Horizontal directional drilling methods have been used for monitoring and remediation well installations since the late 1980s. The technology has been utilized to construct hundreds of wells under obstructions and to enhance remediation processes by placing the entire screen length in the contaminant plume. But did you know that soil samples can be collected using horizontal directional drilling methods?
In the past, when a consultant needed to obtain a soil sample under an obstruction he had two options: angled drilling from outside the footprint of the impediment or vertical drilling in/through the obstruction. However, both of those choices have significant challenges. If the sample point is shallow, say 6 feet deep, located 40 feet from the edge of an occupied apartment building, angle drilling with an auger rig won’t get you to the sample point. The other option, drilling through the obstruction (living room floor of the apartment), is also a non-starter. So you’re thinking, who would want a sample under an occupied residence? Keep reading …