Research report provides an engineering design guide. Its purpose is to serve as a step-by-step guide for engineers engaged in the evaluation, design, and management of natural gas pipeline construction by horizontal directional drilling. Cost estimating, pipe stress, and drilling fluid quantity calculation methods are presented in a Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet format and demonstrated with sample problems. A diskette containing spreadsheet files is included. Photographs and sketches have been included where appropriate to illustrate construction operations.
Need: Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) is a highly technical process but many of its facets are still an art form. Pipeline company engineers tasked to manage such a project need the technical basis for dealing with the HDD contractors in order to avoid "misunderstandings" and unexpected increases in costs.
Benefit: These reports provide sufficient information for the project manager to keep a tight rein on the contractor through all phases of a HDD project. This will avoid unexpected project costs. For example, it is estimated that the ability to HDD from "outside to outside" of flood control levees will save $250,000 per project.
Result: This report and its companion reports provide a compendium of knowledge for the engineering project manager. It is a step-by-step guide for the evaluation, design and management of pipeline construction by HDD. Cost estimating, pipe stress and drilling fluid quantity calculation methods are presented in a spreadsheet format (on a diskette) and demonstrated with sample problems. Photographs and sketches are included where appropriate to illustrate construction operations. A series of companion reports complete the compendium. The Corrosion Supervisory Committee will soon complete a companion report on the effects on pipeline coatings during a pull through a drill hole. These reports will soon be offered as a package and will include a Army Corps of Engineers report on guidelines for installation of pipelines beneath levees. This work was sponsored in part by PRCI.
