PRCI

Recent Results

Guidelines for Preventing Underground Facility Damage as a Result of Horizontal Directional Drilling

PRCI recently completed review and approval of a Final Report prepared by J.D. Hair & Associates that provides guidelines and Best Practices that should be used by pipeline operators when planning and preparing for horizontal directional drilling (HDD) installations.  While the focus of the guidelines is for HDD installations associated with construction of energy transportation pipelines, the guidelines could also be applied by other utility contractors, including those activities that are performed in close proximity to energy pipelines.  PRCI intends to provide the Final Report to other organizations that are addressing pipeline damage prevention (e.g., Common Ground Alliance).

Despite the advances that have been made in the horizontal directional drilling (HDD) industry over the past 40 years, damage to existing underground facilities as a result of HDD operations remains a serious concern. HDD poses a unique risk of damage to underground facilities due to the fact that obstructions along the drilled path are seldom evident during construction. HDD operations also have the potential to cause damage even when a seemingly adequate separation distance is maintained between the drilled path and existing facilities. As a result of these issues, damage prevention practices in the HDD industry are becoming increasingly important as facility corridors become more congested. In order to effectively reduce the potential for facility damage resulting from HDD operations, it’s important for those involved in HDD design and construction to understand why facility damage can occur and how it can be prevented.

Key Results

The objective of this report is to present guidelines that will both reduce the potential for damage to existing facilities during HDD operations and improve the accuracy with which the location of completed HDD installations is documented. The report is composed of five sections which address the following topics.

  1. Background information about HDD construction.
  2. Potential causes of underground facility damage.
  3. Guidelines for preventing facility damage as a result of HDD operations.
  4. Guidelines for documenting the location of completed HDD installations.
  5. Development of tools and techniques to further improve HDD damage prevention.

The Final Report is available for members on PRIME.

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