They Build It, You Enjoy It

Posted on: 11 August 2021

One of the more unique and important excavation methods for installing underground utilities is directional boring. It doesn't require much of any ground disturbance and is highly efficient from start to finish. These useful tips can help you when you are using this drilling technique in your excavation project.

Make Sure Drill Pipe Is Rotated

A directional drill is the primary machine that helps you clear out room underground to make way for utilities. This drill has a pipe that is integral to the overall success of directional boring. So that it is able to last a lot longer, make sure you rotate it often.

That can keep it from wearing down on one side prematurely. If this were to happen, you would have to pause your directional boring operations and then suffer more costs because of equipment downtime. Rotating the drill pipe often can safeguard you from this pretty common problem.

Properly Examine Ground Conditions

Before directional boring can commence, you and your drilling team need to assess the ground conditions. They have a huge impact on the directional boring equipment you need to utilize for successful and safe drilling.

Have a site examiner look at the ground conditions and make a note of relevant findings, such as the dirt-to-rock ratio and the overall hardness of the surrounding conditions. These assessments will help you set up directional boring for success because you'll know exactly what equipment to use before getting started. 

Replace Teeth on Drill at the Appropriate Times

After performing directional boring consistently for a while, the teeth on the drill will wear down. That is to be expected because of the ground conditions and activity they're exposed to, but if you replace these teeth at certain intervals, you'll maintain optimal directional boring effectiveness and efficiency.

Study your drill's teeth carefully to make a note of their characteristics and longevity. Then when you start to see signs of wear, you can intervene and replace them. That should keep your directional boring activities running smoothly where you don't have to work as hard getting through different surfaces. 

Directional boring is a useful drilling technique that allows construction companies to remove materials underground for utilities. If you're actively involved in directional boring, then spend time monitoring your equipment and knowing what practices can get you better results. Then you can work a lot smarter over the years while saving money.