Trenchless technology enabling Horizontal Drilling underground, with the ability to steer to avoid obstacles in the ground.
EPS Trenchless Installations advocates this revolutionary approach, offering a range of innovative solutions that remove the need for disruptive excavations. By leveraging state-of-the-art techniques such as Moling and Directional Drilling, EPS Trenchless Installations delivers efficient and cost-effective alternatives for laying and repairing underground utilities.
Trenchless technology enabling Horizontal Drilling underground, with the ability to steer to avoid obstacles in the ground.
Directional Drilling is a technique for installing utilities such as Water pipes, Electric Cables and Gas pipes underground along distances up to 250 metres. State of the art Directional Drilling equipment can be steered deeper underground or around obstructions blocking its path.
This removes the need to dig long, unsightly, messy trenches to lay pipes and cables. Directional Drilling creates neat accurate bore holes under the ground, which utilities can be pulled back through.
The whole process is fast, cost effective, and kind to the environment, with minimal surface damage.
dependent on the required diameter and the ground conditions
(subject to pipe size and ground conditions)
ground dependent
Select your installation type and pinpoint your exact start and end locations on our interactive map to get started!
Chelmsford is the county town of Essex, in the southeast of England. It has a long history, dating back to Roman times. It gained its city status in 2012, following its history as a key town in Essex. Chelmsford has a population of approximately 180,000, making it one of the largest towns in Essex. The town attracts a mix of people, thanks to its good transport links and amenities.
Chelmsford is located northeast of London, making it an important commuter town. It lies on the River Chelmer. Its central location in Essex makes it a centre for the surrounding towns and villages. Chelmsford is home to a variety of businesses, including high-tech companies, financial services, and retail. The town has a number of shopping areas, including the High Chelmer shopping centre and Bond Street, which offer a range of shops, restaurants, and entertainment options. Chelmsford is well-connected by road and rail and Chelmsford railway station has direct trains to London in around 35 minutes, making it a popular choice for commuters. The town is well connected to the M25 and M11 motorways, which provide easy access to London. In recent years, Chelmsford has seen considerable development, particularly in the form of new housing, shopping areas, and leisure complexes. The Bond Street development has transformed part of the town centre, adding a new cinema, restaurants, and bars. There are also plans to continue expanding housing and retail options to meet the growing demand.
The ground conditions in Chelmsford, can significantly impact the feasibility and efficiency of directional drilling and moling. Chelmsford, sits on a mixture of soil and bedrock types. The topsoil in Chelmsford tends to be clay, silt, and loam, which can vary in thickness. Clay-rich soils can be challenging for drilling due to their potential for clogging drill bits or causing borehole instability. However, they also provide stability for the drilled hole once it’s completed.
Below the surface, there may be layers of chalk, limestone, and sand, typical of the London Basin area. The chalk formations, especially in the area’s deeper layers, could be more challenging for directional drilling, as they can be hard and abrasive. Some sandstones or soft limestones might be easier to drill through compared to harder chalk layers.
Chelmsford is situated in a region with varying groundwater conditions. The water table in the area may be at varying depths depending on location and local hydrology. Higher groundwater levels can create challenges. The presence of groundwater can cause boreholes to become flooded or unstable if proper fluid control techniques aren’t employed. Water in the ground could exert pressure on the borehole walls, leading to potential cave-ins or wall collapse if the borehole is not properly supported with casing or drilling fluids. In some areas, the groundwater might be relatively shallow, which means special precautions, like casing the borehole to prevent water ingress, may be necessary.
As Chelmsford is a developed town with a mix of residential, commercial, and industrial areas, there may be underground utilities (water, gas, electricity) and buildings that require careful navigation. Directional drilling often aims to avoid these existing infrastructures, and proper mapping and survey data are crucial for ensuring safe and effective drilling operations. Care needs to be taken when drilling near existing utilities, roads, and buildings to avoid damaging the infrastructure. This is particularly critical in Chelmsford, where the town has a mix of modern and historical infrastructure.
Chelmsford has areas of natural beauty and environmental interest. When planning directional drilling, it’s important to consider local conservation efforts, wildlife, and protected sites to avoid ecological damage.
Directional drilling in Chelmsford must adhere to local regulations, particularly when it comes to managing drilling waste, groundwater protection, and noise. The Environment Agency, local council, and other governing bodies might require permits for drilling operations. Drillers must ensure that they follow proper procedures, including waste disposal, air quality management, and water conservation.
We start with conducting a detailed survey, a site visit, and the use of online technology to check geological information
From conception to completion, EPS will work in partnership with you, planning and advising you on the best way to complete your project
The directional drilling process is handled professionally and meticulously by our fully qualified engineers from start to finish
We leave your site clean and clear of all materials and debris, providing an end-to-end service and complete reinstatement and site clearance.
EPS provide underground utility installation that is fast, efficient and environmentally friendly.
Using Moling and Directional Drilling technology, our streamlined process requires minimal space which avoids unnecessary disruption and inconvenience.
There is no need for extensive surface cutting or digging long trenches. ‘No-dig’ techniques are very adaptable to various soil conditions and protected locations.
This technique provides accurate utility installation, which also protects wildlife and any ecologically sensitive locations. It is an incredibly cost-effective method of replacing old utility systems or installing new utilities.
Minimising the ecological footprint and damage to the environment is an essential when installing utilities and services underground. We integrate environmentally friendly practices into every aspect of our directional drilling process. From careful planning to efficient execution, we endeavour to minimise disturbance to natural habitats and reduce emissions.
Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI):
Protected areas contain unique ecosystems, rare species and geological formations or habitats and are often protected by law.
The use of trenchless technology is a non-invasive approach which ensures the protection of areas of special conservation interest.
ROOT PROTECTION ZONES (RPZ):
Cutting or damaging tree roots threatens the health and stability of trees, potentially resulting in decline or even death. HDD drilling provides a non-invasive approach that is carefully planned to define a precise path that avoids tree roots. This significantly reduces the risk of root damage in these specialised zones.
ANCIENT WOODLANDS:
This type of conservation area provides a specialist approach, and directional drilling provides the ability to accurately determine subterranean trajectories, allowing successful installation without affecting the ground cover, damaging tree roots, or disturbing habitats.
CARBON FOOTPRINT:
Reducing our carbon footprint is at the forefront of our operations. Traditional excavation often involves extensive earth removal and high fuel usage due to heavy equipment and machinery. However, our No-Dig techniques use far less machinery and provide minimal disruption to the environment. This in turn reduce our environmental impact.
Horizontal directional drilling, often referred to as HDD or trenchless technology, is an innovative technique for laying underground utilities such as pipes, cables, ducts, and conduits without resorting to conventional trenching. Instead of creating open trenches, this method starts with a pilot hole that is drilled diagonally from the surface toward a desired endpoint. After the initial hole is made, advanced drilling equipment enlarges and steers the hole in the desired direction while underground. This seamless process provides minimal damage to the surface ground and is not as invasive as conventional methods, saving our clients money and the hassle of restoring the area after large excavation work.
Our procedure starts by drilling a pilot borehole that follows a predetermined route. We then expand the hole along the trajectory established by the pilot bore, a process referred to as back reaming. Finally, the product pipe is pulled through the enlarged passage.
The machine we will choose for your project is dependent on your site and location. For our smaller and more fragile ecological sites, we will select our smaller HDD machine to ensure that we minimise disruption to the environment and protect delicate ecosystems. This smaller HDD machine is designed to navigate tight spaces and sensitive terrain with precision and care, allowing us to complete the job while minimising impact on the surrounding area.
For larger sites that require greater power and capacity, we have larger HDD machines equipped to handle more demanding projects, whilst still maintaining little impact at your location. These machines are capable of tackling larger bore diameters and longer distances, providing the necessary strength and efficiency to complete the job effectively.
No matter the size or complexity of your project, we have the expertise and equipment to ensure successful horizontal directional drilling while prioritising environmental conservation and minimising disruption to sensitive areas.
Directional drilling is utilised for laying utility lines and conduits, providing a more economical and minimally invasive option compared to conventional vertical drilling methods.
This approach provides many advantages over conventional drilling as it is possible to lay or repair utility pipes, ducts, or cables, without excavations of large amounts of ground and provides options for laying pipes in sensitive or protected areas.
There are many advantages to employing horizontal and directional drilling. These are, minimal disturbances to surfaces, reduced environmental impact, cost savings, enhanced safety, and provides minimal disruption to utilities.
This is entirely dependent on the machine used for your location and ground conditions and/or obstructions. We will conduct a site visit and discuss the plan of action. Pipes from 25mm to 355mm diameters can be installed over distances of up to 200 metres in a single shot. Ducting, cables, and pipework can also be installed in either straight or curved lines.
No, it won’t. Our methods and trenchless technology will minimise disturbance in your location. Our approach ensures that we can carry out our work efficiently and effectively while keeping the impact on your surroundings to an absolute minimum. We will conduct a site visit before work takes place, talk through your requirements and we will evaluate the area to identify any obstacles or obstructions that may be present.
If you require work in protected or specialist areas, we can provide minimal disruption to the natural environment, ensure compliance with any relevant regulations or restrictions, and respect the integrity of the site.
We provide many trenchless solutions such as guided auger boring, moling, pipe bursting, pipe ramming, small footprint drilling, s50works, and fire hydrant testing.
We provide our expert trenchless solutions across a span of industries in the UK. Our industries include environmental remediation, water management, utility services, civil engineering and construction, and more.
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