Ali Bayat, PhD, PEng (abayat@ualberta.

ca)
Dept of Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of Alberta

Mark Knight, PhD, PEng

University of Waterloo
Karl Lawrence, PhD, PEng
eTrenchless Group Inc.
HDD Design Process
1. Definition of project requirements and
scope
2. Preliminary Designs – cost estimates
3. Site Investigation
4. Final Design – cost estimate
5. Preparation of tender document and
contract specifications
6. Construction tender
7. Award construction contract
8. Project QA/QC
2
What is Planning?
Planning involves identifying and
addressing all projects activities
required to ensure a successful project

All parties should be involved in HDD

planning

3
Why Plan?
Save money and time by:
 Identification of potential problems and
reduce construction risks
 Early project modification
 Selection of the right
equipment/tool/drill fluids

4
 HDD Project Requirements
 Bore parameters
 Product material and size
 Site ground information
 Time/schedule constraints
 Selection of equipment/tools
 Drilling fluid materials and systems
needs
 Site constraints
5
Project Considerations
Product Pipe Selection
 Can it withstand installation forces?
 Will it resist operation and in-service
loads?

Improper pipe selection can result in

project failure

6
HDD Design Tools can:
 Result in better HDD designs
 More successful HDD projects
 Use of HDD for more challenging projects
 More demand for HDD pipeline
installations
 Lower project costs due:
 Reduced contractor risk
 Better designs
HDD Design Software Programs
 Petris Technology Inc.- DrillPath, DrillMud and DrillEst.
 Performance Pipe - PLEXCALC II
 Atlas Bore Planner - Vermeer Manufacturing Ltd.
 FieldCalc system - Vermeer Manufacturing Ltd.
 Mdrill - Delft Geosystems

All programs consider only limited aspects of the

HDD construction and design process
bore path design and/or pipe design
Presentation Objectives
1) Introduce a new HDD design framework
that is incorporated into BoreAidTM
software program
2) Demonstrate how BoreAidTM can be used
as a design and Quality Assurance and
Quality Control (QA/QC) tool for HDD
projects
 Developed At University of Waterloo in 2006/07
 Windows based program developed in C++
 Programmed to be similar to Windows programs
 Winter 2010 released Version 3
 BOREAID is now being used in 16 countries by
contractors, designer and consultants
HDD Design Framework
Bore Planner

Pipe Design

Drill Fluid Calculator

Bore Pressure Estimator

Equipment /Tooling Selector

Framework consists of a sequential and systematic

methodology for the design of a HDD project
BORE PLANNER
Allows the user to determine a suitable
pipeline pathway by taking into consideration
site constraints:
 buried utilities
 drill pipe entrance and exit angles
 obstacles, and
 drill pipe geometric constraints
HDD Design Framework
Surface Topography
Topography Assistant
 Surface features are input using the click and drag
Soil Data
Soil Data Input
 Different soil systems can be used and
typical properties auto populated
 User has full control to change
properties
 Simple and complex soil stratigraphy
can be easily generated
Site Soil Input Using Assistant
 subsurface soil/rock site stratigraphy and
ground water
BOREPLANNER
 2 and 3 dimensional graphic showing
topography and soil conditions
 Easy or complex soil conditions can
be input
Surface and Subsurface Utilities
 Easy add subsurface and underground
utilities and obstacles
 Can add clearance zone for drill path
Bore Path
Rod by Rod Plan
Once bore path created
can automatically create:
 drill rod co-ordinates for
construction
 Drill rod plans
 X,Y, Z Output files
As-Built/Design Comparison
Upload As-built (as constructed) profile and
compare with design profile
As-Built/Design Comparison
HDD Design Framework
Bore Planner

Pipe Design

Drill Fluid Calculator

Bore Pressure Estimator

Equipment /Tooling Selector

 Pipe Load/Deflection Calculator
 Pipe Operation and
Installation loads are
calculated at each drill rod
location in accordance with:
 ASTM F1962 - Polyethylene
 Pipeline Research Council
International (PRCI) for
steel pipe
Load/Deflection Calculator
Load/Deflection Calculator
Load/Deflection Calculator
Load/Deflection Calculator
Load/Deflection Calculator

Calculations are performed at each drill rod location

Load/Deflection Calculator
Pull Back Loads

Calculations are performed at each drill rod location

Pipe Pull Back Loads
With click of mouse can investigate
impact of:
 Rollers
 Ballast

on pipe pullback loads

Load/Deflection Calculator
Load/Deflection Calculator
With a click of a button
you can create design
submittal documents:
 Design input values
 Design calculations
 Pipe design checks
HDD Design Framework
Bore Planner

Pipe Design

Drill Fluid Calculator

Bore Pressure Estimator

Equipment /Tooling Selector

Drill Planner Calculator
For pilot bore and each ream determine:
 Total drill time
 Volume of drill fluid required
 Number of drill fluid tanks
 Volume of soil cut
 Check to see if pump can deliver volume of
fluid required for the drill time per drill rod
Drill Planner
Drill Planner
Drill Planner
Drill Planner
HDD Design Framework
Bore Planner

Pipe Design

Drill Fluid Calculator

Bore Pressure Estimator

Equipment /Tooling Selector

Bore Pressure Estimator
 Provides estimate of maximum bore
pressure that will create inadvertent returns
(frac-out)

In bore monitoring can confirm good drilling

practices are used by the contractor
Bore Pressure Estimator
Bore Pressure Estimator
HDD Design Framework
Bore Planner

Pipe Design

Drill Fluid Calculator

Bore Pressure Estimator

Equipment /Tooling Selector

Equipment/Tooling
Equipment/Tooling
Case Study
 28in (710mm) HDPE or steel pipe
 bore entrance 12 degrees and bore exit angles of 20 degrees
Load/Deflection Calculator
 HDPE pipe analysis at each drill rod location
(180 points)
Pipe Performance Minimum Factor of Safety
Operational Loads DR11 DR 9 DR 7
HDPE Ring Deflection 0.3 0.6 1.3
HDPE Unconstrained Collapse 0.6 1.2 3.2
HDPE Compressive Stress 2.5 3.1 3.9
Installation Loads DR11 DR 9 DR 7
HDPE Ring Deflection 24.6 44.8 95.3
HDPE Unconstrained Collapse 0.9 1.8 4.6
HDPE Compressive Stress 1.3 1.7 2.2
Load/Deflection Calculator
 Steel pipe analysis at each drill rod location
(180 points)
Max Bore Allowable
Pipe Performance F.S
Path Value Limit
Operational Loads
Shear Stress 4.3E4 kPa 13.0E4 kPa 3.1
Installation Loads
Tensile Stress 2.9E4 kPa 26.1E4 kPa 9.0
Bending Stress 7.5E4 kPa 2.0E5 kPa 2.6
Hoop Stress 1.2E3 kPa 8.8E4 kPa 49.3
Tensile/Bending Stresses 4.9E-1 <1.0 -
Tensile/Bending/Hoop
2.1E-1 <1.0 -
Stresses
BoreAid Users
“...Just for your knowledge BoreAid has become an intricate
part of our information and pre planning we supply to our
clients. Since 2007 we have incorporated the BoreAid in
almost every project we have undertaken with 100% success
rate. We have complete over 100 bores...”

Trenchless consultant from Australia

 New Quick and Easy web
HORIZONTAL DIRECTIONAL DRILLING
(HDD)
PIPE CALCULATIONS
PPI.BOREAID.COM
Project Goals
Develop a web tool that:
 Completes preliminary Horizontal
Directional Drilling pipe calculations in
accordance with Chapter 12 of 2nd edition
PPI Handbook and ASTM F1962
 Promote the use of PPI Handbook and
ASTMF1962 design methodologies
 Contains hyperlinks to PPI Handbook
 Factor of Safety or calculated values

Highlighted failed values

Calculations with rollers and ballast
for one DR above and below selected
value
Conclusions
 A need exists for better HDD planning
 BOREAID can assist industry professionals
with planning, design, and construction of
HDD projects
 BOREAID fills an industry gap for a HDD tool
that is user friendly, windows-based, and
manufacturer and supplier independent
Thank You

Questions