The city of Charleston in South Carolina has set out to make vast improvements to its entire water system. Part of this project is the replacement of a 20-inch water transmission main that crosses Wappoo Creek at Elliott Cut. In June 2020, Brownline surveyed a 2500 ft. drill job for this project.
The Charleston Capital Improvement Program is a 3-year project set out to renew and expand the entire city’s water system. The project encompasses all kinds of water infrastructure; from wastewater plants and wastewater transportation lines, to pumping stations, storage facilities and water mains. Part of the infrastructure to be renovated was constructed in the 1940’s and ready for a big overhaul. The Capital Improvement Program is essential to ensure that the city’s water infrastructure is ready for the future.
The 2479 ft. trajectory for this drill was set out underneath a causeway for boats and crosses a swamp before hitting the exit point at a thin section of right of way. With the exit point of this drill being in a private person’s yard, extreme accuracy was of the utmost importance. A complicating factor for this drill was the variety in soil types. The formations were very layered and ranged from quite hard to very soft, which provided quite a challenge during the drill job.
The choice for the Drillguide Gyro Steering Tool gave this drill job extremely precise results in a timely manner, allowing Charleston’s ambitious project to continue on schedule.