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| Today, Horizontal Directional Drilling provides many more opportunities to
install pipelines of a specific material than in years past. Despite the
advances that have been made in technology and education, there still exists a
popular misconception that HDD installations are best suited to High Density
Polyethylene (HDPE) pipe or Steel casing pipe. Many times, project
engineers fail to consider the alternative materials that can be successfully
installed via HDD, such as Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) |
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Many municipalities prefer not to use HDPE in their infrastructure for the
simple fact that they do not want to have to deal with yet another type of
piping material. Many water and waste water distribution systems today are
built with PVC and ductile iron pipe replacing the aging clay, concrete and cast
iron piping of yesterday. Horizontal Directional Drilling is just as efficient
with the installation of PVC and Ductile Iron pipelines, as it is with the
installation of HDPE and Steel pipelines.
In many situations, the use of a sectional, restrained joint PVC or Ductile
Iron pipe can be a better selection. In order to install a HDPE pipe for
example, it needs to be preassembled prior to pull back. In many urban areas,
not only can this be a public nuisance, but potentially impossible due to
constraints at the site. Utilization of a restrained joint PVC or Ductile
Iron pipe however allows the HDD contractor to assemble the pipe using the cartridge
method. This means the pipe is assembled while being pulled into the
borehole which dramatically reduces the amount of room required for staging of
pipe.
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Installation of ductile iron pipe via HDD is accomplished through the
use of a restrained joint ductile iron pipe. Restrained joint
ductile iron pipe is specifically developed for use in directional drilling
is available in most all sizes and pressure classes necessary for your projects
requirements as well as meeting the requirements for all appliciplibable AWWA
standards for PVC and Ductile Iron pipe. Additionally, after construction
is complete, operators who maintain the system enjoy the benefit of working with
a pipe material they may already have in their system and are comfortable with,
thus potentially minimizing maintenance costs in the future.
Being one of the
first companies to have successfully completed ductile iron installations
via HDD back in the late 90's, we have an extensive amount of experience
with the subtle differences between these types of bores and more
conventional HDD crossings. Please contact
us for more detailed information on completing ductile iron
installations via HDD. |
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