By adopting Geonex Horizontal Hammer Boring, The Tunneling Company successfully completed over 1,200 meters of trenchless installation.
Pioneering a New Approach
Horizontal Hammer Boring as an alternate. Upon successful completion of the first installations, TTC was contracted to perform more crossings with Horizontal Hammer Boring, which included… The culture of The Tunneling Company (TTC) of Kamloops B.C., a subsidiary of The Crossing Group, is engrained with a commitment to expand their expertise and capabilities. That culture manifests a desire to embrace and evaluate emerging technologies to go further for their clients.
Identifying the Right Tool for the Ground
The Transmountain Pipeline project included a variety of trenchless construction methods of which TTC was already well versed, including HDD, Micro-Tunneling, Auger Boring and Pipe Ramming. However, when evaluating the ground conditions for the project, a relatively new method, Horizontal Hammer Boring (HHB), offered a great opportunity for success.
Horizontal Hammer Boring utilizes a pneumatic hammer located within the first section of pipe to be installed. The hammer and cutting face pulverize the subgrade instead of cutting it like traditional methods. Compressed air is released with each stroke of the hammer, conveying the fragmented rock cuttings back into the casing where they are carried by auger back to the launch pit. The next strike of the hammer propels the cutting head forward, which simultaneously advances the casing.
Partnership with Geonex
GEONEX Inc., a leading manufacturer of complete Horizontal Hammer Boring systems, worked extensively with the TTC team to evaluate anticipated conditions to determine the feasibility of deploying the equipment. With over 10,000 completed installations in similar conditions in Europe, GEONEX was confident in their HZR1200 drill machine with 42-inch tooling to perform. Having experience in smaller diameters with the GEONEX Equipment, TTC invested heavily in the technology, expanding their capabilities and their experience.
Proven Performance in the Field
Initially The Tunneling Company was contracted to perform several crossings with alternate/conventional methods. However, TTC was successful in petitioning Transmountain to allow the use of roadway and sensitive area crossings on the project, some of which had been previously unsuccessful when attempted with other methods.
By the end of the project, The Tunneling Company completed more than 1,200 meters of installation among 16+ crossings on the project, proving their ability to go further for their client and aid in the ultimate completion of the Transmountain Pipeline project. To date, including the work on Transmountain Pipeline, TTC can boast of more than 100 successfully completed projects utilizing their fleet of GEONEX Horizontal Hammer Boring equipment in sizes from 139.7 mm to 1220 mm in diameter and up to 120 meters in length.