HDD Monitoring

During horizontal boring activities, underground hazards are often an imminent danger. In 2008, First Alert acquired a very unique machine to reduce this hazard.

The machine was developed to generate an audible alarm if a horizontal bore head sonde comes within a pre-defined distance of an underground facility. It has three types of operating modes: Parallel Protection, Crossing Protection and Locate Mode.

The Parallel Protection Mode is used when the equipment is positioned to one side and parallel to an underground utility. An audible alarm sounds from the machine when the bore has, or is about to, enter the zone between the sonde, located on the tip of the bore tool, and the parallel underground facility.

The Crossing Protection Mode is used when crossing underground facilities. An audible alarm is triggered when the bore depth comes with in a preset protection zone (set by the operator).

The Locate Mode is used to locate the sonde on the bore tool and measure its depth.

The machine has obvious advantages:

• It diligently monitors the path of the drill head during drilling and pullback to verify the path of the bore.
• It is compatible with most major manufacturer's directional drilling tracking systems
• It warns of close proximity (parallel or crossing) between a buried utility and a horizontal bore
• It has built in data logging
• The optional remote alarm unit is designed to be mounted on the boring machine to alert the operator

Through experience and functionality testing of this machine, First Alert has been able to improve the data logging functionality and designed a profile of the bore. This added benefit is to be released in August 2009.

Please contact us to see this equipment or for more information on what we can provide.