects the relevant information which is then en-
coded into an electromagnetic signal. The handheld receiver
intercepts the signal transmitted by the sonde and relays this
information to the drill rig operator’s control cabin. Here, the
drill operator can use various controls to adjust the bore path
as required.

2. WIRE-LINE LOCATING SYSTEMS: Wire-line locating

systems work in a similar manner to walk-over systems. The
primary difference between these two locating methods is
in the sonde itself. Instead of being wireless and powered by

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batteries, in wire-line systems, power is supplied to the sonde via an
insulated wire which is run through the drill string. As a result, bat-
tery life in wire-line systems is superior to walk-over systems since
the battery is located above ground and can be recharged during
drilling operations.

Wire-line locating systems are also classified as magnetic guidance

systems, i.e., the information collected by the sonde is encoded into
an electromagnetic signal. Depth and location readings are received
by a walk-over receiver which then sends the data to the control
cabin. Pitch, roll, and other angular measurements are transmitted
through the wire directly to the drill operator. This locating system is
ideal for extremely long or deep bores.

3. GYRO-GUIDED DRILLING SYSTEMS: Gyro-guided drilling

differs from walk-over and wire-line systems in that it does not
transmit electromagnetic signals. Instead, gyroscopes are used to
determine the relevant drill head location parameters. Gyro-guided
systems, therefore, do not need to determine magnetic North to
function correctly, making them insensitive to magnetic distur-
bances.

Although this method is more expensive than previously men-

tioned locating systems, it provides real-time measurements while
drilling (MWD) and can be used in areas where magnetic signal
interference is likely due to the presence of existing underground
utilities.

Once the location information has been collected via any one of
the locating methods above, the drill operator makes the necessary
steering adjustments to maintain the desired design alignment to
the exit pit on the other side of the crossing.

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 STEP 2: PRE-REAMING
When the drill bit exits the ground surface at the exit pit, the pilot bore stage of
the process is complete. The next phase of the HDD process entails enlarging
the pilot borehole to facilitate the installation of the product pipe. This process
is known as reaming, or back-reaming.

At the exit pit, the pilot bore cutting tool is removed, and the drill string is
equipped with a reamer. The reamer is essentially a larger diameter cutting
tool which increases the size of the pilot bore to about one and a half (1.5)
times the diameter of the product pipe or conduit being installed. The over-
sized bore diameter is necessary to minimize adverse frictional forces, accom-
modate pulling grips, and facilitate cutting removal.

The rotating reamer is pulled from the exit pit back to the entrance pit along
the same path as the pilot bore. Similar to the pilot bore cutting tool, the ream-
ers are usually equipped with nozzles to allow for the application of bentonite
slurry to suspend and remove cuttings, stabilize the enlarged borehole, and
lubricate and cool the reamer and the drill string.

Depending on geological conditions and the diameter of the product pipe, mul-
tiple passes of successively larger reamers may be required to incrementally
increase the width of the pilot bore until the final diameter is achieved.

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STEP 3: INSTALLING THE
PRODUCT PIPE
Once the pilot borehole has been enlarged/reamed to the desired diameter,
the third and final step involves installation of the product pipe through the
borehole. At the exit site, sections of the product pipe are welded and tested in
preparation for pullback operations. A system of pipe rollers, slings, and lifting
equipment (side booms and cranes) are used to assist in the pullback of the
pipe through the enlarged borehole.

The slings and rollers not only provide support for the pipeline, but they also re-
duce the amount of friction on the pipe above ground. This reduction in friction
ultimately reduces the amount of pulling force required to pass the product
pipe through the borehole. The rollers and slings also help to position the pipe
such that its entry angle matches with the angle of the bore.

Once the necessary preparatory work is completed, the final pullback process is
ready to commence. This operation entails attaching another rotating reamer to
the product pipe as it is pulled through the bore. However, unlike the drill string,
which rotates along with the drill head, a swivel is placed between the reamer
and the pipe to prevent the transfer of torsional forces to the product pipe.

The product pipe is continuously pulled until it appears at the entrance pit near
the drill rig location. Upon completion of the pullback operation, necessary
inspections and checks are performed on the newly installed pipe. When this
is completed, the drill sites are demobilized and restored to their pre-existing
conditions.

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 HORIZONTAL
DIRECTIONAL
DRILLING TODAY
Since its introduction in the mid-1960s, HDD has gone on to revo-
lutionize the trenchless technology field and the construction in-
dustry at large. It has provided engineers and technicians with new
possibilities for installing pipelines and utility conduits in challeng-
ing sites without having to excavate large expanses of soil.

This method, although simple in concept, requires the careful co-

ordination of qualified individuals and sophisticated technology to
ensure that the drilling process goes according to plan.

Today, HDD is the preferred construction technique for

many governmental agencies and municipalities due to its
minimal infrastructure and environmental impact, as well as
its relatively shorter time for completion. Additionally, the
reduced manpower requirements and minimal reinstate-
ment of the construction site can result in significantly
reduced costs in many applications.

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