AWWA ACE56143

This presentation chronicles the construction of a water main crossing of the Ohio River. The project is historic in the use of horizontal directional drilling to install the pipe in that it provides for the interstate sale of drinking water. The greatest technological challenge to the project was the installation of a 36-inch main across the river. Horizontal directional drilling is a trenchless construction technology with increasing use in the water supply industry. This project demonstrates the application of the technology for installing large diameter pipes over long distances. Route selection involved not only consideration of the final pipeline alignment but also the staging area where the pipe was to be welded to prepare the string to be pulled into the bore. At the crossing location, the river is 1,800 feet wide. The total bore length was nearly 3,000 feet. The end locations were selected to permit the angular bores down to and back up from the crossing elevation and to provide setup areas on either side of the river for the drilling equipment and the drilling mud handling systems. The route crossed beneath a bridge and required precise steering of the drilling head to pass between the pile supports for the bridge. Photographs show the pipe staging and drilling operations. Challenges encountered during the operation are discussed, and observations on the application of directional drilling in the water industry are provided. Includes figures.