Crossing Solutions · Ports & Harbours
We drill water mains, HV ducts and comms across working ports without disrupting operations, from quaysides to container yards. Crossings installed below the surface from compact pits clear of the live areas.
Port crossings
A working port is some of the most congested operational ground there is, quaysides, container yards and dock roads that cannot simply be dug up. Drilling installs the service below the surface from compact pits clear of the live areas, so the port keeps running while the new main or duct route is steered across underneath.
We have drilled water mains, HV ducts and comms routes across the Port of Tyne, including on the quayside, through Hartlepool Port and PD Ports. Port ground brings made ground, fill and a high water table close to the water, which we plan for in the design and the tooling, including our rock capability where the ground turns hard. Tell us what the ground investigation shows and we will advise honestly on the method.
A job we drew up
On the quayside at the Port of Tyne we drilled a 94m, 180mm SDR11 barrier-pipe water main, launched from a small pit and pulled in as a single jointless coil, threading between the live port services without an open trench across the working quay. The crossing was set out and drawn in-house before the rig went in.
A job we drew up
At Hartlepool Port we drilled a 200m duct route across the port in two 100m bores, threading the line beneath a private port rail track at a minimum of 3m cover so the railhead stayed in use. Each bore was set out and drawn in-house, with the rail crossing and pit positions designed before the rig moved in.
Selected projects
A selection of real crossings in working ports. We've installed water, electric and drainage across several UK ports, planned around live quay and yard operations.
~420m · 180mm SDR11 · 4 bores · under live port rail
Around 420m of 180mm SDR11 barrier-pipe water main installed across the Tyne Grain terminal in four directional-drilled bores, with the route taken beneath a live port railway (the track lifted over two of the bores). Drilled in two visits, working directly for the port, without open-cutting the operational terminal.
94m · 180mm SDR11 barrier pipe · quayside
A 94m, 180mm SDR11 barrier-pipe water main drilled along the quayside beside the River Tyne and pulled in as a single jointless coil. The job worked around live port operations, stopping and disconnecting the rig each time a container ship came into port.
~400m · 180mm SDR11 · 11kV duct route
Around 400m of 11kV power ducting, 180mm SDR11, installed across the port over several directional-drilled bores, putting a new high-voltage cable route below the operational surface without trenching the yard.
86m · 180mm · water main
An 86m run of 180mm water main directional-drilled as part of a water-main replacement across the port, pulled in as a continuous jointless coil with no open trench across the operational ground.
20m + 45m · 125mm SDR11 · water · two bores
A 125mm SDR11 water pipe installed by the weighbridge on the North Shields side of the port, drilled in two separate bores: a 20m road crossing and a 45m run down the embankment, split to keep the pipe at a workable depth.
200m · 180mm SDR11 duct · two drills · under live port rail
A 200m duct route drilled across Hartlepool Port in two 100m bores of 180mm SDR11 HDPE, threaded beneath a private port rail line at a minimum of 3m cover. Drilled with a JT60 rig, working for Galvin.
320m · 2-way BT duct · HMRC cable route
A 320m two-way BT duct route steered through PD Ports in Middlesbrough, carrying a cable scheme for HMRC on land leased from the port. We worked for Eltel-UK, with BT the asset owner. One of many schemes we have carried out at PD Ports.
7 bores · 125mm SDR11 duct · ~300m · across the port
Seven directional-drilled duct crossings, around 300m in total of 125mm SDR11 duct, installed across four work areas at Teesport as part of an electrical-infrastructure scheme. Drilled trenchlessly through the live, operational port for principal contractor Esh, with PD Ports the asset owner.
Questions answered
Yes. A port is congested operational ground, container yards, quaysides and dock roads in constant use, where an open trench gets in the way. Drilling installs the service below the surface from a pit clear of the working area, so the port keeps running. We have drilled water mains, HV ducts and comms ducts across the Port of Tyne, Hartlepool Port and PD Ports.
Yes. We have installed 180mm water mains on the quayside at the Port of Tyne. Working tight to the water brings made ground, fill and a high water table, which we plan for in the design and the tooling rather than meeting it as a surprise on site.
Often, yes. Port ground is frequently made ground, fill and obstructions over natural strata. Where the ground is mixed or hard we steer with the rig and tooling matched to it, including our rock capability, and where there are large obstructions or very poor ground we can combine methods. Tell us what the ground investigation shows and we will advise honestly.
That is the main reason to drill rather than dig. The bore is launched and received from compact pits clear of the live areas, so quay operations, yard movements and dock roads carry on. We plan the pit positions and the programme around the port's operations from the outset.
Related services
The steered method behind port service crossings, installing mains and ducts below the working surface.
View service →Driving a steel casing through made ground and fill where a straight, robust crossing is the better tool.
View service →In-house bore design, settlement and loading calculations for crossings through congested port ground.
View service →Send us the drawings, the ground investigation and the operational constraints. We'll plan the crossing around the port's operations and give you a budget price.