Whatever you choose to call it—horizontal underground boring, trenchless digging, directional drilling—this may be the answer you were hoping for.
When you can bore, why dig?
In underground boring drilling, rods can be rotated, pushed, or pulled underground by directional boring rigs with little harm done to the surrounding vegetation, sidewalks, roadways, etc. When it comes to laying underground facilities like water, sewage, gas, electric telephone, fiber optic, etc., directional boring is favored over trenching. But that's a mistake because it's not as common in residential buildings.
Underground boring fundamentals
Directional underground boring, also known as trenchless digging, involves penetrating the earth at a low angle using a drilling bit or head. The earth is pushed through while the bit is turned. Constantly more poles are installed to extend the reach. The drilling tip levels out to maintain a horizontal bore once the appropriate depth has been reached. An existing pipe, line, or conduit is pushed back through the hole once the boring has reached its goal.
Steering
In addition to sharp carbide teeth, drill heads have electronics that broadcast a radio signal. A receiver located above ground receives the signal and constantly determines the location of the drill head. To direct the machine operator, the person holding the receiver communicates with them. Some high-end machines feature onboard systems that let the operator observe the direction the bit is traveling for themselves.
A Change of Course
This is a typical arrangement for cutting heads. It has a form resembling a duckbill. The head travels straight through the dirt when it is spinning. The person running the machine will stop the pipes from spinning and just push them through the dirt when a direction change is required. Depending on its orientation, the head will turn in a different direction. Other techniques include one that uses a bent end pipe and another that uses a directional high-pressure water spray.
Then why be underground boring?
Consider a scenario in which your client connects to city water after leaving a well. Why dig up the entire front yard, destroy it, and perhaps lose lovely trees that could be decades old? Directional dullness makes even more sense if the utility room is located in the middle of the house. If the operator is skilled, the square hole in the concrete floor will be easy to hit. This is merely one possibility. Consider connecting outbuildings to utilities and power or considering water drainage. Directional underground boring may be able to save you a ton of time and money if you need to dig a trench but something is blocking the path.
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