Geodrilling International - C8 - Neidhardt - CASAGRANDE GROUP

December 2010 • Issue 168
Drilling fluids
Compressors
Water well drilling
CovIGDI1012.indd 1 08/12/2010 08:55

GEODRILLING 2010
More exhibitors on show at G
Exhibitors are lining up a
range of new and innovative
products and displaying their
far-reaching capabilities at
the forthcoming GeoDrilling
2010 exhibition
GEODRILLING 2010 will run on April 13-14
and incorporate Ground Source Live!.
The UK event, at the East of England
Showground exhibition centre in
Peterborough, is supported by the
British Drilling Association and the Ground Source
Heat Pump Association. GeoDrilling 2010 will be the
fourth time that this bi-annual event has been staged.
Previous GeoDrilling events include: Ground
Source Live!, held at the NEC in Birmingham in
March 2009; and GeoDrilling 2008, held in
Peterborough. GeoDrilling 2006 and 2005 were
staged at Castle Donington. Previous events have
attracted more than 100 exhibitors, and GeoDrilling
2008 received over 3,000 registered visitors.
We asked attendees their key reason for attending
and their response was:
■41% – to meet potential suppliers;
■26% – to keep up to date with industry
information and technology;
■7% – to generate contacts and leads;
■6% – to gain information on the geothermal
industry; and
■6% – to network with industry peers.
Michael Finch, managing director of Casagrande
UK, said of the last GeoDrilling event, held in 2008:
“For us, the show was very good and elicited a good
number of high-quality leads. Most of the new
interest in our machines came from companies
already in, or planning to enter, the geothermal
drilling market, although there was plenty of interest
in our other products.”
At GeoDrilling 2008, Peterborough was the first
time that Dawson Construction Plant exhibited the
LoDril in the UK and the reception from all types of
organisations, be they large corporate, diverse
foundation companies or smaller, specialised drilling
operators, was very high. The company said visitors
to the outdoor demonstration stand could see the
major benefits of this type of excavator-mounted
drill rig.
Dawson said that as a result of being at the show,
it received a long list of leads from all over the UK,
Europe and countries further afield, such as Japan
and Australia. The other major benefit for Dawson
was the breadth of interest in other products that
it manufactures.
Toby Cliff, Dawson – LoDril sales, said GeoDrilling
had given the company a strong development base
for future plans for LoDril. “The show was a definite
success. Perhaps because of its size – unlike the vast
construction-plant exhibitions around the world –
GeoDrilling was personal, well co-ordinated and
manageable, without interrupting the course of
business for both exhibitors and visitors.”
Archway Engineering (UK) , said of the last show:
“Archway had a great show and, as always, the
GeoDrilling staff were amazing. We felt the
showground was a great venue. We had a great deal
of success and several sales with many more
interesting leads. Some to note were White Rose
Drilling adding to its fleet of Darts, along with the
highly successful Geocore SI adding to its numbers.
Archways 450 Apafor rotary rig was the big success
with two sales and several leads.”
In 2008, Tyne & Wear-based Rockbit UK also
offered its congratulations to everyone involved in
GeoDrilling. Company director Alan Vasey said: “I am
sure I speak for all the exhibitors when I say that it
was an extremely successful couple of days thanks to
all the organisers.”
EXCEPTIONAL CONFERENCE PROGRAMME
In today’s challenging times the show offers a
conference that highlights best practice, innovation,
consolidation and many more issues relevant to the
industry. The exhibition will provide a platform to
display hardware and new equipment inside the hall,
and an outside section together with a
demonstration area.
Visitor registration for GeoDrilling 2010,
incorporating Ground Source Live!, is now open. All
visitors register to attend free at the two-day inside
and outside exhibition and demo areas. Entrance to
the GeoDrilling conference stream is free while there
is a fee to enter the Ground Source Live! seminars.
Ground Source Seminar tickets cost £149 to attend a
single seminar day or £199 to attend both days.
Attendance at both count towards CPD.
4 GeoDrilling International January / February 2010
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t GeoDrilling 2010
The fact that some exhibitors complained at
GeoDrilling 2008 that the conference seminars were
too interesting (meaning delegates were too
adequately distracted from frequenting exhibitors’
stands) was high praise indeed for the quality of the
conference programme. The standard of presentations
was excellent, and one which drew a particularly large
audience was on a matter that has gripped the UK
drilling industry for some time – the subject of
rig-guarding. The Health & Safety Executive’s Dr
Donald Lamont, HM principal specialist inspector,
construction engineering, will once again be speaking
at this year’s event to further clarify UK government
policy on rig-guarding.
Rob Barrowman, publisher of GeoDrilling
International, said: “This will be our fourth show and it
has got wind in its sails, having delivered everything
it promised to – and more besides – in previous years.
One of the pleasing aspects of 2008’s event was the
popularity of the seminars and this is an area which
we are particularly concentrating on for 2010. As well
as our own expertise, we have enlisted the support of
the British Drilling Association and the Ground
Source Heat Pump Association to help us build the
very best seminar programme.”
Mr Barrowman added: “While obviously
continuing to build on the drilling elements of the
show, we will also be further enhancing the
geothermal side, which proved so popular in 2008,
and again in 2009 in Birmingham.”
Mark Holland, managing director of Proquip
Direct, said of the Ground Source Live! event, held at
the NEC, Birmingham, in 2009: “The event was a
worthwhile experience for my company. It was
useful in developing industry awareness of Proquip’s
role in the geothermal market. I was particularly
pleased with the number and calibre of visitors
to my stand. Within days the show had paid for
itself several times over. I’m looking forward to the
next event.”
Peter Weinrich, UK region manager at Wassara,
also added his support to the concept of the Ground
Source Live! show, which he said “was important for
Wassara as we were able to showcase our
environmentally-friendly drilling systems to many
interested parties in this growing market area. The
conference and exhibition together develops
knowledge within the industry in a cost-effective
way, and we look forward to similar events in future.”
A PLATFORM FOR EXCELLENCE
Two exhibitors at GeoDrilling 2010 will be launching
new products for the ground-source market while
another plans to use the show as a platform to
launch products from four new drilling-equipment
manufacturers.
Global glycol expert Kilfrost has just launched the
new Thermatrans Sustain fluid, based on glycol from
a sustainable and renewable source, as part of its
recent business expansion.
“We’ve been in operation for over 75 years and are
proud of our great reputation in the aviation, rail,
transport and industrial sectors, but our dedicated
team of research chemists are always looking for
new applications for our technology and saw how
effective our new glycol could be in ground-source
heat units,” said Kilfrost’s heat-transfer sales manager,
Andy Murray.
“Both ground and air-source pumps rely on fluid
to carry the heat back into the premises to an
exchanger, and both our Thermatrans Sustain and
Thermatrans Plus products have been created as a
high-performance, multi-component, heat-transfer
fluid. Not only do they cope brilliantly with the
demands of ground-source applications, but both
feature a dedicated inhibitor package, which
provides multi-metal corrosion protection, a
complex preservative package, which includes an
anti-scaling agent, and an active biocide to prevent
bacteria build-up.
“They are also non-toxic, fully-biodegradable and
non-flammable, so they are safe to transport, handle
and store. And Thermatrans Sustain is the first ever
EXHIBITORS’ STAND NUMBERS
Archway
H12
BHW Group
A15
Boode UK
E4
Casagrande
W4
Chemtest
A10
Chenalord
G14
Colcrete Eurodrill
B4
Dannick Engineering
B11
Dawson Construction Demo 1
Dando Drilling International
F12
Drilline
A1
Drill Store
E1
Dywidag
B12
European Geophysical
K8
Geoprobe Environmental W2
GP Manufacturing
A9
Hydra Technologies
C2
International Pipe
A2
JDP
C14
Jean Lutz
A3
Kilfrost
C4
OGI
H4
Plasson
A13
Proquip
A6
Reflex Instruments
E20
Robertson Geologging
A14
Rockbit UK
G8
SAL
A7
Schramm
A11
Skelair
B6
Soilmec
W6
STL
J2
Stuart Wells
B1
Sun Machinery
A16
TA Drilling
W1
Terex Halco
D10
Universal Augers
B2
Weldgrip
D8
Please register at www.geodrillingshow.com or
contact eileen.smith@aspermontuk.com
fluid in this market to boast glycol, which comes from
a completely sustainable and renewable source – in
this case corn sugar. Both heat-transfer fluids provide
long and efficient protection without having to have
regular change-outs or top-ups, and we’ve even
created it so that the fluid can be diluted directly on
site with potable water prior to application.”
Kilfrost’s expert team will be on hand at stand C4
to discuss the products in more detail.
“This fluid is the first alternative to the traditional
MPG, which is already popular in the UK, but which
has a high viscosity and so takes significantly more
energy to transport around the system,” added
Mr Murray.
January / February 2010 GeoDrilling International 5
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GEODRILLING 2010
NEW TECHNIQUE FOR GROUND LOOPS
The Geo-mole, to be exhibited by Stuart Well
Services at the show, uses technology from the
directional-drilling industry to install closed-loop
systems without the need for conventional drill rigs.
A patented drive head, the Geo-mole, is
hammered into the ground using a single tool
compressor. Two pipe lines, one to deliver air to the
Geo-mole and the other to exhaust air back at
ground level, are pulled into the ground by the
hammer action of the Geo-mole.
When the required depth has been reached, the
sacrificial hammer element of the Geo-mole is
isolated from the two pipe lines by a patented
spring, activated by a stainless-steel ball bearing,
which locks and isolates to form a conventional
closed-loop installation.
To install the Geo-mole, only a compressor is
required, which, said Stuart Well Services, means that
retrospective installations in difficult locations are no
longer a logistics problem. This will, said the
company, open up the ground-source heat-pump
market (GSHP) to all buildings with basements,
courtyards or car parks where access for
conventional drilling and associated disruption has
historically been a major issue.
Stuart Well Services said the mobilisation costs for
road-towable compressors are minimal, so the
installation costs for small, domestic GSHP systems
would be greatly reduced.
SIGN OF FOUR
Casagrande UK will use the exhibition to launch
products from four new manufacturers with whom it
has recently signed exclusive UK-dealership
agreements. These manufacturers are: Geax of Italy,
manufacturer of compact piling rigs; Stuwa of
Germany, manufacturer of geothermal consumables;
HD Engineering of Hong Kong, manufacturer of
reverse-circulation drilling equipment and
specialised drilling rigs; and Mine Master of Poland,
manufacturer of excavator-mounted drilling masts.
Casagrande UK will be exhibiting a Geax model
DTC30 rig on its stand and a display of Stuwa
products. In addition, the company will be focusing
on its established product range from Casagrande,
Hutte and Eurodrill, and using the GeoDrilling
exhibition to launch a new geothermal-drilling rig
from Hutte – the HBR204GT – which builds on the
success of its existing geothermal-drilling rig, the
HBR205GT. Michael Finch, managing director of
Casagrande UK, said: “The HBR204GT offers all the
Please register at www.geodrillingshow.com or
contact eileen.smith@aspermontuk.com
power and features of the HBR205GT in a smaller,
and more compact, drilling rig.”
INDUSTRY PARTICIPATION
The British Drilling Association has been a steady
supporter of the GeoDrilling events, and this year it
will once again be participating in the exhibition and
conference, alongside the Ground Source Heat
Pump Association.
The 2010 show incorporates a set of pay-to-attend
Ground Source Live! seminars, running alongside the
main, free-to-attend GeoDrilling conference sessions.
The event will attract as visitors: architects, building
consultants, building control officers, building
engineers, buyers, civil engineers, consulting and
contracting engineers, contractors, designers,
developers, development planners, energy consultants,
environmental engineers, facilities managers, ground
water engineers, housing providers, installers, local
authorities, manufacturers, planning consultants,
planning officers, policy-makers, renewable energy
consultants, specifiers and surveyors.
Exhibition space is available as: shell scheme (with
furniture package); space (no shell scheme) inside
and outside; and demonstration space. All packages
come with:
■Listing and promotion on the show website;
■Promotion in marketing material, before, during
and after the show;
■Inclusion of company profile in event showguide;
■The opportunity to invite key clients and contacts
to the event; and
■Discounted Ground Source Live!! tickets.
DRILL & GRILL EVENING EVENT
The GeoDrilling Show is a great way to catch up with
industry peers and make new contacts. So, what
better way to round off the first day of the show than
at the new Drill & Grill night? Held in the Cambridge
Suite at the East of England Showground at 17.30 on
April 13, Drill & Grill is an opportunity for you to
unwind after a long day at the show and conference.
On offer is a BBQ buffet plus a drink of your choice
on arrival. A cash bar is available for the remainder of
the evening. Tickets are £19.95 + VAT and are
available when registering online.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
The venue for GeoDrilling 2010 is Exec Peterborough,
set within grounds in excess of 250 acres at the East
of England Showground. It offers a multi-purpose
exhibition centre with a clear span covering 5,583m 2
joining a multi-functional complex of 1,000m 2 .
Exec Peterborough is located by road just off the
A1 (Peterborough), and is only 50 minutes by rail
from London King’s Cross. Peterborough rail station
GEODRILLING 2010 AWARDS
At GeoDrilling 2010, industry awards will be
launched for the first time. Celebrating various
aspects of the industry, these awards will be held
on the evening of the April 13, 2010, in the
Cambridge Suite at the East of England Showground.
To submit a nomination for all or any of the
below awards, nominators are required to:
a) Submit a document outlining criteria points
in not less than 150 words to the Editor
(luke.clancy@aspermontuk.com);
b) Supply pictorial evidence, plans, photos; and
c) Submit written feedback and/or third-person
(commissioning authority, designer, surveyor,
and contractor) acknowledgement of works.
The judges will consider:
■Pre-planning;
■Environmental harmony;
■Innovation; and
■Sustainability.
The closing date for all nominations is February 12.
AWARDS CATEGORIES
Ground investigation award
For a difficult, demanding and interesting ground
investigation drilling project, which overcame
challenging conditions by means of well-thought
out techniques.
Piling, foundations and stabilisation award
For a difficult, demanding and interesting
geotechnical processes drilling project, which
overcame challenging conditions by means of
well-thought out techniques.
Ground source drilling award
For a difficult, demanding and interesting
ground-source drilling project, which overcame
challenging conditions by means of well-thought
out techniques.
Technical advancement award
For a manufacturer that has developed innovative
technologies to advance the state-of-the-art in
capital drilling equipment or ancillary equipment.
Health and safety achievement award
Awarded to an organisation, company or
association that has significantly contributed to
improving health and safety in the drilling industry.
Sustainability award
For a project or equipment that advances
environmental sustainability, incorporating best
practice and promoting exemplar values.
Lifetime achievement award
Awarded to an individual in recognition of their
long service to the drilling industry.
Editor’s award
Awarded at the discretion of the Editor to a
company that has excelled in the drilling industry.
Training and education achievement award
For excellent achievement in training and
education in the drilling industry.
For full exhibition information, prices and
sponsorship opportunities please contact
Linda Winfield, GeoDrilling event sales manager,
on +44 (0) 1268 769666 or email
linda.winfield@geodrillinginternational.com
is located 3.4 miles from the venue – a short taxi ride.
The venue provides all-weather parking for 2,000
cars, with additional parking for up to 20,000.
6 GeoDrilling International January / February 2010
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TAGLINE GEODRILLING 2010
Exhibitors prepare to make this ye
Exhibitors are preparing
to line up a range of
innovative products and
display their far-reaching
capabilities at GeoDrilling
2010 in April and May
SHAPING up to be the best show yet,
GeoDrilling 2010 will take place on
April 13-14 and May 1, and incorporate
‘Ground Source Live’. The UK event, at
the East of England Showground
exhibition centre in Peterborough, is supported by
the British Drilling Association and the Ground
Source Heat Pump Association.
BOODE UK TO LAUNCH MUNIPACK
Scott Dronsfield, managing director of Boode UK,
said: “We are very much looking forward to another
great GeoDrilling show. The exhibition is evolving
into a world-class event – a must for anyone involved
in the land-drilling industry. We will be showcasing
our extensive range of products from Boode,
Johnson Screens and Baroid.
“We will be unveiling a state-of-the-art product
from Johnson Screens. The Munipack is a specialised
product for artesian wells where gravel pack is difficult
to place, or to rehabilitate a well with sand production.
It is excellent for long-term, deep wells and high flow
rates. The ceramic-ball media plus the V-wire Johnson
high open-area screen are perfect to give a fantastic
flow rate in the well without head losses.
“The carbolite media material was chosen, after
many tests, as it is easily compacted while remaining
free in between the dual screens. Carbolite is a very
hard ceramic that has astonishing compressive
resistance and the surface of the ceramics balls is so
smooth – it has been proven that incrustation is
considerably reduced over time.”
DETECTOR DUO & HI-MOD MAPPING
One of the products exhibited by Drilline Products,
an independent supplier of no-dig products for the
utility industry, will be the IDS Detector Duo GPR
system, which uses radar technology to locate
buried utilities before beginning trenching, drilling
or no-dig operations.
Compact, and easy to transport and deploy, the
Detector Duo helps prevent damage to cables and
pipes, and avoid the risk of pipe rupture during
trenching and drilling. It has dual-frequency antenna
at 250MHz and 700MHz, enabling the detection of
both shallow and deep targets simultaneously. The
system runs in Windows XP and is fully digitalised, so
it is able to store the collected data for printing,
review and editing using the IDS software.
Drilline, the UK dealer for Italy’s IDS, a leading
force in manufacturing innovative radar products,
will also be showing the IDS RIS MF Hi-Mod system.
The company is the first to introduce the multifrequency
array concept to GPR, and IDS offers
specific high-performance products for extensive
underground utility mapping.
Drilline says the RIS MF Hi-Mod system is the only
end-to-end solution designed for accurate utility
mapping, from field acquisition to maps on CAD or
GIS, with automated detection tools, tomography
and 3D data representation. This means a full day’s
acquisition can be processed in just one day.
JEAN LUTZ INSTRUMENTATION
France-based Jean Lutz manufactures and installs
specialised measuring instrumentation, which is
used in large foundation works such as grouting,
drilling, piling and micropiling. Each foundation
process has an associated software, which analyses
the measurement data and produces reports that
summarise the work carried out.
At GeoDrilling 2010, Jean Lutz will exhibit a
range of such equipment, including Dialog, for
measuring and controlling special foundation
processes with communication of information in
real-time through one multi-purpose interface for
CFA piles, injection and soil mixing.
Also on display will be: Prevo for controlling
pressure and volume during in
situ geotechnical tests; Tigor,
an instrument for drilling
deviation measurement;
and BAP160/LUBAP, which
measures and records drilling
and grouting parameters.
CRACKING TRACK RECORD
GeoDrilling 2010 will be the fourth time that this
bi-annual event has been staged. Previous
GeoDrilling events include Ground Source Live, held
at the NEC, Birmingham in March 2009, and
GeoDrilling 2008, held at Peterborough. The 2006
and 2005 events were held at Castle Donington.
Previous events have attracted more than 100
exhibitors and GeoDrilling 2008 received over 3,000
registered visitors. We asked attendees their key
reason for attending and their response was:
■ 41% said to meet potential suppliers;
■ 26% said to keep up to date with industry
information and technology;
■ 7% said to generate contacts and leads;
■ 6% said to gain information on the geothermal
industry; and
■ 6% said to network with industry peers.
Rob Barrowman, publisher of GeoDrilling
International, said: “This will be our fourth show
and it has got wind in its sails, having delivered
everything it promised to – and more besides – in
previous years. One of the pleasing aspects of 2008’s
event was the popularity of the seminars and this is
an area that we are particularly concentrating on for
2010. As well as our own expertise we have enlisted
the support of the British Drilling Association and
the Ground Source Heat Pump Association to help
us build the very best seminar programme.”
Mr Barrowman added: “While obviously continuing
to build on the drilling elements of the show we will
also be further enhancing the geothermal side,
which proved so popular in 2008, and again in 2009
in Birmingham.”
INDUSTRY PARTICIPATION
The British Drilling Association has been a steady
supporter of the GeoDrilling events, and this year it
will again be participating in the exhibition and the
conference, alongside the Ground Source Heat
Pump Association. The 2010 show incorporates a set
of pay-to-attend Ground Source Live! seminars,
which will run alongside the main, free-to-attend
GeoDrilling conference sessions.
The event will attract as visitors: architects; building
4 GeoDrilling International March 2010
04-05GDI1003.indd 4 26/02/2010 16:37

s year’s event the best
Please register at
www.geodrillingshow.com or
contact eileen.smith@aspermontuk.com
consultants; building control officers; building
engineers; buyers; civil engineers; consulting and
contracting engineers; contractors; designers;
developers; development planners; energy consultants;
environmental engineers; facilities managers; ground
water engineers; housing providers; installers; local
authorities; manufacturers; planning consultants;
planning officers; policy-makers; renewable energy
consultants; specifiers and surveyors.
Exhibition space is available as: shell scheme (with
furniture package); space (no shell scheme) inside
and outside; and demonstration space. All packages
come with the following:
■ Listing and promotion on the show website;
■ Promotion in marketing material, before, during
and after the show;
■ Inclusion of your company profile in the event
show guide;
■ The opportunity to invite your key clients and
contacts to the event; and
■ Discounted Ground Source Live tickets.
DRILL & GRILL EVENING EVENT
The GeoDrilling Show is a great way to catch up with
industry peers and make new contacts. So, what
better way to round off the first day of the show than
at the new Drill & Grill night? Held in the Cambridge
Suite at the East of England Showground at 17.30 on
April 13, Drill & Grill is a chance for you to unwind
after a long day at the show and conference. On offer
is a BBQ buffet plus a drink of your choice on arrival. A
cash bar is available for the remainder of the evening.
Tickets are £19.95 +VAT and are available when
registering online
Jean Lutz’s products on show will include Dialog (left)
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
The venue for GeoDrilling 2010 is exec Peterborough,
set within grounds of over 250 acres at the East of
England Showground in Peterborough. It offers a
multi-purpose exhibition centre with a clear span
covering 5,583m 2 , joining a multi-functional
complex of 1,000m 2 .
Exec Peterborough is located by road just off the
A1 (Peterborough). It provides all-weather parking
for 2,000 cars, and additional parking for up to
20,000 more.
From central London, the train journey from
King’s Cross station to Peterborough (3.4 miles from
venue) is just 50 minutes. The showground is a short
taxi ride from Peterborough rail station.
EXCEPTIONAL CONFERENCE PROGRAMME
In today’s challenging times, Geodrilling 2010 offers
a conference that will highlight best practice,
innovation, consolidation and many more issues
relevant to the industry. The exhibition will provide a
platform to display hardware and new equipment
inside the hall, and an outside area, together with a
demonstration area.
Visitor registration for the event, incorporating
Ground Source Live is now open. All visitors register
to attend free at the two-day inside and outside
exhibition and demonstration areas. Entrance to the
GeoDrilling conference stream is free while entrance
to the Ground Source Live seminars is paid for.
Ground Source Seminar tickets cost £149 to attend a
single seminar day or £199 to attend both days.
Attendance at both days count towards CPD.
Please register online at www.geodrillingshow.com,
or contact eileen.smith@aspermontuk.com.
EXHIBITORS’ STAND NUMBERS
Archway
H12
Baker Associates
R1
BHW Group
A15
Boode UK
E4
Casagrande
W4
Chemtest
A10
Chenalord
G14
Colcrete Eurodrill
B4
Dannick Engineering
B11
Dawson Construction Demo 1
Dando Drilling International
F12
Drilline
A1
Drill Store
E1
Dywidag
B12
Earth Energy
R2
European Geophysical
K8
Geopro
G3
Geoprobe Environmental
W2
GP Manufacturing
A9
Hydra Technologies
C2
International Pipe
A2
JDP
C14
Jean Lutz
A3
Kilfrost
C4
OGI
H4
Plasson
A13
Proquip
A6
Reflex Instruments
E20
Robertson Geologging
A14
Rockbit UK
G8
SAL
A7
Schramm
A11
Soilmec
W6
STL
J2
Stuart Wells
B1
Sun Machinery
A16
TA Drilling
A12
Terex Halco
D10
Universal Augers
B2
Weldgrip
D8
For full exhibition information, prices and
sponsorship opportunities please contact:
Linda Winfield
GeoDrilling event sales manager
Tel: +44 (0) 1268 769666
linda.winfield@geodrillinginternational.com
See pages 8-10 of this issue for details of the full
conference programme
March 2010 GeoDrilling International 5
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TAGLINE GROUND STABILISATION
Ground stabilisation is
an important factor at
any construction site.
Carly Lovejoy looks at the
products available from
several key manufacturers
and their application
Terra firma
Atlas Copco
Atlas Copco offers complete equipment solutions to
increase customer productivity in many types of
ground-stabilising applications, including:
micropiling; foundation drilling; underpinning;
anchoring and tunnelling.
Mikael Wester, communications manager at
Atlas Copco geotechnical drilling and exploration,
comments: “As global redevelopment of urban areas
continues, contractors and drillers face new
challenges. The demand for application-tailored
solutions to meet the challenges is increasing; the
Atlas Copco systems are easily customised to the
specific application at hand.”
Atlas Copco produces three ranges of rock bolts
for stabilisation applications – MAI Self Drilling
anchors, Swellex rock bolts and Roofex rock bolts.
MAI SELF-DRILLING ANCHOR
The MAI SDA is a bolting solution for unstable
ground conditions such as sand, gravel, silt and clays,
and fractured rock formations. Using MAI as the drill
rod during drilling and utilising a sacrificial bit, then
grouting the anchor in place, makes a safe and
productive solution. MAI can also be installed using
simultaneous drilling and grouting to boost
productivity even further.
When used for slope stabilisation, MAI anchors are
suitable for most rock or soil formations that are
normally benched prior to the installation of ‘soil
nails’. The unconsolidated or weathered ground
conditions favour the use of self-drilling hollow core
anchors. The MAI SDA R32-R38-R51 models are
recommended.
Casagrande rig with rod-handling carousel
For micropiling applications, MAI bolts can be
injected with grout and used to replace smalldiameter
drilled piles. MAI micropiles can be
installed in sites with limited headroom and
restricted access with light drilling equipment. They
require minimal site preparation and can be installed
in most ground conditions, including rock, and are
suitable for tension and compression loads.
MAI anchors can also be used to reinforce the
circumference of tunnels and for advanced roof
support in tunnel excavation in overburden and soft,
fractured rock, as well as in unconsolidated ground.
Mr Wester adds: ”European Technical Approval
has recently been granted to the Atlas Copco MAI
SDA range, making us the first supplier within the EU
to have a range of CE-Approved self-drilling anchors.”
SWELLEX ROCK BOLTS
Swellex rock bolts are built from a welded tube, folded
on itself and sealed at one extremity. The operator
drills a hole in the rock, inserts the bolt and then
inflates it to a predetermined pressure using a
dedicated inflation system.
Swellex bolts are available in two versions: the
Swellex Premium line, which is a stiff rock bolt for
moderate stress conditions; and the Swellex
Manganese line, which is highly deformable for areas
that experience large rock movements.
The Premium range are connectable and consist
of three components: a blind segment, which guides
the bolt into the hole (a standard Swellex bolt with a
threaded connector); a middle segment with a
connector at both ends (the length and number of
these segments dictates the final full length); and an
inflatable segment, with a connector at one end and
an inflation bushing at the other where a Swellex
chuck can be connected. The inflatable segment can
be connected to the blind segment and a long rock
bolt is created by connecting several segments
together. The patented connector connects and seals
the bolts while facilitating pressurised water flow
throughout the segments.
Atlas Copco upgraded the Swellex line in 2009,
making them faster, easier and safer to use. The firm
makes a line of corrosion-resistant bolts – Plasticoated
Swellex – for highly corrosive environments. For
special applications such as hangers and deep
reinforcement, Atlas Copco has developed specialised
versions of Swellex bolts. With the Swellex Hanger
Pm24H, operators can install a service hanger in
conjunction with the primary support method, while
the Connectable Pm24C is a modern replacement
for medium-length cable bolts, with high
productivity, quality control and safety components.
A typical application in tunnelling is to use
Swellex as pattern bolts to support, reinforce or
consolidate the periphery of an excavation. Density
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Boart Longyear’s DB95 drill rig, specifically designed for
tieback, soil nail drilling and micropiling applications
of bolting depends on the size of the excavation and
the self-supporting qualities of the rock mass.
ROOFEX ROCK BOLT
Atlas Copco produces the Roofex range of supporting
and monitoring rock bolts, designed to dissipate and
control large amounts of energy. The bolt is made
from a high-quality steel bar, encased in a smooth,
plastic sheath, which is fixed inside the borehole
with cement or resin grout. A patented energy
absorber acts as a sliding element over the steel bar,
allowing the bolt to extend outwards under load
while ensuring the load capacity remains constant. In
this way, the bolt can absorb sudden displacements
such as rock burst or seismic events, making it
particularly suitable for use in poor quality rock or
areas that experience high levels of deformation.
The Roofex concept offers two types of monitor
bolts (static and dynamic), which monitor rock mass
movements directly and provide predictability to the
rock-reinforcement system. Usually, once bolts are
installed, deformation can only be determined using
geodetical survey methods. This is not always an
indication that the bolts work properly or that they
are well bonded to the rock mass, but by using
Roofex monitor bolts the effective movement of the
SonicSampDrill’s MidSonic rig anchor-drilling in Speyer
Rhineland, Germany
inner, steel bar through the energy absorber can be
clearly monitored.
Roofex can be used as a primary bolting support or
as a secondary support system. A typical application
of the latter is where a tunnel has been reinforced
with rock bolts, such as Swellex, and a wire mesh is
then applied and sealed with shotcrete. Roofex can
then be installed as a secondary precaution.
SUPPORTING PRODUCTS
Atlas Copco offers three casing advancement systems
for ground stabilisation: Symmetrix; Elemex and
Odex. With these systems a casing pipe is installed
while the hole is drilled. The casing stops the hole
collapsing. The systems offer high productivity for
foundation works or well drilling in urban areas, even
if the ground contains boulders, concrete blocks or
old foundations that are hard to penetrate.
When used for micropiling, cased piles can
accommodate large load concentrations, also from
lateral forces. The drilling principle is based on a pilot
bit and a reamer bit, which, together, drill a hole
larger than the external diameter of the steel casing.
This enables the casing pipe to follow the drill bits
down the hole. Odex has an eccentric reamer bit
while Symmetrix and Elemex feature a concentric
reamer called a ring bit.
Atlas Copco also produces Mustang geotechnical
drill rigs, Unigrout grouting platforms and
compressors. The range is based on four families –
the Mustang 4, 5, 9 and 13; each one designed for a
range of uses and environments. Thanks to its
modular design, the Mustang rig can be used in
virtually all geotechnical drilling operations.
Unigrout grouting systems are designed to seal,
strengthen, or consolidate formations and structures
by preparing and injecting grout. The platforms are
operated by fully hydraulic power units, with electric
or diesel drive. For urban applications, the range
includes a set of very compact, high-performance
grouting units, which are safe to operate, highly
reliable, and easy to clean and service. In micropiling
operations the Logac electronic grout recorder can
be added to monitor grouting parameters.
Casagrande
Casagrande Group has two ranges of drilling rigs
available for ground stabilisation; one sold under the
Casagrande brand and the other under the Hutte
brand, a company acquired some years ago.
Michael Finch, managing director of Casagrande,
explains: ”Generally speaking, all Casagrande and
Hutte rigs can be used for tieback, anchor and soilnailing
applications, but there are models in each
range that have been specifically designed for this
purpose. In the Casagrande range, the M6A-1 and
M9-1 drilling rigs are targeted at this particular
market as they have sophisticated mast-articulation
arrangements, which allow easy across-tracks
drilling, with the rig and mast in various different
positions. In the Hutte range, the HBR504, 605 and
609 models offer a similar across-tracks and angle
hole-drilling capability.”
All of these rigs are offered with a wide range of
rotary and rotary percussive heads, including
double-head systems, which are suitable for
applications where both drill rods and casings have
to be used. The rigs are available with a variety of
mechanised rod and casing handling systems, which
are becoming increasingly popular with the greater
focus on drill rig safety in some markets.
A degree of customisation is available on all
Casagrande and Hutte rigs. There is a large range of
accessories available including different mast types,
clamp types, flushing pumps and handling winches.
All rigs are designed on a modular basis for easy
transport and the factory production line is organised
to accommodate different build specifications for
every rig. Casagrande can also offer a degree of
bespoke customisation for specific applications,
although this may result in longer delivery times.
Mr Finch comments: ”Casagrande Group drill rigs
and machinery are sold all over the world in virtually
every market. Our established markets are in Europe
and the US, but, increasingly, South America and
Asia are becoming important to the company. In the
UK, Casagrande and Hutte rigs have been sold to
most major drilling contractors, including the
Keller Group, Cementation Foundations and Bachy
Soletanche.
Soilmec
Soilmec rig in action
Soilmec’s range of products for the installation of
anchors and soil nailing consists of seven multipurpose
rigs from 3-23t in weight: the SM-3; SM-5;
PSM-8 (including 8B); SM-14; SM-18; PSM-20 and
SM-21. All are suitable for executing micropiles and
jetting works.
The SM-3 is a new micro-drilling rig, specially
designed for customers who need high-range
performance, even in narrow and constrained
spaces. The main unit comes with a separated,
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GROUND STABILISATION
2.5t-weight power pack (75kW electric, 85kW diesel,
or 115kW diesel) and includes: expandable crawlers
(780mm-1130mm); outriggers; telescopic zoom;
mast tilting capabilities of +/- 15°, and a slew ring
working area of +/- 180°. It can be equipped with a
range of rotary heads up to 2,000Nm to meet
different drilling requirements.
The SM-3’s modular mast offers the chance to
have three different strokes for 1m, 1.5m and 2m
length rods and is complete with a hydraulic-motorcrowd-system
(a cylinder-crowd-system is also
available). The rig can also be fitted with a special
mast extension, allowing it to use jet-grouting rods
up to 90mm in diameter.
The PSM-5 rig features an optimised tilting system
and can be used with a range of rotary drill heads to
suit: anchoring and tie-backs; micropiles; jet
grouting; coring; and waterwell drilling applications.
The new kinematic system, comprising two slew
rings, allows a large range of slewing and mast
positions to be used. The first slew ring fitted on the
base of the machine enables drilling parallel to the
tracks up to +/- 90°; the second kinematic device
allows an overall mast rotation equal to +/- 180°. In
order to increase the versatility of the drilling unit,
the PSM5 is also equipped with a telescopic boom
and a sliding mast.
The SM-18 was developed using a fusion of Trevi
Group job-site experience and Soilmec technological
research. It offers greater drilling depths thanks to a
higher hoist force, and features a load-sensing
control system and over 500 litres/min oil flow
provided by twin piston pumps. For safety, the rigs
feature an emergency stop for drilling functions, a
safety light for active drilling mode, and a telescopic
counterweight and stabilisers. Soilmec rigs can also
be customised to meet clients’ needs.
The company’s main markets are Italy, Europe, the
US and United Arab Emirates. Over the past two
years, Soilmec has worked to consolidate its
presence in established micropile markets such as
Europe, and is looking to improve its presence in
emerging markets such as Brazil and China.
In Italy, a multifunctional PSM-20, recently
acquired by Geocostruzioni, is currently operating in
Bologna, where it is installing clay tie rods with
220mm-diameter augers at a depth of 30m. Along
the Salerno-Reggio motorway section in Calabria,
a SM-14 rig bought by Dott Angelo Sicilia is
performing consolidation works and has reached a
daily production of 260m. Meanwhile, a PSM-20 rig,
purchased from Soilmec by the Gruppo Marchese,
is also carrying out anchoring works along the new
‘quadrilateral’ motorway link, which will connect
Perugia and the Adriatic Coast.
A spokesperson for the company says: ”Soilmec
has received a number of orders in the first few
months of 2010, especially following the introduction
of two new models into its range – the SM-3 and
SM-5. We are feeling confident going in to 2011. In
Italy, Impregilo has just won a contract for nailing
works to be performed in tunnels, for which it has
decided to use a PSM-8 rig complete with a kinematic
device and a 360° slew gear.”
Boart Longyear
The Boart Longyear DB95 drill rig was specifically
designed for tieback, soil nail drilling and micropile
applications, featuring enhanced mast articulation
and power. Its patented MasterLink mast articulation
design enables fast on-hole set-up, and maintains
Atlas Copco Swellex rock bolts
precise and consistent drilling angles as the mast
articulates.
The drill system is mounted on an independent
pendulum crawler which is capable of handling
extreme terrain without the need for stabilisation
jacks. The DB95 is highly portable and compact. It
weighs 10t and features a 105kW power pack. The
hydraulic power pack has load-sensing technology
which provides power on demand, thus saving fuel,
maximising energy efficiency and extending engine
life. Oversized hydraulic hoses ensure efficient power
transmission and reduce power loss.
In addition, the mast of the DB95 has a maximum
torque rating of 15,000Nm and a pullback capacity
of 7t, providing contractors with the strength to
manage a wide range of foundation applications.
Zach Keller of Two Rivers Marketing comments:
Casagrande
M9-1 rig
”The DB95 is particularly popular for road
construction projects. Slope stabilisation is typically
done using retaining walls or other boundaries
anchored deep in the slope, micropiles or a
soil-nailing technique. This requires a drill capable
of good performance in extreme grades and the
DB95 is perfect for this.”
The DB95 is available with a range of single
rotary-head or single hydraulic drifter configurations
(with optional side-shift) to meet most common
drilling requirements. It can also be fitted with a
double rotary-head system on request. Radio
remote-driving controls are standard features of the
rig, designed to enhance site safety and driller
productivity. The DB95 is also available in a
geothermal format for geothermal drilling.
Tracto Technik
Tracto Technik’s current Grundomat soil-displacement
hammer P-generation of rigs replaces the previous
Z-version. The new range was developed to meet
customers’ requests for easier reversing and higher
efficiency. The Grundomat features an improved
chisel-head system, with two-stroke percussive
action for better accuracy and penetration.
The Grundomat is ideal for piling applications and
was used by Mott MacDonald to improve stability on
a section of London’s Northern Line tube system, just
south of Mill Hill East Station, which was experiencing
ground movement on the embankment above the
line.
Mott MacDonald approached tube maintenenace
firm Tubelines to drive 14 steel minipiles, each
114mm in diameter, into the embankment to allow
them to carry out load tests. A 95mm Grundomat rig
was chosen for the job. The piles had to be driven
from 2-4m in depth; seven vertically and seven at a
45° angle. Each pile had 300mm of fill material at the
base, allowing it to support the concrete beams that
retain the embankment.
The project was completed successfully and the
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GROUND STABILISATION
piles were filled with concrete in readiness for
tension-capacity tests, conducted by a specialist
company. On average it took 17min to drive a 3-5m
pile, including the welding time.
SonicSampDrill
For ground-stabilisation applications such as
anchoring, pile driving and soil nail drilling,
SonicSamp supplies Compact and MidSonic drill
heads with remotely controlled power packs and
footclamps. The equipment can be mounted on
various rigs and carriers to suit customers’ needs,
and utilises the Rotosonic sonic-drilling technique to
penetrate the ground.
Gerard Van Dijk of SonicSamp explains: ”Driving is
by push-rotation only, but the 150Hz of sonic
vibration generated greatly speeds up the drilling
process and multiplies with penetration depth.”
Sonic vibration allows rapid penetration of soft to
medium-type soils without rotation. Soil is displaced
by vibrations, which radiate from the drill string.
Washing-up of cuttings can be achieved by coupling
a sonic-resistant swivel in the drill string, and if the
vertical vibration is assisted with a rotation and the
drill cone is replaced by a drill bit, it is possible to
penetrate hard layers or rock.
The efficiency of soil liquefaction caused by the
vibration has allowed SonicSamp to create a rig with
high drilling power, but a small footprint. The sonic
vibration combined with rotation creates a perfectly
straight borehole with a tight fit, if necessary under
an angle.
The company is now working to improve drill-bit
pressure control, and triple footclamps have been
introduced on the CRS-V model to allow it to use
more than one casing or sampler size. The tractor or
powerpack-powered CompactRotoSonic masts can
now be mounted with a double foot clamp and
breaker arm, giving them the same capability as the
crawler-rig version.
Mr Van Dijk adds: ”On the ergonomics side, we are
successfully testing a feature to lift and handle casing
for the CompactRotoSonic rigs. We are currently
testing the installation of Dywidag ground anchors in
combination with the smaller CompactRotoSonic rig.
The sonic vibration should increase both installation
speed, as well as penetration depth. Both are critical
factors in large-scale anchoring projects.”
SonicSamp’s main markets for rigs used in
ground-anchoring applications are the US and
Europe. BAM Netherlands is currently using three
MidSonic units with power packs and footclamps for
anchoring Dywidag GEWI bolts, and a large
anchoring project was undertaken recently by a
client using a MidSonic drill head, mounted on an
existing Klemm rig, in Rhineland Germany.
Cubex
The Cubex QXW drilling system, coupled with
Wassara water-hammer technology provides the
enhanced drilling power and accuracy necessary for
ground-stabilisation projects. The QXW series of track
drills contain a frame-mounted feed system that
uses a Wassara DTH hammer, complete with a highpressure
water feed from the on-board water-pump
system. These drills have a deck-mounted pipe rack,
capable of holding 44 drill pipes 3m in length, which
are added to the feed by the on-board pipe arm.
Hydraulically-driven by two high-torque motors,
Tracto Technik’s Grundomat soil-displacement hammer
the top drive has a torque capacity of 4,050Nm at
207bar. The drills have a slide-over of 406mm and
can drill 15° from each direction off-vertical.
Kerry Falk, marketing manager at Cubex, says: “We
have two scheduled deliveries coming up for QXW
rigs for use in ground stabilisation. One is for the
Thornton quarry near Chicago, which will be delivered
in November or early December to Hayward Baker,
and the second is to Alabama Power at the Logan
Martin dam, to be delivered in September.
”The Thornton quarry is the world’s second-largest
commercial quarry, and is going to be part of the
Chicago Tunnel and Reservoir Plan (TARP). Our
SonicSampDrill CRS-V crawler rig with tilting head
equipment was used for a similar project at the
McCook Reservoir in Illinois in 2005. These are two of
three reservoirs designed to protect the city of
Chicago from flooding. There are underground
tunnels that connect the reservoirs to the sewer
system of the city, and water flow is regulated into
the tunnels during heavy rainfall or spring run-off to
ensure there is no overflow.
”The Thornton quarry is somewhat different than
our previous projects because of the angles that must
be drilled. To reach some of the areas that need to be
grouted for the water-retention wall, the drill must be
capable of operating at 65° angles. The previous drills
allowed for 15° off-vertical drilling. We redesigned
the drill mast and changed how the pipe is moved
from the tub into the mast. This has made the drill
approximately 60cm longer. It will have a reinforced
front end and mast foot to allow it to take the
increased load at the high angles. The grout curtain is
2.8km long, with a double row of holes extending the
entire perimeter of the Thornton Reservoir. This rig
will be a QXW1210 with an angle-drilling package.”
The second delivery is for the Logan Martin dam.
Due to poor ground conditions, drilling and grouting
at the dam has been ongoing for almost 20 years.
Cubex first supplied a 6200D drill rig for this
application in 1994, and it is still drilling. However,
following recent success using Wassara water DTH
technology at other dam-reclamation sites in the US,
Alabama Power decided to use a QXW at the site to
improve results, and speed up the grouting process.
The goal is to finish the grouting project within two
to three years. The hole size requirements of Alabama
Power required Cubex to design a new rig with high
water capacity to use a 12cm Wassara hammer. This
upgrade required a new mainframe to accommodate
the larger engine and water pump, as well as larger
diameter rods. This has created the QXW1710 drill,
which will be shipped to site in late September.
30 GeoDrilling International July / August 2010
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TAGLINE ITALIAN MANUFACTURERS
MASSENZA FU GIUSEPPE
Massenza boasts nearly 90 years’ experience in the
design and construction of drill rigs and allied
equipment. The company was established by
Giuseppe Massenza, who combined his own
expertise as a drilling contractor with a workshop for
the repair and maintenance of rigs.
This business rapidly developed into a production
facility, and the company now produces nine
geotechnical rigs in its MI line, ranging from the
smallest model, the MI2, to the largest, the MI80. The
rigs are suitable for a range of applications, including
water-well, piling, geothermal, environmental and
core drilling.
Massenza also offers the PM 200 double-action
mud pump and a line of accessories, including drill
heads, to complement its rigs.
The company recently launched a new version of
the MI4. Like its predecessor, the rig is compact with
a small footprint, making it ideal for working in
locations with restricted access. The rig features a
12.5t casing puller, radio remote tracking, a 50mm
passage through the drill head for less restricted
flushing, and a split-mast option for applications
with low headroom.
The MI4 is also now available with an MI6 mast.
The additional capacity makes it suitable for
geothermal drilling to depths of 200m.
The MI80 is the newest addition to Massenza’s line
of rigs. Designed for water-well drilling, coal-bed
methane applications, mineral exploration, seismic,
coring and geothermal applications up to 2,000m,
the rig has a telescopic mast for handling 9m lengths
of drill pipe, yet is still compact enough for truck
mounting.
The high-torque rotary head is ideal for largediameter,
reverse-circulation drilling applications,
and the winch and travelling block can handle
casing tubes of up to 12m in length.
Equipped with either a mud pump or compressor,
the rig can be used for both direct and reversecirculation
drilling, and down-the-hole hammer
operations. The MI80 is available with various
options, including an automatic drill-pipe loading
arm, and it can be customised to meet specific client
requirements.
Holequest, based in Scotland, has recently taken
delivery of a second MI6 Massenza rig. This model
was factory fitted with Jean Lutz monitoring
equipment to enable Holequest to monitor, record
and report all details of the drilling operation to the
office or client, including: rotational speeds; torque;
flushing rates; drilling duration; depth and
penetration rates.
The rig has 360mm double-breakout hydraulic
clamps, a casing puller, a 3t handling winch and a
5.2m stoke mast, making it an excellent choice for
water-well drilling.
SOILMEC
Soilmec, part of Trevi Group, was established in 1969.
Today, it is a world leader in the design and
production of rigs and accessories for geotechnical
drilling and foundation work.
The company offers a comprehensive range of
products for construction, geothermal and smalldiameter
drilling applications, and prides itself on its
ability to meet even the most complex customer
requirements. Soilmec has a strong customer focus,
and involves its clients’ feedback in the development
and improvement of equipment as fully as possible.
Thanks to the synergy and interaction among
members of the Trevi Group of companies, Soilmec
Pride of Italy
With Italy home to many prominent drill-rig manufacturers,
GDI
looks at a selection of its companies and their products
can accurately site test all of its rigs prior to sale or
general release. This allows the company to ensure
the success of each model and the reliable
performance of each unit sold to customers.
Lisa Comandini of Soilmec explains: “Innovation
as a growth mechanism is the approach which has
characterised Soilmec as a company since its
beginning. Innovation of processes, marketing,
communication and, most importantly, product
development, so that we can provide clients with
technologies that are up to date and of the highest
quality, reliability and safety standards.”
Soilmec has a research and development centre
with more than 60 mechanical engineers and
designers who are dedicated to developing new,
client-targeted technologies and solutions.
Soilmec’s range of equipment includes:
■ Self-erecting hydraulic equipment suitable for
bored piles, continuous flight auger drilling and
diaphragm walls;
A Soilmec rig gets
to work on the
Porrettana railway
in Italy
Comacchio
MC 900 P rig
■ Multi-functional and heavy duty cranes for
foundations;
■ Drill rigs for micropiles, anchors, jet grouting,
consolidation, soil mixing and tunnel
consolidation;
■ High-pressure pumps for jetting works;
■ Site equipment and tools;
■ Equipment for geothermal drilling;
■ Computerised systems for rig positioning, high
accuracy drilling, vertical adjustment control and
job site data transmission.
Soilmec is active in more than 90 countries, with a
network of 19 subsidiaries across the world. Agents
and dealers guarantee clients continuous technical
and financial support, as well as after-sales service.
MARINI QUARRIES GROUP
The Marini Quarries Group operates from an
industrial plant in Villadossola, approximately 100km
north of Milan, which is a key area for granite and
marble quarrying, and processing.
Mario Bozzola, area manager for Marini, says:
“Constant interaction between our engineering
department, quarry owners and drillers all over the
world allows us to continuously improve the features
and performance of our equipment, which, before
going to market, are tested under the toughest
working conditions possible.”
Marini manufactures: pneumatic and hydraulic
drilling rigs, which can be self-propelled or mounted
on an excavator; rock drills and down-the-hole
hammers; diamond wire sawing machines; and
special devices for pushing, revolving and splitting
benches and blocks.
Many of the components used are produced
in-house, with a view to obtaining the best possible
part for each function.
Mr Bozzola explains: “We design and build our
machine parts in-house to rationalise the
dimensions and weight. The type of steel we use is
especially important as the sturdiness of the
structures depends on them being correctly built
and sized for the intended use.”
32 GeoDrilling International September 2010
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ITALIAN MANUFACTURERS
COMACCHIO
The rig manufacturer was founded in 1986, in Riese
Pio X, by the three Comacchio brothers, whose
passion for mechanics led them to establish their
own company. The business has since evolved from
the family farm, where it was first hosted, to a
modern plant with over 10,000m 2 of floor space.
Comacchio specialises in the design and
manufacture of rigs for geotechnical drilling, ground
consolidation, anchoring, and water-well and
geothermal drilling.
The company’s MC 1200 rig with a patented mastarticulation
system and radio controls was recently
used by Ipogeo for ground consolidation at a job site
on the SR 465 road in Ravascletto, Udine.
A spokesperson for Comacchio tells GeoDrilling:
“Due to the soil configuration, the use of the classic
drilled piles was not possible. The contractor
installed 84 micropiles, each 500mm in diameter. The
hole was cased on the first few metres and then
open-hole drilling was used up to 25m. After drilling,
a steel-reinforcement cage – 323mm in diameter –
was placed in the hole and filled with concrete.
“Due to the presence of a cavity in the strata, the
contractor used three compressors in parallel with
15-17bar of pressure, and a mixture of polymers and
foams were used to stabilise the hole. Thanks to the
performance of the MC 1200, they finished the job in
50 days, drilling up to two holes per day.”
Comacchio has also sold an MC 1200 rig to Swiss
contractor Bereuter. The machine was fitted with an
uprated diesel engine, an extra long mast and a
double-head system. It was named the MC 1200 P.
Geosistema has just finished consolidation works
at a dam on the Malamocco Nord lagoon in Venice
using a Comacchio MC 1500 rig, as part of the MOSE
infrastructure project, which aims to protect the city
from rising tides. The rig was used to jet-grout 650
Marini Quarries Baby Giraffa radio-controlled rig
columns, of 100cm in diameter, at depths of up to
37m using a bi-fluid system. It featured an extended
mast with a new rotary head, which can reach up to
2,500daNm of torque, combined with a hydraulic
chuck that is capable of handling rods of up to
140mm in diameter.
MORI
Established in 1982, Mori custom-builds hydraulic
drill rigs for geotechnical, water-well, geothermal
and site investigation applications. The company
also supplies a range of accessories, including: rotary
heads; drill pipes; hydraulic hammers; water, mud
and foam pumps; and double-locking clamps.
Mori constantly works to improve and develop
the technical solutions it offers, and takes pride in
the sturdiness and versatility of its products.
IPC
IPC specialises in manufacturing equipment for
ground engineering. The company produces a range
of eight drill rigs for: micropiling; tie rod; jet
grouting; geothermal and water-well drilling; core
drilling; soil investigation; and soil-nailing
applications; as well as hydraulic double packers,
mixing plants and grouting equipment.
Drill 450 B is a tracked rig, specially designed for
restricted access works, with a 39kW sound-proof,
separated power pack and a 750 daNm rotary head.
It is also available with an on-board engine and is
sold as the Drill 450 L model.
Drill 650 is track-mounted and designed for
heavy-duty works with a 74.5kW sound-proof,
separated power pack, a 1,000daNm (1,200daNm in
HD version) rotary head and a clamp/breaker
Mori S20 and S30
silenced drill rigs
34 GeoDrilling International September 2010
32,34-36GDI1009.indd 34 26/08/2010 11:37

Need tools for that rig?
FOR OVER 40 years, Bondeno-based Carandina
has specialised in the production of high-quality
tools and accessories for drill rigs.
The company currently supplies equipment
to clients in Europe, Russia, Jordan, Lebanon,
Chile, Colombia, Indonesia and the United Arab
Emirates.
Marco Signani at Carandina explained: “It all
started in 1968 when Rino Leonida Carandina,
father of the current president, Massimo,
founded the company. The business then
developed to meet our clients’ ever-expanding
needs.
“Our main strength has been our strong
grounding in Italy. Since 2000, our focus has
been on growing our client base and expanding
into more distant markets, including South
America and the Middle East.”
Carandina also offers an after-sales service
for its customers, both drill-rig manufacturers
and end users.
The company’s wide range of tools
includes: drill heads and bits (63-250mm
diameter) for micropiling, anchoring and
geotechnical applications; augers, buckets,
core barrels and friction-welded bolts for
ground stabilisation and foundation-drilling
applications; special pipes and tools for CFA;
and soil-displacement and mixing tools.
230mm in diameter. Drill 830 BB is also suitable for
restricted access works and is equipped with
adjustable tracks. The 830 L, 1200 S and 1400 HD are
the largest drills in the range, weighing 8.5-18t, and
feature John Deere engines.
IPC also has specially dedicated technical teams
that can provide consultancy and contracting
services on-site, from preliminary studies up to and
including job execution. The company’s scope of
services includes equipment sale/rental, operator
training, complete operational solutions, contract
drilling and consultancy.
FRASTE
Fraste has been manufacturing hydraulic drill rigs in
Verona since 1964. The Fraste range includes highquality
rigs for water-well drilling, soil investigation,
civil engineering and environmental drilling.
The rigs feature a modular design, allowing them
to be fitted with a large selection of drilling
components and accessories to meet customer
requirements. Custom-built rigs are also available for
special applications.
The company has recently released a new rig, the
MITO 40, which features a 100hp, water-cooled
Kubota diesel engine, a crawler-carrier with variable
tracks for maximum stability, an articulating mast
and a remote-control panel.
Fraste recently delivered a multi-purpose FS300
drilling rig, mounted on a heavy-duty, 6x6-wheel
drive Iveco-Astra truck carrier, to the Algerian
government for geotechnical investigation and
water-well drilling. The machine, especially designed
MC 1200 P Comacchio
rig delivered to Swiss
contractor Bereuter
for desert operations, can drill to depths of 350m
with hole diameters of up to 30cm.
The FS300 has 16t of pull-back capacity, a carousel
for loading up to ten drill rods, reinforced hydraulics
and an oil-cooling system to help cope with desert
conditions, plus an Atlas Copco air compressor. The
order also included a full set of drill pipes, string,
core barrels, drilling tools and accessories.
HD 1002
Hydraulic Drifter
The best solution for:
• mast attachments and small
drill rigs
• soil nailing and overburden
drilling up to 4“
• high torque availability out
of a low weight drifter
• small room job sites and
requirements
Eurodrill GmbH
Industriestr. 5
D-57489 Drolshagen
tel.: +49 (0) 27 63/2 12 28-0
fax: +49 (0) 27 63/2 12 28-22
www.eurodrill.de
September 2010 GeoDrilling International 35
32,34-36GDI1009.indd 35 26/08/2010 11:45

ITALIAN MANUFACTURERS
IPC 1400 HD drill rig
Fraste MITO40-1
Massenza’s new
MI4 drill rig
CASAGRANDE GROUP
controlled by a sophisticated CAD/CAM system. The
Since its creation in 1963, Casagrande’s foundation final testing of machines to ensure they conform to
division has designed and built a huge range of technical and performance specifications is carried
machines for geotechnical engineering, including out by teams of qualified technicians.
crawler cranes, piling equipment, CFA and diaphragmwall
equipment, and a selection of rig accessories. There is a range of different accessories available,
A degree of customisation is available on all rigs.
The firm’s head office is in Fontanafredda, near
including various types of masts, clamps, flushing
Pordenone, which is also the site of its main factory. pumps, handling winches and a choice of rotary
The complete production cycle, from cutting the heads, percussive heads, double heads and handling
steel
geodrilling
plate to assembling
forage
the finished
500.qxd
products,
24/08/2010
is systems.
17:32
All rigs
Page
are designed
1
on a modular basis
and the factory production line is organised to
accommodate different build specifications for every
rig. The factory also offers a degree of bespoke
customisation for specific applications, although this
may result in longer delivery times.
Casagrande is one of the largest producers of
drilling rigs and accessories in the world. The
company’s main markets for rig sales are in Europe
and the US, but South America and Asia are also
becoming important areas of focus.
CCTV INSPECTION SYSTEM FOR BOREHOLES
up to 500 m deep, with ID 4” to 10”
B/W TV camera
OD 26 mm
Reporting Software
Colour TV camera
OD 40 mm
Control unit
Swivelling head
colour TV camera
OD 65 mm
Swivelling head zoom
colour TV camera
OD 99 mm
4 X 35 W
Lighting ring
France www.ecahytec.com lro@eca.fr
36 GeoDrilling International September 2010
32,34-36GDI1009.indd 36 27/08/2010 15:32

TAGLINE DRILL PADS
Guggenheim comes to Abu Dhabi
BAUER Spezialtiefbau, together with its United
Arab Emirates subsidiary, has recently undertaken
specialist foundation works for the construction of
two new Louvre and Guggenheim-style museums
on the seafront of Saadiyat Island, off the coast
of Abu Dhabi.
The new museums are designed to strengthen
the cultural offerings of the aspiring Persian Gulf
cities and create a world-class tourist destination,
attracting visitors from around the world.
The original Louvre museum was designed by
Parisian architect Ateliers Jean Nouvel, and the
Guggenheim by Frank Gery of Los Angeles. Both
new buildings are being developed by Abu Dhabi’s
Tourism Development & Investment Co (TDIC).
They will be situated in close proximity on a large
area of reclaimed gravel in the tidal zone on the
seaward side of the island.
The excavation pits for the foundations were
executed using the mixed-in-place process. This
technique uses soil as the construction material for
the retaining walls. The new Louvre, built on a
24,000m³ site, will consist of a circular structure,
topped by a 180m-diameter cupola.
Bauer completed all of the foundation works at the
site within eight months. This included the installation
of 1,250m of MIP wall and 170m of secant-pile
retaining wall, together with 503,000m 3 of bulk
excavation for the basement, vibro-compaction,
soundings and dewatering. Various Bauer rotary
drilling rigs were used.
Foundation works for the new Guggenheim
museum were awarded to Bauer International
Abu Dhabi. Initially, measures were required to
protect a strip of coastal land against erosion, so
between November 2009 and May 2010, a
permanent slurry cut-off wall and a temporary
cut-off wall with a combined length of about 2,000m
were constructed in conjunction with joint-venture
partner Spie Batignolles.
A Bauer BC 40 trench cutter and a BG 28 rotary
drilling rig were deployed to carry out this work,
together with numerous service cranes. Work on
the foundations is ongoing.
Neidhardt completes S8 job
FOUNDATION expert Neidhardt Grundbau has
reported the successful completion of groundstabilisation
work for the S8 Expressway project,
from the Konotopa interchange to the Prymasa
Tysiaclecia interchange Section B, in Warsaw, Poland.
4 GeoDrilling International November 2010
The new interchanges were designed as part
of the large infrastructure build-up to the 2012
European Cup Soccer Tournament, which was
awarded to Poland and Ukraine.
The project called for the installation of 1,487
anchors, each 20m
in length, along two
4km-long slurry
retaining walls (one
on either side of the
road) between the
two interchanges.
The drilling,
installation and
grouting work was
carried out using
Casagrande C8
drill rigs within the
required 10-month
schedule.
The main technical
challenges that were
encountered during the project included poor
weather conditions, including various flooding
interruptions, limited space in the work areas and
unsuitable working platforms, together with
unpredictable soil conditions.
Logistics and management requirements while
working outside Germany were solved thanks
to the detailed planning of personnel and
equipment mobilisation. This helped to minimise
the associated costs and optimise the efficiency
of the construction schedule.
04,06-08,10GDI1011.indd 4 28/10/2010 16:12

TAGLINE RIGS & SUPPLIES
■HYDCO 350 RC FOR ORBIT
Hydco has completed the
fabrication of a new 350 RC drilling
rig for Australian exploration
specialist Orbit Drilling at its Perth
factory. The new high-capacity rig
will be available to other mining
companies later this year.
■ATLAS COPCO DELIVERS
Atlas Copco’s Construction &
Mining Technique business has
received orders for underground
drilling rigs from Leighton
Contractors India – part of Leighton
Holdings, Australia’s largest project
development and contracting
group – and Navayuga Engineering.
In total, the orders are valued at
US$1.6 million. The equipment will
be used to construct road tunnels
for the National Highway Authority
of India’s Srinagar-Jammu highway
project in Jammu and Kashmir. The
orders were booked in the September
quarter of this year. Delivery for
Navayuga Engineering began in
September, and the order for
Leighton Contractors is scheduled
for December.
■GLOBE TESTS GT3000 RIG
Globe Drill, the wholly owned
subsidiary of Coretrack, has started
testing its new geothermal drill rig,
the GT3000, in Merredin, Western
Australia. Following successful
completion, Globe Drill expects the
GT3000 to attract significant
interest from geothermal, and oil
and gas companies around the
world. The GT3000, with its
patented technology, is a small,
compact and fully mobile rig, which
can be deployed to job sites quickly
and easily. Requiring a crew of just
three people to operate it, the
machine has achieved penetration
rates of up to 26m/h through the
hard Merredin granite with minimal
wear on the drill bits, which were
made by Numa Hammers. The
GT3000 test hole in Merredin has
already attracted significant market
interest from investors and potential
geothermal clients who have
visited the site, with one potential
client having flown from New
Zealand to observe the rig in action.
■EXPLOSION-PROOF TROLEX
Trolex’s Exd explosion and
flameproof Connectors are now
available in stainless steel for use in
underground mining and hazardous
industrial applications. The TX3700
and TX3701 Connectors feature
shock-protecting fenders and are
available in two body shell sizes for
optimal performance.
Boart rolls out XRH range
of rotary heads
BOART Longyear has released the new XRH range of rotary
drill heads. This features 12 models with various motor
configurations, designed for construction and multi-purpose
rotary drilling applications, including jet-grouting and
reverse circulation.
The XRH heads can run two or three Eaton Geroler motors
and feature Boart’s patent-pending, electronic valve-control
technology, which allows them to switch seamlessly from series
to parallel operation. This eliminates low-torque start-ups after
making/breaking joints and manual gear shifting.
Ron Hankins, product manager for construction equipment
at Boart Longyear, said: “The XRH heads are some of the
strongest and most flexible on the market today. We’ve
designed them to be easily integrated into a wide range of
existing Boart Longyear and competitors’ rigs, making this
new technology accessible to virtually any contractor.”
In addition to easy installation, the XRH rotary heads are
extremely powerful and capable of delivering up to 27,000Nm
of torque or a maximum rotation speed of 188rpm.
The heads are engineered to safely handle up to 20t of
pullback force, providing optimum performance in auger,
down-hole hammer, reverse circulation, jet grouting,
overburden and rotary drilling applications.
The heads have hollow spindles with an inner diameter
of 120mm – the largest in its class – to allow for passing
large jet-grouting rods, or for RC drilling or double-head
drilling where a drifter passes a large inner string through
the XRH rotary head.
CASAGRANDE’S latest drill rig, the new B175, made its
debut at the Geofluid 2010 tradeshow in Piacenza, Italy,
in October.
The B175 is designed for installing large-diameter
piles with a maximum drill depth of 50m. However,
it can also be configured with a casing oscillator up to
1m in diameter; for CFA drilling down to 23m; for
displacement piling to 18m; soil mixing; or for
diaphragm wall installation to a depth of 30m.
Weighing 42t and equipped with a heavy duty
undercarriage, the B175 has 160kNm of rotary head
torque and a maximum speed of 32rpm.
The rig is 2.5m long, allowing it to be mobilised
quickly and easily. It is self-mounted with the axle
package installed on board, both in the mechanical
block and clutch versions to minimise set-up time.
The B175 is part of Casagrande’s new range of
‘intelligent’ rigs, which feature the Total Electronic
Control Hydraulics System to guide operators during
drilling. The control system increases the precision and
efficiency of drilling while still allowing the machines to
be flexible. The programmes can be customised, based
on the needs of each project, thanks to control logics
operated by intelligent software.
When drilling, the equipment automatically centres
itself after the discharge of excavated material and new
load cells ensure safety during operation. The rig is fitted
with a sensor that automatically brakes the winch at the
bottom of the hole, making digging much easier and faster.
The system also monitors sensors and electronic
valves on the rig. Fault diagnosis is immediately
followed by an alarm message on the new 10in
touchscreen main display, alerting the operator to any
XRH uses high-strength
axial bearings, designed to
handle the increased stress
created by drilling with high
power and speed.
The auto-oiler supplies
constant lubrication to the
bearings, independent of rotary head rotation, extending
maintenance intervals. Premium bearings, precision
ground gears and synthetic seals are also used to provide
longer and more reliable head life.
Casagrande unveils the B175
problem. Timely action prevents overloading of the
machine and helps to minimise downtime.
An innovative control system makes sure the oil
cooler-exchanger fans only work when necessary, and
that their speed is increased or decreased according to
the engine’s temperature. This has created a significant
fall in the level of noise produced by the rig.
The B175 also comes with a new body and an
ergonomic, soundproof cabin with an automatic door.
12 GeoDrilling International November 2010
12-14GDI1011 new.indd 12 28/10/2010 16:55

DRILL tAGLIne drill PADS
n USExPLoRAtion LInk-UP
USExploration Equipment has
partnered geotechnical engineering
specialist Testech on a large public
works project starting in Indianapolis,
US. The scheme aims to improve
infrastructure for storm and
wastewater control in the areas.
Testech has drilled a number of
deep boreholes with 6 1 /4 in ID and
4 1 /4 in ID heavy-duty hollow-stem
augers. They were cased down to
the bedrock, with HQ-3 series
coring equipment used to recover
overburden and rock samples. The
boreholes were Packer tested, as
required by the client.
nRoyAL oLDham faceLIft
Integrated Health Projects (IHP),
a joint venture between Vinci
Construction UK and Sir Robert
McAlpine, has been awarded a
£32.8 million contract to build phase
3 of a new development at The Royal
Oldham Hospital in Manchester, UK,
which will have a super centre for
women and children. It includes the
construction of a new four-storey
building and represents the largest
capital investment made by the
Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.
This will be the fourth project that
IHP has undertaken for the client.
nVinci wins eco-office job
Vinci Construction UK has been
selected by Veolia’s development
partner, Opus Land, to build an
environmentally friendly turnkey office
building for Veolia Environmental
Services at the Kingswood Lakeside
site in Cannock, Staffordshire, UK.
Once complete, the three-storey
facility will extend over 3,716m 2 .
Planning was applied for in
December 2009. The new offices are
set to be finished by summer 2011.
nboLSteRIng hUme Dam
A Bauer BG40 drill rig has been
imported from Germany to work at
the Hume Dam project on the
Victoria-NSW border, Australia. The
contractor, Advanced Foundation
Solutions, bought the rig in July,
and it has now been assembled
and tested. The rig will be used to
install improved drainage systems
before the second phase of work
begins to strengthen the southern
training wall where the Victorian
embankment meets the concrete
spillway. The A$60 million, five-year
project is designed to improve
the dam’s capacity to withstand
extreme floods and earthquakes.
Work is progressing well. A smaller
rig has been carrying out the initial
drilling works since June.
Keller gets to work in Brisbane
THE Australian division of leading
contractor Keller Group has been
undertaking a series of works as part
of the Brisbane Airport Link project.
A 6.7km-long, underground toll
road is being built that will link the
Clem 7 Tunnel, Inner City Bypass and
local road network at Bowen Hills to
the northern arterials of Gympie
Road and Stafford Road at Kedron,
Sandgate Road and the East West
Arterial leading to the airport.
The Link will comprise two tunnels
(one north- and one southbound),
approximately 20m apart and up to
50m below Windsor and Kedron, and
35m below Kedron and Clayfield.
There will be three lanes of traffic
each way between Bowen Hills and
Kedron, and two lanes between
Kedron and Toombul/Clayfield.
The Link is expected to be opened in 2012, and cater for
95,000 motorists a day, rising to 120,000 by 2026.
Keller has employed a number of Hutte 609 drill rigs,
supplied by Casagrande, to help stabilise the ground under
a railway embankment for the construction of a 42m-wide
box. The rigs are installing a combination of steel structural
and fibre-glass reinforced manchette tubes to support the
Bauer installs ductile
piles for local housing
project in Luanda
Bauer Angola has been appointed to install the piled
foundations for 24 new buildings at the Nova Vida (New
Life) Housing Development in Luanda, Angola.
Sponsored by the Angolan Government, it is the
largest building project ever undertaken in the region
and aims to provide better housing for the local
population.
Each residential block is founded on 172 ductile piles,
which are capped by reinforced-concrete strip footings.
These piles consist of ductile, cast-iron pipes, which are
driven into the ground using a high-frequency impact
layers of sand, gravel and soft clays, which are interspaced
with stiff clays and siltstone. The tubes, which are up
to 60m long, will also allow for post-fracture permeation
grouting.
A total of over 23,000m of horizontal drilling will be
carried out over the duration of the contract within a 1%
accuracy window.
hammer and subsequently filled with concrete.
Bauer recommended the use of the system to the
main contractor, Chinese company Jiangsu.
Each pile has been designed for a working load of 40t.
A static pile-load test, carried out on site, established an
ultimate load of 110t, which
is an excellent result.
Installation of the piles,
totalling 33,000 linear
metres, is being carried
out with a Bauer MGB 12
drill rig, fitted with a
hydraulic impact hammer
and adapter. The site crew
consists of two teams –
one for driving and one
for filling the piles
with concrete.
As construction has
advanced, progress has
increased progressively,
and completion of
the project is likely to
be earlier than the
March 2011 deadline
originally envisaged.
4 GeoDrilling International December 2010
04-07GDI1012.indd 4 06/12/2010 12:14

BSP piles in at Brazilian port complex
Uk-bASeD hammer manufacturer bSP
International foundations (bSP) has helped to
complete a key phase of the US$1.6 billion Port of
Açu project at Sao joao da barra in southeast
brazil, approximately 281km from Rio de janeiro.
the new port will include an industrial
complex incorporating a steel
plant, two cement plants, a power
plant, an oil refinery and at least
four mills for iron-ore pelletising.
construction began in october
2007, and the port is expected to be
operational in 2012.
the most important phase of the
development was the creation of an
access jetty to the berthing piers. the 3km-long
structure, consisting of steel girders 26.6m wide,
links the coast to ten berths for mooring and
loading vessels.
A joint venture comprising two Rio de janeirobased
contractors, ARG and civil Port, was
awarded the access jetty piling contract.
to form the jetty foundations and drive the
steel and concrete piles, bSP provided a cG300
hydraulic piling hammer, fitted with a 20t ram
weight. After commissioning, the cG300 was
suspended from a manitowoc 300 crane and
began driving the piles in August 2008.
About 1,200 concrete piles – each 47m long
and 800mm in diameter – were driven 10-15m
into the seabed, through sand and layered clay,
over a 19-month period. In addition, tubular,
steel piles were driven in areas with thick layers
of soft clay. the longest of these were 96m and
filled with concrete.
Piling was carried out in three shifts, 24h/d,
7d/week over a stretch of water that was 14m
deep. At the same time, dredging was carried out
to deepen the access channel and berthing basin
to 18.5m. further dredging is planned to 21m to
allow the port to receive ships and bulk carriers
up to 220,000t.
the piling grid for the structure consisted of
rows of four to six piles, driven to create a pier.
Altogether, 163 piers were built, spaced 20m
apart. each pier was linked by four parallel,
20m-long, concrete beams, weighing 38t, to form
the base of jetty deck.
to ensure accuracy and enhance production,
the contractors used a purpose-built, 1,100t,
The contractors used a purpose-built 1,100t steel gantry frame for the piling. Inset: aerial view of the 3km long jetty
The CG300 piling hammer was suspended from a Manitowoc 300 crane, which lifted it into position to drive the piles
steel gantry frame for the piling work, mounted
on two railway tracks. the gantry was supported
on previously driven piles, which allowed up to
six piles to be held in place and positioned in rows.
the piles were then driven to a predetermined
level and, when the gantry gates were opened,
the hammer was able to pass through and drive
the piles to the required depth.
for every five piles driven, two further inclined
piles were driven at the end of each pier to avoid
any side-swing of the structure and contain pitching.
As each pier was completed and capped, the
gantry was moved forward together with the
crane and hammer, moving the pile gates to the
next position, ready for a new batch of piles to be
loaded. this system allowed the jetty to move
seaward at a rate of 20m/week and piling was
completed in march.
Royal oak start for crossrail tunnel
A COSTAIN-SKANSKA joint venture has begun work
on the Crossrail tunnel portal at Royal Oak in west
London, UK, next to Paddington Station.
When completed in 2017, Crossrail will offer a
high-frequency rail route – starting at Maidenhead
in the west, travelling through central London and
out to the east, forking to Shenfield, near Brentwood
in Essex, and to Abbey Wood in southeast London.
The central section through the capital will
require a major new tunnel to be driven beneath the
city. When entering the tunnel, overground trains
will descend several hundred metres before entering
the new portal, and the initial stage of work is to
create this gradient.
The joint venture is currently working to construct
The jetty under construction, showing the concrete piles
supporting the deck of the structure
diaphragm walls on either side of the descent. This
involves excavating a deep, trenched panel before
establishing the walls inside.
Once complete, the walls will measure 200m long
and 27m deep at their maximum. Bulk excavation
can then begin and a concrete slab will be laid at the
base to provide a bed for the tracks.
The main problem facing the 100-strong team is
the extremely tight working conditions on site. One
side of the project area is just 3m away from the live
track for London Underground’s Hammersmith and
City Line, while the other side is bounded by the
A40, a major road artery for transport in London.
Work on the diaphragm walls began in late August
and should be completed just before Christmas.
December 2010 GeoDrilling International 5
04-07GDI1012.indd 5 06/12/2010 12:14

tAGLIne drill PADS
Concreting
Yenikapi
PutzmeISter has reported that concreting of the foundations of the
new Yenikapı railway station in Istanbul, which began in February,
is progressing well. This is the only station along the new Marmaray
tunnel line being constructed that uses cut-and-cover.
Yenikapı is situated on the southern shore of Istanbul’s old town on
the Sea of Marmara. The new station will offer passengers wishing to
travel through the new Bosporus undersea tunnel by rail a means of
changing from overground to underground trains.
The station box measures about 300m long by 35m wide. For
concreting the foundations, it was divided into 29 sections – each
section 10x35m – and concreted monolithically in multiple layers of
40cm, using a Putzmeister MXKD 50 boom system on a 15m lattice
tower and a BSA 2110 HP D stationary concrete pump.
Five set-up sites were planned for the MXKD 50 to enable it to reach
the full foundation area, requiring four relocations. The boom anchor
set is located in the centre of the foundation sections.
As the boom foundation requires a certain amount of strength
before subsequent anchoring can occur, a defined workflow was
planned for concreting each section to reduce concrete waiting times
in the lattice tower.
The chosen concrete mix has a C40 strength class and a number of
additives were used to enhance its resistance to high groundwater
pressure.
In total, concreting the subway station, including the foundations,
walls and shafts, will take an estimated 15 months to complete.
Stationary boom at the start of foundation concreting plus tunnels of the future underground line
Pipeline fastenings
The hopper of the stationary concrete pump is cleaned under high pressure
Christmas overhaul for Farringdon station
A JOINT venture between contractors Costain and
Laing O’Rourke has been hired by Network Rail to
work on a £172 million remodelling contract at
Farringdon station in London, UK.
Both London Underground trains and national
rail services pass through the station, which was
originally built in the 1860s. Farringdon station will
also provide access to the new east-west Crossrail
line, due to open in 2018.
The UK government-funded Thameslink
programme will create more frequent train services
on the Bedford-to-Brighton line, which passes
through Farringdon. The first trains will begin
operating in December 2011.
The programme requires platforms to be
lengthened at a number of stations, as well as other
significant improvements to Farringdon, Blackfriars
and London Bridge.
Improvements at Farringdon include the construction
of a new, integrated ticket hall opposite the existing
station entrance. A 12-storey office block that stood
on the site has already been demolished, and
40m-long, double-sleeved piles are being bored to
create foundations for the new building.
Both Tube and overground services at Farringdon
will cease between Christmas Eve and January 4,
with a brief hiatus at New Year, giving the team a
chance to install the necessary steel work.
Project director Keith Morgan said: “Although
working at Christmas is a challenge, the fact that
there are no train services means we can deliver the
works more safely and efficiently than during the
time provided by a normal, overnight rail possession.”
The site offers very little working space, and
bringing material down from road level has required
the construction of a 90m-long, £500,000 vehicle
ramp and mechanical turntable.
As well as being technically challenging, the
Farringdon project involves greater-than-normal
logistical challenges, including having to gain
approval for alterations to a Grade II-listed building
and for working adjacent to two live railway lines.
Safety and communication with local stakeholders
have been key. The site sits at the boundary of three
local authorities – Islington, Camden and the City
of London – and an environmental health officer
visits the site every two months to discuss the work
and future plans.
6 GeoDrilling International December 2010
04-07GDI1012.indd 6 06/12/2010 12:14

What’s Under
the Tarp?
Reclaiming
hong kong
more push.
more pull.
more power.
better performance. Booth# 321
See the NEW line of AMS PowerProbe TM direct
push drill rigs at the NGWA Groundwater Show,
Las Vegas, Nevada, December 7 th – 10 th .
BuiLT oN 15 yEARS of
DiREcT PuSh ExPERiENcE
Track-Mounted PowerProbes TM
HONG Kong’s Central Reclamation Phase 3 project is well under way. The entire
scheme will provide 18ha of land adjacent to Central, the Special Administrative
Region’s commercial business hub.
Together with sub-contractor Gammon Construction, an Intrafor-Bachy
Soletanche joint venture is using a fleet of 17 Liebherr duty-cycle crawler cranes
and an LR1280 lattice-boom crawler crane to construct more than 2,600m of
diaphragm walls and barrettes over a distance of 900m.
The wall is being fabricated to depths varying from 45-70m and incorporates
large reinforcement cages, which are lifted into place by crane.
Awarded by the Civil Engineering and Development Department of the Hong
Kong Government, a joint venture between China State Construction
Engineering and Van Ord has been responsible for building: more than 1km of
sea wall; a rail over-run tunnel for the airport railway; a number of new ferry piers;
a variety of roadworks; and a three-lane carriageway, cut-and-cover tunnel
between the diaphragm walls.
For the roadworks, a total of 150,000m 3 of diaphragm wall and barrettes will
be constructed by the sub-contractors JV over an 18-month period.
Ground conditions are generally refill material across the site, but the contractors
have encountered pockets of granite, particularly along the former shoreline of
Victoria waterfront, together with foundations and outfalls, which have required
the use of diaphragm-wall hydro-mills fitted to the Liebherr crawler cranes.
Truck-Mounted PowerProbes TM
Also ask about our
Compact Sonic and Compact Roto-Sonic Rigs
December 2010 GeoDrilling International 7
800-635-7330
ams@ams-samplers.com
www.ams-samplers.com
Dr ll
Europe and Russia
+31-313-880201
www.sonicsampdrill.com
04-07GDI1012.indd 7 06/12/2010 12:14