Directional boring is a process that uses a specialized piece of equipment that pushes a bore head into the ground and then horizontally drills and places piping or conduits under the ground. It is a preferred option over trenching and other techniques for the many benefits that it has to offer. Here are the key benefits of directional boring.
- Environment – Directional boring is safer for the environment as it won’t disrupt sensitive landscapes, such as wetlands, wildlife habitat areas, waterways, areas of rich biodiversity, and forests.
- Deeper – Trenching depth is far more limited than what can be accomplished with directional boring.
- Longer – Directional boring is ideal when a longer installation is needed.
- Traffic disruption – Being able to bore under a highway instead of across it means that traffic flow is not disrupted.
- Lower cost – It can get pricey to replace surface materials, such as concrete and asphalt, but that is not necessary when directional boring is used instead of trenching.
- Unique situations – It would be impossible to span certain areas, such as a lake or other waterway, with other than directional boring. Another unique situation would be the protection of a building with historical value.
- Adaptability- There are many different sizes of directional boring machines so that the right machine can be used for the project at hand. Sizes range from those providing a few thousand pounds to more than a million pounds of trust and pullback.
Directional boring has been around for many decades with the first river crossing being done back in the early 1970s. With more underground utility placements being done these days, it is a valuable technique for these many benefits both for those needing the work done and the environment.
