Restricted Access Drilling in Devon

by | Dec 27, 2022

The skilled team at Borehole Solutions recently undertook a project in Teignmouth, on Devon’s south coastline. From tough working hours to difficult restricted access drilling conditions – it was definitely a job that required strong determination from our engineers. Continue reading to find out more information about this interesting project.

Restricted Access Drilling for Coastal Erosion

Teignmouth is located approximately midway between Exmouth and Torquay. As a coastal town, it finds itself prone to coastal erosion, cliff collapse and weathering. With extreme weather conditions becoming more common, coastal railway networks are being put under increasing pressure from the natural elements.

A few years ago, another town in Devon, named Dawlish, had its railway simply washed away in a severe storm. Fortunately, five years down the line, the Dawlish railway is up and running again with a new sea wall effectively doing its job. However, sea walls aren’t the only way to project our coastal railway lines. Nowadays, more and more coastal engineers are looking towards more protective, sheltered alternatives, such as rock tunnels.

Geotechnical Drilling in Teignmouth

This recent project in Teignmouth, Devon, involved restricted access drilling work in preparation for a newly planned rock tunnel. This will enable trains to continue travelling safely through part of the Teignmouth area.

The team at Borehole Solutions had only two hours every night to both set-up and drill, before dismantling the rig at the end of the night to guarantee that the site is safe. The sonic drilling head that we used required fresh water, not sea water. Unfortunately, we only had access to fresh water once a week, meaning the project was even more complex than we initially expected.

Safety is Paramount

Drilling with restricted access in dangerous areas means that safety is even more important for those working on site. To reduce the risk of personal injury, the vast majority of our drilling rigs include hydraulic breakout clamps. This means that we do not have to operate the rig hands-on, mitigating the chance of injury.

As a geotechnical company, it’s our responsibility to ensure sufficient parameters are in place to prevent any member of the public being put in danger from our machinery. Over the years, safety standards have improved dramatically but there will always be an element of risk when working alongside heavy construction equipment.

Restricted Access Drilling Services

Some of the applications for drilling with restricted access include, but are not limited to:

  • Micro-piling
  • Window sampling
  • Sonic drilling
  • Cable percussion drilling
  • Water wells
  • Hollow stem auguring
  • Open borehole sampling
  • Installing retrofit geo-exchange units
  • Ground anchors and soil nails

The versatility of these compact drilling rigs makes them attractive to any drilling contractor.

Get in Touch

Restricted access drilling jobs are amongst the most challenging projects for any geotechnical drilling company. Thanks to our dedicated team at Borehole Solutions, we’re able to provide just that! So, if you’d like to find out more information about our limited access drilling services, then contact us today! Give us a call on 01733 200501 or email us at info@boreholesolutions.com.