North American Special - Trenchless International

disc cutter heads to work through the bore
at a pace. This ensures a steady flow of
the rock cuttings, and prevents any significant
hindrance to the spoil return process.
For this job, the spoils varied from a powdery
dirt substance to finger nail clipping
size remnants.
The RPM rate must be balanced to
coincide with the thrust pressure being
produced by the auger boring machine.
Throughout the total distance bored, the
auger boring crew had to keep a careful
eye on the variable factors that influence
the amount of thrust to apply including: psi
level of the rock being cut, total size of the
bore, rate of spoil return, diameter of the
cutting head, and overall machine torque
output and speed. The bore maintained a
variable output of 220,000 ft-lbs. of thrust.
north america
April 2009 - Trenchless International
Auger boring through hard rock:
overcoming the challenge
by Rob Foster
Hard rock is the true nemesis of the auger boring contractor, the evolution of auger boring knowhow
and its increased recognition as a more widely used and understood method of underground
technology has introduced disc cutter head product tooling.
The disc cutter concept borrows
on a smaller diameter platform than the
cutting method that large tunnelling
machines utilise to rotate, fracture, and
remove rock chip spoils from the bore
path. Manufacturers such as American
Augers (AA) are developing and seeing
proven field results in their version
of the disc cutter head. One example
of creating success with man, machine,
and technology is an auger boring job in
Pennsylvania, USA through an unyielding
rock formation.
Cutting through
The contract in Doylestown, Pennsylvania
called for the installation of a 37 metre
long gas pipeline under a two lane roadway.
Henkels and McCoy subcontracted
Case Boring Corporation from Gasport,
Advantages of a disk cutter
From the perspective of the contractor, the advantage to using a disc
cutter head is that the unit is mounted directly to the product casing,
which enhances cutter head stability and allows for longer cutter life.
The individual cutters are manufactured with high strength steel that
allows for increased working life because during use they perform a
rolling motion that creates no friction. The disc cutter also benefits the
operator by maximising performance in various geological formations
and is designed to withstand the severe loading of mixed face
conditions.
Disc cutter heads have the ability to be industry wide contributors
because they are compatible to any make or model of auger boring
machine and auger section that is fitted with a 4 inch or 5 inch hex.
New York to install the pipeline.
Confronting the span of the bore was a
sandstone deposit that the disc cutter was
more than capable of surmounting, as the
engineering design is suitable for intrusive
rock formations up to 25,000 psi.
Case Boring Corporation representative
Mark Case said “The AA disc cutter head
was the exact right choice for the job. It
was effective and productive in both solid
and very fissured rock, the type of rock
that can give a boring contractor fits with
other types of tooling.”
The Case Boring crew created a
15 metre long and 3 metre deep shored
pit, operating on 30 feet of auger boring
extension track, which would set the stage
for either achieving success or create less
than ideal conditions.
Using a 1990 model of a 60-1,200
auger boring machine and a brand new
36 inch diameter disc cutter head, the
Case Boring operator began pushing
the product through the sedimentary
landscape at a steady rotational speed.
Maintaining consistent speed in a slow,
but optimum range of 17 – 25 RPM allows
Excavator
An excavator was also used when the
excavator bucket was placed on the product
casing in close proximity of the disc
cutter to apply pressure and to aid in the
stability of the cutter as the machine made
the initial penetration of the rock wall.
This practice is typical for most disc cutter
head jobs because the critical nature
of the cutters first contact with earthen
embankment will create some vibration
that if not supported or monitored could
cause the line of the bore to be compromised.
The excavator was withdrawn
shortly after the entire disc cutter had
disappeared into the formation, and the
vibration ceased because the head and
the product casing was now shrouded
in the compact composition of the earth,
and the operators of the bore had settled
the machine into a ‘sweet spot’ that would
allow them to steadily progress.
The bore
The bore was done at zero percent
grade. If maintaining line and grade is
required, the disc cutter is equipped with
power assisted steering jacks, ensuring
steering corrections can be made with
ease. In total, it took one and a half days
to complete the bore. A traditional auger
bore, without the disc cutter, would have
been difficult and time consuming.
AA Field Service Technician Jim Lee
said “Using conventional product tooling
this bore would have been possible, but
we may have only been able to bore five
to eight feet per day. I know from experience
using a traditional rock cutting
head in that type of sandstone would of
required constant maintenance in replacing
the carbide bullet tips every two or
three feet.”
Mr Case agreed, “Without the disc cutter
the bores would have taken three times
longer to complete, involving considerable
re-tooling and time spent pulling and
reinserting the auger. The head turned
very easily, greatly reducing wear and
tear on our auger string and drive train.”
Auger boring for tough conditions
Auger boring and its associated
equipment or tooling, like disc cutter
heads, are typically less expensive and
reduce downtime more so than the conventional
practice of open trenching.
In neighbourhoods, metropolitan zones,
wetlands/waterways, and in infrastructure
development areas auger boring
creates less physical disruption and can
save a considerable amount of expense
on product installation, reduce restoration
costs and provides a tremendous
amount of goodwill to the community and
its inhabitants.
Another down time limiting factor for
disc cutter heads is that the large diameter
of the head allows the head to retract
from the face without moving the product
casing. Having a retractable cutting
head also allows for cutter change and
service that can be accomplished outside
of the heading.
Auger boring itself is a test of both man
and machine, but when those two factors
are confronted with tough ground formations
that can stress human emotions and
mechanical muscle, the real test is how
utilising proven practices and today’s
technology, like disc cutter heads, can
prevail in complicated situations.
“The disc cutter head will allow us to
make bores in a much more cost effective
way than ever before. We will be
able to entertain boring longer crossings
than ever before due to the easy turning
nature of the head and the unique steering
advantages the head give us,” said
Mr Case.
north america
April 2009 - Trenchless International
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