John Briand's Presentation to ASCE North Carolina Eastern Branch on June 27, 2024

Trenchless utility installation methods, including Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD), have become an essential component of infrastructure expansion and rehabilitation to address the challenges associated with crossing environmentally sensitive areas, such as streams, rivers, wetlands, and man-made obstructions, including highways, utilities, and railroads. A key consideration in designing HDD crossings is the widely varying geologic conditions in the Carolinas; from the coast to the mountains, the varying geology presents unique challenges and characteristics for trenchless installations. HDD is a complex operation that carries significant risk without proper planning and oversight. This presentation provides the framework to engage geotechnical and trenchless professionals to successfully design and construct pipelines and conduits using HDD methods. The presentation will include conceptual-level and final design considerations as well as construction oversight best practices and lessons learned.