THE RIPARIAN EXPERTS
Brick, New Jersey 08723
Fax (732) 920-8459
HORIZONTAL DIRECTIONAL DRILLING
On all crossings a comprehensive land survey is required.
Don’t Raise The River Just Lower The Cable
Advantages of Directional Drilled River Crossings
Directional-drilled river crossings have many advantages, from cost savings to convenience to preserving the environment.
Drilled river crossings eliminate navigational hazards and can be accomplished without interrupting waterway traffic. Drilling can be completed in congested pipeline areas, often within ten feet of existing pipelines.
Drilled crossings provide a cost-effective way to install river crossings. Conventional dredge or bridge pipelines are expensive to install and require continued maintenance. Drilled crossings have a lower initial cost and are maintenance free.
Another cost saving is in time. Permits are generally faster and easier to obtain. And a wider work window can be achieved since weather and water conditions do not affect drilling or pipe installation.
Drilled crossings are not subject to bank erosions, anchor or dredging operations. And banks and river bottoms are left undisturbed, eliminating harmful effects on fish, vegetation and the natural ecology of the waterway.
PROJECT REFERENCE
Submarine Fiber Optic Cable Installation Raritan River (Perth Amboy-South Amboy)
New Jersey Bell Telephone Company
March 1991
Installation of Four (4) 2” Innerducts Across Raritan River
Two of the innerducts contain a previously installed fiber optic cable. The remaining two innerducts are for future use.
The innerducts were buried into the river bottom by use of a cable embedment plow. Concrete mattresses were placed over the cables at the shoreline.
Caldwell’s Diving Company, Inc. was the prime contractor for this project.
PROJECT NAME AND LOCATION:
OWNER:
COMPLETION DATE:
SCOPE OF WORK:
ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE INSTALLATIONS
CABLE INSTALLATION ACROSS WETLANDS
These photos show our cable embedment plow burying a cable across the wetlands. Note that they are only minimal disturbance of the wetlands after passing of the plow.
This minimal disturbance would be indicative of how the plow would operate on the waterway bottom. The cut into the bottom would only be as wide as the plow blade itself. Backfilling of the cut takes place almost immediately after the cut is made and the cable or conduit is installed.
INSTALLATION OF MULTIPLE CONDUITS SIMULTANEOUSLY
This photo shows that our embedment plows have the capability of burying multiple polyethylene innerducts.
The embedment plow can be modified to accommodate various numbers and sizes of innerduct.
Cable Embedment Plow
This photo shows the general configuration of the underwater cable embedment plow. The cables or conduits would enter the plow through the bellmouth at the top and exit through the shoe and the bottom.
The burial blade can be changed to accommodate the burial depth requirements of each particular project.
The plow is pulled through the wetlands by a specially designed amphibious tracked vehicle, which exerts one pound of pressure per square foot of contact surface. The “marsh machine” is equipped with special hardwood tracks to allow minimum damage to marsh areas.
