HDD Locating Systems

A good HDD contractor should gather the necessary data before the crossing and present the planned bore profile to the client with its reasoning. A professional approach requires foresight. That foresight should be discussed with the client, and the construction design produced after consultation. Experience has shown that one-sided designs can end in serious disasters. An ideal HDD crew shares the locating system it will use, and its limits, with the client.

Let us now take a closer look at these locating techniques…

How do you choose the right locating system?

Choosing the locating system starts with three questions: can the route be walked at the surface, how deep and how long is the crossing, and what accuracy is required? For urban, short and medium-distance HDD projects, walk-over locating is sufficient and economical. On long and deep routes under rivers, straits, motorways or plants, where there is no surface access, the magnetic guidance system is the only option. In areas dense with interference sources — high-voltage lines, steel structures, metro lines — the wireline system also gives more reliable results.

Deltek operates both systems with its own crews and has the experience of hitting the target on crossings of more than 2,000 metres with Trutracker® and Paratrack® magnetic systems. The choice of system and its limits are shared with the client at the tender stage, and the bore profile is designed within those limits.