The Driller, LLC

The Driller, LLC is an underground utility construction company located near Des Moines, IA in Pleasant Hill. With decades of experience in the trenchless industry and several crews available, we have the expertise, equipment, and capacity to meet your project needs. We are firmly committed to providing the quality work and excellent service you deserve.

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Trenchless Methods

Auger Boring

A technique for forming a bore from a drive pit to a reception pit, by means of a rotating cutting head. Spoil is removed back to the drive shaft by helically wound auger flights rotating in a steel casing. The equipment may have limited steering capability.

Pilot Tube/Guided Boring

Pilot tube - the action of creating the first (usually steerable) pass of any boring process which is later enlarged with additional passes. The pilot tube (first pass) may be used to provide guidance for a guided auger bore. Guided boring is a term applied to auger boring systems which are similar to Microtunneling, but with the guidance mechanism actuator sited in the drive shaft (e.g., a hydraulic wrench which turns a steel casing with an asymmetric face at the cutting head). The term may also be applied to the auger boring systems with rudimentary articulation of the casing near the head activated by rods from the drive pit, or other methods or systems to guide the advancing casing. Guidance may be for grade and/or line.

Directional Drilling

A steerable system for the installation of pipes, conduits and cables in a shallow arc using a surface launched drilling rig. Traditionally the term applies to most crossings in which a fluid-filled pilot bore is drilled using a fluid-driven motor at the end of a bent-sub, and back reamed to the size required for the product pipe. The required deviation during pilot boring is provided by the positioning of a bent sub. Tracking of the drill string is achieved by the use of a walk-over system or a downhole survey tool

Microtunneling

A trenchless construction method for installing pipelines with the following features: - Remote Controlled: the Microtunnel Boring Machine (MTBM) is operated from a control panel, normally located on the surface. It simultaneously installs pipe as spoil is being excavated and removed. - Guided: The guidance system usually refers to a laser beam projected onto a target in the MTBM. Capable of installing gravity sewers or other types of pipeline to the required tolerance for line and grade. - Jacking Pipe: The process of constructing a pipeline by consecutively pushing the MTBM through the ground using a jacking system. - Face Support: Continuous pressure is provided to the face of the excavation to balance groundwater and earth pressure.

Tunneling

A two-stage process in which a temporary ground support system is constructed to permit the installation of the product pipe. The temporary tunnel liner is installed as the tunnel is constructed. The temporary ground support system (liner) can be steel or concrete tunnel liner plates, steel ribs with wood lagging, or an all wood box culvert. Personnel are required inside the tunnel to perform the excavation and/or spoil removal. The excavation can be accomplished manually or mechanically.

Pipe Ramming

A technique for installing steel casings from a drive shaft to a reception shaft utilizing the dynamic energy from a percussion hammer attached to the end of the pipe. A continuous casing support is provided and over-excavation or water is not required. This is a two-stage process.

Pipe Jacking

A system of directly installing pipes behind a shield machine by hydraulic jacking from a drive shaft such that the pipes form a continuous string in the ground. Usually personnel are required inside the pipe to preform the excavation or soil removal process. The excavation can be performed manually or mechanically.

Concrete Box Jacking

Box jacking is similar to pipe jacking, but instead of jacking tubes, a box shaped tunnel is used. Jacked boxes can be a much larger span than a pipe jack with the span of some box jacks in excess of 20m. A cutting head is normally used at the front of the box being jacked and excavation is normally by excavator from within the box

Rock Drilling

Drilling completed through rock with any of the methods listed.

Sliplining

The process of placing a new smaller carrier pipe into an existing larger host pipe.

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