Recommendation – Education – Networking
Task Groups
Important topics concerning the HDD industry are dealt with in the association in task groups set up especially for this purpose. The members of the task groups are primarily from the European DCA member companies. Depending on the task, external people are also invited to the meetings.
Past topics have included:
- HDD and subsoil
- Bending radii in HDD
- Shaping Recommendation of Technical and Legal Contract Conditions
- Modal bill of quantities for HDD measures (< 40 t and > 40 t)
- VOB – DIN 18324
- Safety on construction sites
- Tolerances for the execution of horizontal drilling works
- Disposal of cuttings and drilling mud from horizontal directional drillings
- Pipe casing and coating in HDD
The results of the above-mentioned work have primarily been incorporated into the“DCA Technical Guidelines – Information and Recommendations for Planning, Construction and Documentation of HDD Projects”.
Since 2019, the DCA has also published the results of the task groups in German and English under the series “DCA Technical Information”. For members, the receipt of the Technical Information is included in the membership fee.
The task groups established by resolution of the members’ meeting rely primarily on the cooperation and expertise of DCA member companies.
Are you interested in joining a task group?
Current task groups
! Status: completed Note: The following descriptions in the task group refer to the national German legal area. The task group has not yet worked on international transferability, but this is planned.
Summary of results:
In its decree of 14 July 2015 (supplemented on 29th August 2016),the Lower Saxony Ministry for the Environment, Energy and Climate Protection (NMU) expressly clarified with regard to the topic of “disposal of drill cuttings and drilling fluid from horizontal boreholes” that drill cuttings and drilling mud are wastes subject to the „Kreislaufwirtschaftsgesetz“.
Other federal states, for instance, Baden-Württemberg, have meanwhile followed this initiative. Drill cuttings and drilling mud are hence to be recovered and disposed properly and safely as mineral waste. According to the current legal opinion, cuttings or drilling mud from horizontal directional drillings may only be disposed on agricultural land, as was common practice on many locations and projects in the past, if certain exceptional preconditions are fulfilled (the decree by Baden-Württemberg goes as far as to categorically ban it). It should be noted that the Lower-Saxon decree does not produce any new legislation, but repeats and clarifies legislation already in force.
The consequences of this decree for the HDD industry are:
- immediate uncertainty with respect the legally compliant recovery and disposal of cuttings and drilling mud;
- Great uncertainty with respect to the calculation of recovery costs, given that the definite point of disposal / recovery may usually be determined only after specific laboratory analyses
- Increased waste treatment costs due to long transport routes and limited number of disposal locations;
- Creation of “regional or company-specific local solutions” instead of global ones.
It was against this backdrop that the DCA founded Task Group 1: Recovery and disposal of drilling cuttings and fluids from HDD operations in the spring of 2016.The aim was to study the challenges for the industry with regard to the recovery and disposal of cuttings and drilling mud arising from the decree and to develop suitable recommendations for action or universal guidelines / minimum standards.
The task group included representatives from drilling companies, clients, machine manufacturers, recycling experts and planning offices, as it is in the interest of the entire HDD industry that the HDD process
- remains an economical process
- remains an environmentally friendly process
- complies with all legal requirements
- is practicable and calculable.
Furthermore, it must be ensured that fair competitive conditions are created and that all contractual responsibilities are regulated.
The following topics were mainly dealt with in the task group:
- Review and interpretation of the NMU decree
- Identification of the current waste management situation
- Familiarisation with current waste legislation
- Consideration of waste reduction and potential savings
- Development of possible disposal methods for drill cuttings and drilling mud.
Furthermore,talks were held with ministries (Lower Saxony Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Economics), associations, etc. to discuss solutions for disposal and the legal requirements to be observed.
In addition, the task group had at its disposal a study from November 2016 by Dr. R. KÖGLER from Uplengen on the handling of drilling mud and cuttings from horizontal drillings. The study was commissioned by Dekena Bohrtechnik GmbH from Stedesdorf, EWE Netz GmbH Oldenburg, Graalmann GmbH from Westoverledingen, Oldenburgisch-Ostfriesischer Wasserverband Brake and Schulte-Perk GmbH from Saterland-Strücklingen. The results and preliminary recommendations for action of the study were discussed in the task group and served as suggestions for further work on the topic.
Most of the descriptions listed refer to the national German legal area. The task group has not yet worked on international transferability, but this is planned.
In the situation report, the basic facts on waste legislation that need to be observed are presented. It includes comments on the responsibilities of the project partners, information on sampling and transportation, indications on possible and legally compliant recovery and disposal routes as well as recommendations on organisational and contractual waste treatment provisions both contractors and clients.
The final report was published in November 2019 as Technical Information No. 4
Aachen, March 2019
! Status: completed Note: The following descriptions in the task group refer to the national German legal area. The task group has not yet worked on international transferability, but this is planned.
Technical Info No. 6 – ready in the german
Titel: Coating quality in HDD
At the instigation of former DCA President Marc Schnau, x-plan schnau engineering, the DCA task group “Coating Quality” was established in 2019. The members of the task group consisted of representatives of HDD drilling companies, clients, pipe manufacturers, specialist companies from the coating sector and representatives of planning offices. This constellation was intended to ensure that as broad a spectrum of expertise and professional competence as possible was present in this very complex topic.
The first objective of the “Coating Quality” task group was to analyse the current situation with regard to the coating materials used, test methods and the relevant regulations. Furthermore, measures and recommendations for action were to be worked out which, on the one hand, ensure the quality of the coatings in the sense of the client and, on the other hand, help the horizontal drilling companies to identify and point out sources of error and risks before taking over the pipe string (often provided by the client or third parties).
The now completed DCA Technical Information No. 6 ” Coating Quality ” bundles the results of the task group and provides information on all parameters, processes and interactions that have an influence on pipe protection systems. In addition, the Technical Information provides guidance on the selection of the most suitable protection system for the specific drilling and ground conditions.
All information and recommendations in this Technical Information apply to standard HDD drilling, but can be similarly applied to related other trenchless applications such as pipe jacking, direct pipe, HDD installation of pipes in microtunnels and protective pipes, etc., provided their individual characteristics are taken into account.
The statements in the DCA’s Technical Information No. 6 ” Coating Quality ” now supplement the information in the DVGW worksheet GW 340 “FZM coating for the mechanical protection of steel pipes and fittings with polyolefin coating” and/or the specifications in DIN 30340-1 “Coatings for the mechanical protection of steel pipes and fittings with anti-corrosion coating – Quality assurance for factory coatings” and in DIN 30340-2 “Coatings for the mechanical protection of steel pipes and fittings with anti-corrosion coating – Repair and subsequent coating on the construction site”.
The DCA board would like to take this opportunity to express its sincere thanks to all members of the task group who played a major role in the preparation of Technical Information No. 6 ” Coating Quality “.
The English version of the Technical Information is still in preparation and will be available by the middle of the year.
Members of the task group:
- Stephan Birtner, Westnetz GmbH
- Francois Gandard, Optimum
- Hans-Jürgen Kocks, Mannesmann Line Pipe GmbH
- Dr. Thomas Löffler, DENSO GmbH
- Wolf Schrader, TDC International AG
- Jorn Stoelinga, LMR Drilling GmbH
- Stefan Wittke, TDC International AG
- Marco Warkotz-Gruber, BKP Berolina Polyester GmbH & Co. KG
- Klaus-Dieter Buhr, STEFFEL KKS GmbH
DCA_Technische Information_Nr. 6_Rohrumhüllungen und -ummantelung
DCA_Technische Information_Nr. 6_Rohrumhüllungen und -ummantelung_Matrix
In 2015, the Association published the 4th edition of the DCA Technical Guidelines entitled “Information and Recommendations for Planning, Construction and Documentation of HDD Projects”. In the course of the regular review of the contents by the Board, there is a need for adaptation in various areas. This will be implemented within the framework of Task Group 3 “Revision of the Technical Guidelines”.
Technical management
Dipl.-Ing. Ernst Fengler, LMR Drilling GmbH
Contact: fengler@lmr-drilling.de
Objectives:
Revision of the current edition of the Technical Guidelines and publication of the 5th edition. Incorporation of the updates into the English and French versions.
Status (February 2023)
In Task Group 3, the working document for the 5th edition of the Technical Guidelines was further reviewed and corrected. Most of the points raised by the members in the meantime have been incorporated into the guideline. The working version for the Board was finalised by the end of November 2022. Currently, the revision of the working document by the Board is underway. The aim is to present the draft to the members for inspection after the members meeting and to complete the editing.
Members of the task group:
- Phillip Dick, Moll prd
- Edgar Mrotzek, Bohlen & Doyen GmbH
- Marco Reinhard, Leonhard Weiss GmbH & Co. KG
- Marc Schnau, x-plan schnau engineering
- Scott Stone, Michels Corp.
- Jorn Stoelinga, LMR Drilling GmbH
- Roland Stutzki, Hamburger Stadtentwässerung
The DCA Board has decided to re-launch the currently dormant Working Group 4 “Digitization” in the second half of 2021 under the title “Data Acquisition & Logging”. During the pandemic period the progress with this task group was slower than anticipated and during this period, the DCA took a further review of what should be the goals of this task group. This task group will now be reformed and lead by Scott Stone under the new name “Data Acquisition and Logging” focusing on giving greater clarity on what drilling data should be acquired from equipment including guidelines on frequency and parameters of the logged information and how it can be analysed to further increase drilling productivity.
Technical management
Scott Stone, Michels Corp., USA, Board Member DCA
Kontakt: sstone@michels.us
Objectives:
Aim of the TG will be to come to an agreed set of data that provides the information relevant to the drilling process, to all parties involved, in a structured overview. The members of the previous working group will be contacted shortly to agree on how to proceed.
Members of the task group:
- Jörg Himmerich, Dr.-Ing. Veenker Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH
- Simon Herrenknecht, Herrenknecht AG
- Jordi Camps Querol, Catalana de Perforacions
- Scott Stone, Michels Corp.
- Norbert Landesberger, Sachverständigenbüro Landesberger
- Brian Jorgensen, Ditch Witch-EMEA
- Renzo Chirulli, Vermeer
- Ian Acheilas, Visser & Smit Hanab
- Simon Kench, Prime Horizontal
- Raymond Petiet, Vermeer
The members of the previous working group will be contacted shortly to agree on how to proceed.
Are you interested in joining the task group?
At the beginning of 2022, initial talks took place between the DCA and the German Society for Trenchless Technology e.V. (GSTT) on the establishment of a joint task group “Subsoil”. The aim of the working group is to develop a “guidebook for the use of trenchless construction methods in different foundation soils”. The very special and complex topic in the HDD area has already been discussed several times in the past by the DCA in its Technical Guidelines, in workshops or e.g. in the course of the Members’ Forum and is now to be discussed in greater depth once again in cooperation with the GSTT.
Technical management
Dipl. -Ing.(FH) Philipp Dick, MOLL-prd GmbH & Co. KG
Contact: pdick@moll-prd.com
The focus should be on the following points:
- Description and classification of the subsoil into soil and rock classes for trenchless methods or determination of classification criteria for homogeneous areas.
- Allocation of all trenchless construction methods (new installation and renewal) to the different soil and rock classes
- Orientation and linkage with national and international regulations / standards
- Subsoil investigation and subsoil expertise: What are the options?
- Creation of a generally valid simplified possibility of a subsoil opinion with reduced effort compared to a complete expert opinion (definition of boundary conditions, application limits, …)
- Creation of the guidebook also as an online / APP feature (selection option for client and planner)
It is planned to provide the “Guidebook” also as an online/APP feature (selection option for clients and planners). It is to be published initially in German and later in English.
Primarily subsoil experts, planners and clients, but also interested employees of HDD drilling companies were invited to participate in the working group. Five members of the DCA have come forward by the end of October 2022 to actively participate in the processing In addition, Günter Kruse, formerly LMR Drilling GmbH, has signaled his cooperation. On the part of GSTT, too, two member companies have already expressed interest. The working group leader is then elected from the members of the task group.
The following members will represent the interests of DCA in the working group:
- Dr. Christoph Donié, Dr. Donié Geo-Consult GmbH
- Günter Kruse, ehemals LMR Drilling GmbH
- Dan Lingenauber,TRACTO-TECHNIK GmbH & Co. KG
- Jonas Schmidt, Open Grid Europe GmbH
- Sebastian Schwarzer, Perforator
- Frederik Müller, Ingsoft
Are you interested in joining the task group? Contact us.