United Drilling has two types of truck drilling rigs; Ingersoll Rand T4s and Watson Augers. The main difference between the two rigs is which ground formation the rig is designed to drill; T4s specialize in drilling rock formations while Augers specialize in sand and clay. We request test borings prior to drilling so the most efficient rig can be mobilized to drill the specified ground formations. Truck drilling rigs can drill as deep as the job requires; we can also drill up to a 36” hole in rock and larger in non-rock formations. The common limitations of truck drilling rigs are clearance from structures, a level area to set-up, and headroom clearance above. The constraints differ slightly between the two types of rigs; the Auger rig is more flexible when it comes to drilling next to existing walls however the Augers are limited to what ground formation they can drill.
We often get asked – “why is water required for drilling?” In sandy soil conditions the water will keep static pressure on the bottom of the hole. In rock conditions the water keeps the dust under control. In addition, water would be required whenever United Drilling is installing PVC or Steel Liner(s) as water is used to sink the liner to the required depth and keep it in place. How much water is dependent upon what ground conditions are present and if a liner is required.
Truck drilling can take place prior to the construction of the pit or after the pit is installed and backfilled. Our preference is to drill after the pit is installed so we can insure the location of the hole. As there are exceptions to every rule, we will request to drill from a staked location when the pit is oversized and would require cribbing to drill if the pit was installed. Your customer may choose to drill prior to the pit being excavated because, once the basement is excavated, truck access would be lost. Please note when drilling off of a staked location the most important thing to relay to your customer is that they are required to sign off on the location of the hole and the elevation at which drilling commences.
United Drilling will give you a price to drill a truck hole from pit floor. If the hole is drilled prior to the pit being excavated the additional four feet (4’) will be drilled at no cost. If further drilling is required beyond the four foot pit (through an unexcavated basement, etc.) additional charges will be forwarded. Certain ground formations require specialized tooling to drill; a common example is SymmetrixTM tooling which is required when drilling through boulders or any other unconsolidated ground formation. This tooling requires the pit to be installed prior to drilling.
If you want to see the rig in action, please call or email our office and we will let you know the next time we are in your area with a truck rig; someone from United Drilling would be happy to come out to meet you!
