Drilling Down: Case Study – Hong Kong

In this edition of ‘Drilling Down’ , we take a look at how Minnovare added significant value to a leading ground engineering contractor based in Hong Kong.

Location: Hong Kong, China
Industry: Civil Construction – Tunneling
Specialisation: Ground Engineering and Foundation Works
Year: 2016

Minnovare’s client was a leading global ground engineering specialist who’s Hong Kong office was contracted to conduct TAM grouting for a major tunnel project on the island.

Tube a Manchette (TAM) grouting offers an efficient, cost effective means of grouting for foundations, tunnels and mines. The system involves drilling holes that are then filled with a length of pipe that is itself filled with cement grout.

The accuracy of the holes drilled is critical to ensuring the effectiveness of the grouting, and by extension, the reliability and safety of the project.

Issues on Site:

Prior to contacting Minnovare the client had planned to employ traditional land surveying techniques which would result in extended rig setup times – up to 2 hours down-time per shift. Faced with a tight schedule, the costs of over-running were high, not to mention the additional costs of employing a team of land-surveyors and technicians. To make things even more challenging, the drill rig had to be raised up and down on a mobile platform, which in itself was a major safety concern for drill operators.

The Solution:

Minnovare’s Azimuth Aligner (AA) is the most accurate drill alignment technology in the world (+/-0.2°).

This unrivalled level of accuracy eliminates the costly and timely process of re-drilling. Drill-rig setup times are also significantly reduced – the entire process can be completed within five minutes. Just pre-program the AA with the desired azimuth and dip, attach the unit directly to the drill rod, and start drilling!

Reliance on surveyors and other technicians is kept to a minimum – again removing a significant cost to the project.

The Result:

Minnovare engineers arrived on the ground in Hong Kong and during the first shift of using the AA, drill hole deviation (and subsequent re-drilling) due to inaccurate rig setup was eliminated, resulting in a 30% increase in drilled metres per shift.

Drill rig setup times were reduced by 90%, which as well as keeping the project on schedule, significantly reduced reliance on surveyors and technicians – removing costly overheads and increasing safety, with less hands-on involvement required at the drilling platform.

For more information on this case study and/or the Azimuth Aligner, contact Minnovare on +61 8 6381 0076 or info@minnovare.com