Case Study: Environmental Considerations of Horizontal Directional Drills

This paper analyzes a pipeline construction project in which the horizontal directional drill (HDD) technique for pipe installation was heavily utilized. The paper focuses on the benefits and risks of using directional drills, versus open cut installation, from an environmental perspective. The paper also contains recommendations, in a lessons-learned format, that might be useful in planning a pipeline construction project that includes the use of HDD techniques, especially under wetland areas.