Brandon Pipe Jack

Burdekin Shire Council needed to get water from one side of Queensland Rail’s line  to the other.  Queensland Rail specified that the pipes needed to be jacked and had other specifications as to depth under rail, how close to the lines that excavations could occur and strict safety requirements.

Noel our QR Track Protection Officer assisted in a safe work site

Sarah from Burdekin Shire Council did a great job liaising between QR (Queensland Rail), Shire Council design team and Crossroads.  After ticking all the boxes the project commenced with Tiger Earthmoving digging the pit for the jacking machine to be set up.  As  with many jobs this did not go according to plan, when close to the depth required for the pit we encountered ground water.  To overcome this the alignment was altered so that the pipes went above an electrical cable, not below as was originally planned.  All levels were checked and rechecked to ensure coverage above the electrical cable and depth below QR line.  Digging commenced again the next day and with the expertise of Murray from Tiger Earthmoving was soon completed to the levels required.  With a few other minor hiccups the pit which was due to be completed on day 1 was completed on day 3.

Sarah and Kevin working out levels and alignment

Darryl and Kevin checking pit size with Murray in background

Next day Alwyn from Burdekin Concrete Constructions led a professional team to lay a smooth concrete slab with a backstop to allow an easy set up  of the drill rig.

Alwyn screening concrete to predetermined levels

Day 5 was spent setting up the drill rig.  As with all these projects, good preparation  greatly enhances the success of the project.

Day 6 and drilling commenced the 15 mtrs of 600mm steel pipe installed in 4.5 hours.  Most of the time was in the setting up and welding of each length.  Actual drilling time per 6 mtr length was approx 30 minutes.  After installation the rig was moved to its new alignment and set up ready to drill the next line.

Installation of first line nearly complete

Council design office were very interested in this method of installation

Day 7 completed the project with the last pipe installed.  The success of this project  was due to the professional individuals who worked well as a team.  Thank you to Darryl and Sarah from Burdekin Shire Council.  Murray from Tiger Earthmoving (0412 202 833) Alwyn from Burdekin Concrete Constructions (0439 731 432) and Kevin from Crossroads.

Installation complete

Receiving Pit

Clean and Pristine

Fairfield Waters Estate has been developed on the site of the old Townsville Meatworks along the banks of Ross River.  The estate has transformed this barren land with settling ponds into beautiful lagoons with restored vegetation along Ross Creek.  To compliment this story JMAC Constructions landscaped the area either side of the under the road culverts to resemble a river.

During the building process debris and sediment built up under one of the culverts.  This culvert was long and low.  The best option to clear away the debris was to use Crossroads unique drain clearing tool.

Walking the drill rig onto site, used track mats to ensure no damage to landscaping.

Directing the drill  rig through the landscaping

Culvert prior to clearing

Length of drain

Gunk

Cleaning up the gunk with the vacuum truck

Finished and pristine





Willows Shopping Centre

Steve from Hannahbull Plumbing rang Crossroads to enquire about our ability to drill under some very expensive tiles on a very slight grade working after hours in a confined space.  My initial thought was no – this one is just too hard.  My initial thoughts were correct, this is too hard but we were going to give it a go.  The reason for this complex job was that a fish monger was planned for the location but a wash down drain was essential.

The logistics of this job were challenging.  To set up on site we were required to drive a 7 tonne drill rig with metal  tracks over the expensive terrazzo tiles that can not be replaced and park it in a corner of a shop that was being renovated.  Hannahbull Plumbing were very organised, they had arranged extra rubber matting and plywood sheets to compliment the conveyor belt matting that we use.   Then we were required to drill under the tiles with the problem of the  reo bar in the concrete interfering with our electronic locating equipment.

The photos below show the mobilisation and set up of the drill rig.

Entering Shopping Centre

Rubber mat shuffle

Entering Shop

Moving air condtioning ducts out of way

Tight fit

Note the thickness of the concrete around this pit

Launch Pit

Support vehicle required for drilling fluids

Pipe stored in shopping trolly

Light shining up pipe to show alignment

Golf Course – The Crossroads Team Play A Round

Telstra is always in the news due to poor mobile network  coverage.    It is good to report an improvement in the network.

In the middle of Townsville Golf Course is a black spot.  Telstra are in the process of building a new mobile phone transmitter  tower to negate this black  spot.  This tower will also pick up some of  the traffic Telstra was inundated with during the Townsville 400 V8 racing weekend.

Crossroads participation in the tower involved drilling 500mtrs under greens, tees and fairways to install communications and electrical conduits.

This was a dangerous assignment for the guys at Crossroads who were forever on the alert for sliced and hooked golf shots.  The golfers had no idea that they were walking over conduits being installed.  A true testimony for directional drilling.  The other danger was snakes.  Crossraods saw one slither away through a bunker.

The following golfers had no idea that conduits were being installed under their feet whilst they were playing golf.

Photos below show minimal disruption with directional  drilling

Cleaning up

Crossroads Tunnels Under Prison Wall

Crossroads tunnel under prison wall”

Case Study

Townsville

Correctional Centre

Stuart, Townsville – North Queensland

Authorities today have released the names of a professional organisation responsible for tunnelling

under the inner and outer walls of the Townsville Correctional Centre at Stuart in North Queensland.

“Tunnelling is what we do, we can tunnel under almost anything, for any reason, “Crossroads

Horizontal Boring Managing Director Ian Murdoch said, “as long as its legal” he added with a smirk.

The job at the Townsville Prison was undertaken by Crossroads Horizontal Boring through primary

contractor Baulderstone Hornibrook. The purpose of this project was to install the vital

infrastructure that the new facilities will require. This infrastructure included line and grade work

for the installation of facilities including sewerage, water, irrigation, and diesel lines. Other services

that were connected include those required for communications, gas and power.

The $142 million expansion will see an additional 200 cells added to the Townsville Correctional

Centre. The job commenced with the demolition of the 96 existing cells and is one of the largest jail

refurbishment projects that have been undertaken in North Queensland.

The total number of bores for this job exceeded 14 and a total of 725 metres of pipe ranging

between 300mm and 900mm were installed in the prison grounds. The project used a combination

of pipe jacking and directional drilling as traditional excavation techniques were not suitable due to

the potential security risks they posed.

“This job provided us with a lot of challenges,” Mr Murdoch said. “Firstly all of my staff had to

undergo security clearances before they were allowed to enter the site. All of our equipment had to

be scrutinised before entering and leaving the compound and all drilling procedures had to be

checked and double checked by the principle contractor before we could commence work.”

“At the end of each day, our worksite had to be completely secured and inspected,” Mr Murdoch

said. “Nothing could be left to chance. We even had an armed escort whilst working on site.”

For further information on this job and other services that have been performed by the team at

Crossroads Horizontal Boring or if you just require a quick tunnel to get you out of trouble, give us a

call on 07 4774 6333.

Case Study

Job:  Townsville Correctional Centre

Stuart, Townsville – North Queensland

Authorities today have released the names of a professional organisation responsible for tunnelling under the inner and outer walls of the Townsville Correctional Centre at Stuart in North Queensland.

“Tunnelling is what we do, we can tunnel under almost anything, for any reason,“ Crossroads Horizontal Boring Managing Director Ian Murdoch said, “as long as its legal” he added with a smirk.

The job at the Townsville Prison was undertaken by Crossroads Horizontal Boring through primary contractor Baulderstone Hornibrook. The purpose of this project was to install the vital infrastructure that the new facilities will require. This infrastructure included line and grade work for the installation of facilities including sewerage, water, irrigation, and diesel lines.

Other services that were connected include those required for communications, gas and power.

The $142 million expansion will see an additional 200 cells added to the Townsville Correctional Centre. The job commenced with the demolition of the 96 existing cells and is one of the largest jail refurbishment projects that have been undertaken in North Queensland.

The total number of bores for this job exceeded 14 and a total of 725 metres of pipe ranging between 300mm and 900mm were installed in the prison grounds. The project used a combination of pipe jacking and directional drilling as traditional excavation techniques were not suitable due to the potential security risks they posed.

“This job provided us with a lot of challenges,” Mr Murdoch said. “Firstly all of my staff had to undergo security clearances before they were allowed to enter the site. All of our equipment had to be scrutinised before entering and leaving the compound and all drilling procedures had to be checked and double checked by the principle contractor before we could commence work.”

“At the end of each day, our worksite had to be completely secured and inspected,” Mr Murdoch said. “Nothing could be left to chance. We even had an armed escort whilst working on site.”

For further information on this job and other services that have been performed by the team at Crossroads Horizontal Boring or if you just require a quick tunnel to get you out of trouble, give us a call on 07 4774 6333.

Drilling for Oil (company)

“Come and listen to a story about a man called Jed, poor mountaineer barley kept his family fed, then one day he was shooting at some food……” so the story goes.

What does this have to do with directional drilling? Not a lot unless you are have been commissioned by an oil company to undertake the work.

“This job was made particularly challenging due to the nature of the product that was to flow through

the pipe and the conditions in which our crew were operating under, we had to be particularly vigilant

in terms of procedure and health and safety regulations,” Crossroads Horizontal Boring Managing Director Ian Murdoch said.

As with any petroleum installation, the work that was to be carried out by Crossroads Horizontal Boring had to be carefully planned to ensure minimum of interruption to the terminal’s throughput whilst ensuring no disruption to rail services or port operations.

“As a result of these limitations, we had to ensure that all of our work plans and work carried out met the stringent standards of all parties concerned and that all precautions were taken whilst operating in a potentially flammable environment,” Mr Murdoch continued.

Crossroads Horizontal Boring were commissioned by Caltex to undertake work beneath their Gladstone Oil Terminal. The job consisted of 300mm steel pipe to be drilled a total of 20 metres under four railway lines.

“We had to use directional drilling for this particular job due to the fact that the pipe has to be denso wrapped to ensure a minimum of effects from pressure and soil stress occur to the pipe,” Mr Murdoch

said.

For further information on how Crossroads Horizontal Boring can provide assistance in difficult environments and jobs, phone us on 07 4774 6333.