Directional Drilling and CIPP: What’s the Best Choice for Your Pipe Repair Business?

Jun 28

Sometimes pipes crack, and sometimes, they fall apart. In both cases, you need to be ready to provide the right type of trenchless service for your customers. Directional drilling and CIPP lining are just two of the many trenchless solutions today.

Both have strengths and limitations, but it’s not always easy to know which is best for your plumbing company. Depending on your core customer base, you could waste a lot of money if you don’t do your research ahead of time. So which one should you invest in first? Let’s take a look at what directional drilling and CIPP can (and can’t) do.

Directional Drilling and CIPP: What You Need to Consider

The type of job you do most often will be your biggest deciding factor between directional drilling and CIPP. Start out by answering a few questions:

Are most of your work residential or municipal?
Do you run into minor damage more often than unrepairable pipes?
Are your workspaces small and cramped or more open?
Do you have crews that can run heavy machinery?

Directional drilling and CIPP repairs require completely different workspaces, environments, and skill sets. And there’s a good chance your company is better equipped to handle one of these repair solutions than the other.

What Is Directional Drilling, and How Does It Work?

Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) is a trenchless construction technology used to install pipelines and utilities with minimal disruption to the ground and surrounding environment. HDD involves drilling underground along a planned trajectory while controlling direction and angle to create a tunnel for the installation of new pipes.

HDD can be more cost-effective than open-pit methods, with fewer environmental impacts and less restoration work required at the job site. With its low impact on the surface area, HDD is ideal for areas with difficult terrain or environmentally sensitive areas.

Here is the process for most directional drilling:

Site Prep and Survey: ensure there is enough room at the site for the drilling machine and pipes. You’ll need plenty of space on either side of the access points. Crews will also locate and map out any existing utilities at this time.
Drill Setup: position the drilling machine and materials, mix the drilling fluid (usually bentonite clay mud), and dig small pits for entry and exit points as needed.
Drilling: The drilling operator guides the drill head from entry to the exit point, steering with mud motors, as a crew member locates the drill head via sonde and provides direction for the drilling operator.
Pipe Installation: Once the drill head reaches the exit point, it’s replaced with a reamer to enlarge the borehole. At this time, lengths of pipe will follow the reamer as the drill is pulled back to the entry point.
Site Cleanup: the borehole is backfilled to prevent collapse or shifting, and the terminal connections are completed.

Benefits

Directional drilling, like all trenchless repair methods, is a highly technical process. But with proper training and safety precautions, HDD offers several key advantages over conventional open-trench repairs and installations:

Limited need for excavation
Reduced project timelines
Minimal disturbance to roadways and traffic
Larger range of depth and distance than open-trench methods
Less expensive, especially in urban areas
Safer for crew members

Limitations

While there are key benefits to directional drilling, it isn’t the best fit for every situation. The technology continues to improve, but HDD still won’t work for certain types of pipes, certain repairs, and certain environments.

Soil consistency can be prohibitive, especially cobble (unconsolidated soil)
Sanitary sewer installation requires straight paths for HDD to work
Requires detailed geo-technical data
The machinery and materials require large amounts of space, free of obstructions
Workers typically need extended hours to complete all steps of the process
Not compatible with all pipe materials
Best suited for pipe installations, not repairs

Directional Drilling Versus CIPP: Which One Should You Offer Your Customers?

Directional drilling is a perfect solution for pipe installations that would normally require tearing out long stretches of top-level structures and landscaping. It cuts down on environmental impact, cost, and time for repairs. And at the same time, it allows crews to work around busy areas without disturbing traffic flow.

But for plumbing companies that focus on residential repairs with moderate to severe damage, you’re better off investing in CIPP services. CIPP is designed for repairs like cracks, root intrusions, and shifted pipes. The smaller workspaces that come with residential repairs also make directional drilling impossible in most cases.

But there are rare cases where directional drilling and CIPP can be used together with great results. In cases where a pipe is repairable but the access point is too far from the damage, directional drilling can provide an alternative to open-trench replacement. This two-part solution makes it easier and less expensive to provide the benefits of CIPP repairs without the pain of digging trenches and disrupting the work site for days.

Ready to Start?

T3 Lining Supply is your go-to solution for trenchless training and CIPP repair equipment and materials. We offer industry-best products from leading brands like Rennsi, as well as cutting-edge resins.

Have your own equipment already? No worries: our experienced team can help your people be successful, no matter what equipment you’re using. Let us get you set up right and even train you to get the most out of your equipment from day one.

Trenton Wollman