September 2012, Vol. 67 No. 9
Features
Tackling The Big Jobs: World’s Largest Auger Boring Machine Finds Plenty Of Work In Canada
A huge auger boring machine — said to be the world’s largest — has been busy in Western Canada on projects with a variety of conditions.
Owned by Kamloops Augering & Boring, Kamloops, British Columbia, the 1.8 million pound thrust American Augers 84/96-1800 auger boring machine (ABM) can auger holes to 96 inches in diameter. Maximum torque output is 272,236 foot pounds. The machine weighs 64,000 pounds and is 17-feet long; 8-feet, 8-inches wide; and 9-feet, 4-inches high. Its master track width is 10 feet. Published specifications list the 84/96-1800 as capable of boring holes in diameters from 24 to 96 inches.
“We purchased the machine to install culverts on a large railroad project,” said Malcolm Bachand, Kamloops president. “The job was in Northern British Columbia in mountainous conditions. We made two bores under railroad right-of-way: one 72 inches in diameter and the other 84 inches, both 200 feet long.”
Bachand said there has been a large demand for culvert work in B.C., and it appears to be increasing.
Adding to the tool box
“Having this new, big machine in our tool box places our company in a good position for competing for large diameter culvert and other projects,” said Bachand.
A second project with the 84/96-1800 recently was completed for the Greater Vancouver Water District. Two 69-inch diameter bores were made to install sections of steel water mains under surface obstructions to connect the Barnston/Maple Ridge Pump Station to water system infrastructure in Maple Ridge, a suburb of Vancouver. Sixty-nine inch diameter pipes were installed in each of the bores.
Pedre Contractors, Langley, BC, was general contractor; Kamloops was subcontractor for the two large-diameter auger bores.
The two bores were launched at the pump station, extended under seven lanes of a busy highway and beneath a large auto dealership. Neither vehicular traffic nor the dealership’s business operations was interrupted by the construction.
Entry points for the bores were about 50 feet apart. The distance between exit points was approximately 100 feet where each tied into the water distribution system. One bore was 328 feet, the other 246 feet.
Starting pits were 50-feet long, 20-feet wide and 20-feet deep. Exit pits were 13-feet square and 20-feet deep and were on easements located on the auto dealership’s property. Sheet piling was installed in pits at each end of the bores.
The longer of the two bores was done first. Bachand said set-up required three to four days for each bore, including pouring concrete floors of the entry pits. The auger boring machine with pusher, accessories and track requires two semi-trailer trucks to transport.
Although auger boring machines have evolved over the years, the basic process is the same as it was four decades ago: the ABM bores through the earth with rotating augers carrying spoil from the hole. As the bore progresses, pipe is installed a joint at a time.
For these bores, said Bachand, 20-foot joints of Permalok steel pipe were used. The Permalok interlocking pipe joining system has pre-installed precision joint connections which are quickly and easily mated during field construction, greatly speeding production.
“We used an Akkerman pilot tube guided boring system to install a 24-inch pilot bore on exact line and grade and attached the 69-inch pipe to the 24-inch using a ‘spider’,” Bachand said.
Both bores were installed on precise line and grade from entry to exit. Soil conditions were marine silt and clay.
“Production averaged 30-feet per shift, including taking the extra step of welding connections,” Bachand said. “Because of noise restrictions, we worked one shift per day. Spoil came out in a slurry which was put in hoppers, hoisted out of the entry pit and deposited in a mud pit for hauling away to a dump site.
“Start to finish, the shorter bore was completed in 16 days, the longer one required 26 days.”
Stable production
American Augers says the 84/96-1800’s low centerline and wide stance provide stability. The machine locks securely to the track without hook rollers. A 10-speed transmission adjusts torque to varying soil conditions while the clutch is hydraulically assisted for easy operation. American Augers’ Quik Split frame design allows the machine to be separated into sections to accommodate lighter and faster lifts into and out of the bore pit, and aids the operator in being able to facilitate machine positioning.
The exclusive American Augers Quik Tran fast return system provides easier and faster machine operation.
Next up for the big machine is a 200-foot long, 72-inch drive for a utility crossing under several railway tracks in a nearby city,
Established in 1976, Kamloops Augering & Boring operates throughout Western Canada. In addition to auger boring, the company is experienced in guided boring, horizontal directional drilling, rock boring, pipe bursting, pneumatic pipe ramming, utility tunnel/pipe jacking and horizontal pile driving.
“American Augers recognized the need for a product with greater capabilities for excavating and pushing large-diameter pipes in the ground than the auger boring machines available,” said Dave Vidovic, auger boring product manager at American Augers. “Many of the large-diameter projects were either short in length and hand mined or longer jobs had to be executed by cumbersome and expensive equipment. We recognized the need for a ABM that could make longer drives of pipes in the 60- to 72-inch diameter range.”
To satisfy those needs, Vidovic said American Augers initiated development of a new, large AGM, ultimately resulting in introduction of the 84/96-1800.
Based in West Salem, OH, American Augers has been an industry leader in auger boring since the 1970s — the company’s first product was an auger boring machine and has been a pioneer in the development of auger boring technology. Available accessories include dirt and rock cutting bits, a complete range of auger sections, hex adapters, casing size adapters and repair components and support equipment.
Today the American Augers product line includes large and mid-size horizontal directional drilling equipment, mud pump and cleaning systems, oil and gas drilling rigs and support equipment and accessories for all its products. American Augers equipment is used across the world and supported by a dedicated parts and technical service department.
FOR MORE INFO:
American Augers, (800) 324-4930, www.americanaugers.com
Kamloops Augering & Boring, (250) 573-7814, http://kamloopsaugering.com
Permalok Pipe, (800) 280-5511, http://permalok.com
Akkerman Inc., (800) 533-0386, www.akkerman.com
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