Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD)
At UGDC, we specialize in Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD), delivering precise and efficient underground installations for pipes, conduits, and cables. With over 30 years of combined industry experience, our crews bring unmatched knowledge and technical skill to every project, ensuring solutions that are both effective and reliable.
Safety is at the heart of everything we do. Our teams are trained to the highest standards, rigorously managing risks on every site to protect our people, clients, and the surrounding environment.
Choosing UGDC means partnering with a company that combines expertise, experience, and a strong safety culture—giving you peace of mind and confidence that your HDD projects will be executed efficiently, safely, and to the highest standard.
What is HDD?
Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) is a trenchless method for installing underground utilities like pipes and cables without digging a continuous trench. This is accomplished by using a drilling rig to create a pilot hole along a predetermined path, which is then reamed out to install the final utility line. The main benefits include reduced community disruption, minimal environmental impact, and cost savings.
Cost efficient
Eco Friendly
Minimum Disturbance
How it works
- A drilling rig on the surface drills a pilot hole in an arc, following a computer-guided path from one access point to another.
- The pilot hole is then expanded by passing a larger reamer through it.
- The utility line (e.g., a pipe or conduit) is pulled back through the reamed-out hole.
Benefits
- Reduced disruption: Minimizes surface disturbance, leading to less impact on traffic, landscapes, and existing infrastructure like roads and rivers.
- Environmental protection: Reduces soil displacement, habitat disruption, and the risk of groundwater contamination compared to open-cut methods.
- Cost-effective: Saves money by reducing labor, cleanup, and the need for extensive permits and road closures.
- Versatility: Can install utilities under various obstacles, including rivers, lakes, and buildings, in locations where open-cut methods are not feasible.
- Improved durability: Allows for the installation of utilities in more protected underground locations, which can increase their lifespan and durability.
Other Services
Comprehensive Infrastructure Solutions
We are industry leaders when it comes to civil construction services within the Energy and Telco infrastructure industry.
Make sure to contact our friendly and knowledgeable team at UGDC to learn how we can help you with your urban, commercial and industrial projects.
Pit & Pipe Installation
Pit and Pipe Construction entails installing conduits and pipes through a series of pits, providing reliable Electrical and Telecommunications connections to homes, buildings, and estates. UGDC delivers a complete Pit and Pipe installation service, including trenching and skilled labour tailored to meet the specific requirements of your project. UGDC has the expertise to manage projects of any size, including highly complex installations.
Concrete Pit Construction
UGDC delivers expert concrete solutions across all project sizes. From stormwater culverts and headwalls to pavements, retaining walls, containment structures, and large in-situ or precast concrete works, our experienced crews get it done. Trusted by councils and authorities, we bring reliability and quality to every project.
Trenching / Excavation / Conduit Installation
UGDC specialises in trenching and excavating for conduit installation. We provide a seamless, end-to-end service that covers trenching, vacuum excavation, conduit installation, and backfilling. Our experienced crews deliver projects across a wide range of environments—from bustling city streets to challenging mountainous terrains—ensuring efficiency, safety, and quality every step of the way
Complex Cable Installation
At UGDC, we specialise in HV and LV cable installations as well as fibre installations, whether on cable trays, direct lay or in ducts or conduit. With extensive experience across a wide range of cable installations, we have developed a sound knowledge of a wide-range of complex project requirements.
This practical expertise enables us to adapt our pricing and project management approaches, ensuring solutions that are both efficient and effective, from installing Telco fibre optic cable through pits to delicate HV installation under a bridge, across a major river.
UGDC has contributed to numerous projects, often collaborating as subcontractors and meeting the specific demands of each project alliance.