Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD)
Trenchless Installation Beneath Roads, Buildings, and Infrastructure
Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) is a cornerstone of TrenchFree’s trenchless construction services. HDD allows us to install new underground utilities with pinpoint accuracy while preserving roads, parking lots, landscaping, and structures above.
We routinely complete HDD projects in dense commercial corridors, municipal rights-of-way, and industrial facilities where traditional trenching would be disruptive, dangerous, or impossible.
How HDD Works
A steerable drill head bores a pilot hole along a predetermined path, guided by electronic tracking. The bore is then enlarged (reamed) to accommodate the utility being installed. Finally, the new pipe or conduit is pulled back through the bore path—all without disturbing the surface.
Utilities We Install via HDD
- Sewer lines — Including precise-grade gravity sewer installations
- Electrical conduit — High-voltage and distribution systems
- Communications conduit — Fiber optic, copper, and data infrastructure
- Gas lines — PG&E OQ-certified installations
- Water mains — Potable and reclaimed water systems
Advantages
- Minimal surface disruption—no torn-up streets or parking lots
- Dramatically reduced restoration costs compared to open trenching
- Precise depth, grade, and bore-path control
- Faster project timelines with less traffic and business disruption
- Environmentally responsible—reduced soil disturbance and erosion
Project Environments
- Busy intersections and arterial roads
- Commercial properties with limited access
- Under railways, highways, and waterways
- Through environmentally sensitive areas
- Beneath existing structures and foundations
