Equipment: Vermeer® 3D20x22 SII
STRAIGHTLINE® RockEye Air Hammer 4.0 coupled with an Atlas 1175 cpm air compressor.
The Challenge: The Chauga River is a 31 mile long tributary located inside the boundaries of Oconee State Park, in western South Carolina. Along the river, just outside the township of Mountain Rest, was the site of a challenging bore awarded to Jet Commercial, LLC. Rain mixed with snow flurries and 600’ of solid granite rock was what the Jet Commercial crew was facing on the jobsite.
The bore plan required 20’ of depth below the Chauga riverbed, before ascending to the exit side of the bore. Set up elevation was approximately 45’ above water level and the exit pit required 62’ of upward steer from the bottom of the creek. “It was pretty much a straight shot… with a whole lot of upward steering once we were to depth at the creek, stated owner/operator Matt Roberts”, a twenty year HDD veteran. Roberts was contracted to install underground conduit, housing fiber optic cable.
The Solution: The hammer steered to the exit pit as planned without a hitch. Severe water intrusion from an underground spring was encountered, which caused concern. “We had a lot of water in the entrance pit, but it caused very little delay and the bore was completed without a hitch.” Roberts continued, “The hammer came through in great shape, and completed the bore in severely hard conditions.”