In July 2024, Brownline surveyed an HDD crossing near Feltwell, in the east of England. A new water pipeline network is being constructed in this region, using both trenched and trenchless methods.
Water for the entire region
A total of more than 300 km / 200 mi of pipeline will be installed to allow safe and swift transport of water from areas where water is in abundance to drier areas. This will strengthen the region’s resilience against water shortages.
Near Feltwell, horizontal directional drilling was used to complete a section of the pipeline under a field, two roads and two small waterways, with minimal disturbance to the surface. The HDD operations were carried out by Gmac Utilities Ltd.
32° horizontal curve
The crossing had a length of 423 m / 1388 ft. A third of that length was drilled in a horizontal curve to align with the pipeline route. Using our Drillguide Gyro Steering Tool, the progress of the drill was surveyed with the highest accuracy, to ensure a smooth curve.
During drilling, the annular pressure was constantly monitored using the Pressure-While-Drilling sensors inside the Drillguide GST. Vigilant monitoring of the pressure values allowed the drill crew to be in control of the drilling process and avoid any fluid releases.
After a successful and accurate pilot bore, our client was able to install the 710 mm pipe that will be used to provide millions of households with clean drinking water in the future.
