Est. 2005 · UK-wide trenchless installations07920 553 578·chris@swdd.co.uk
Design, Survey & Support
Before you fix a route or a budget, an honest appraisal of whether your crossing can be drilled, by which method, at what cost, and where the risk sits.
The cheapest mistake to fix is the one caught on paper. A feasibility study looks at your crossing before the route is fixed and answers the questions that decide the whole job. Can it be drilled, how, for roughly how much, and what could go wrong.
You do not need a full picture to start. Often a line on a map is enough. A feasibility study is how we build the rest, to whatever depth the project warrants. The levels, the likely ground and the existing services either come from records and a desk study or, on a deeper study, from going out to survey and investigate. From there we weigh up the options, different lines, entry and exit points and methods, and the deeper you go the more certain the answer.
Either way you get a straight answer. Sometimes that is a clean yes. Sometimes it is "yes, but move the entry point" or "yes, but it suits pipe ramming better than drilling". Occasionally it is "not on this line", and it is far better to hear that at tender stage than halfway across a live carriageway.
There is a basic feasibility check built into every job we price. Send us an enquiry and we will look at what you have given us and reply with a practical view, the method we would use and a budget figure, free of charge, with the detail scaling to the information provided. A formal report or a more in-depth study, with site surveys, ground investigation and worked-up design, is chargeable and we agree the scope with you first.
What you get
| Can it be drilled? | An honest yes / no / not-like-this on your proposed route |
|---|---|
| Depth of study | Four levels, from a quick initial view (Level 1) to a fully investigated design (Level 4) |
| Route options | Alternative lines, entry/exit points and lengths compared |
| Ground risk | What the geology and existing services mean for the bore |
| Method | Which trenchless method actually fits, not just the one asked for |
| Budget price | An indicative cost so you can plan before committing |
| When | At tender / design stage, before the route is fixed |
For most enquiries an initial appraisal is free. A fuller study with site walkover is agreed up front.
How far you take it
Not every crossing needs the same depth of study. A quick judgement call might be all a small job warrants, while a major river or motorway crossing is worth investigating properly before a penny is committed. We scale the work to the size of the job, the risk and your budget, and the further up the levels you go the more certain the answer.
The quick judgement call, and what is built into every quote. With little more than a line on a map we tell you, from experience and from assumed geology, levels and constraints, whether the crossing looks drillable, the likely method and a budget figure. No research into the specifics yet, just a straight steer so you know whether it is worth taking further.
We replace the assumptions with what the records actually show. We work from your drawings and levels, the published BGS geology and historical maps, the statutory utility records and the real constraints along the line, watercourses, environmental designations, trees and the asset owner's rules.
Adds a site walkover and the surveys that turn records into measured fact. A topographic survey gives accurate levels, a utility survey finds what is buried, and a drone survey covers ground that cannot be safely walked. The bore line, the entry and exit points and the pit positions are firmed up.
For the bigger or higher-risk crossings. A ground investigation proves the geology, a worked-up bore profile and settlement design is produced to the asset owner's standard (CD 622 for highways, NR/L2/CIV/044 for rail), and the consents and permits the crossing needs are mapped out before you commit.
Why it pays
On our Hopton outfall the feasibility came down to one decision. A curved bore made the crossing drillable where a straight line did not, and drilling instead of tunnelling saved the client around a million pounds. That choice was made on the drawing, long before a rig arrived. Getting the method and the line right at the start is where the real money is won or lost.
A short appraisal up front also de-risks your own tender. You go to the asset owner knowing the crossing is buildable, by a known method, at a price you can stand behind.
Questions answered
It is an early-stage check, before you commit to a route, on whether a crossing can be installed trenchlessly, by what method, at what rough cost and with what risks. We look at the line, the levels, the ground and the existing services, then tell you straight whether it works as drawn, whether a different line or method is better, and what it is likely to cost.
Yes. We would rather lose a job than sell you the wrong method and watch it go wrong on site. If your crossing is better suited to pipe ramming, auger boring or even open-cut, we will say so. Most of the time directional drilling does come out cheapest once the job is talked through, but not always, and an honest answer up front protects everyone.
Every job we price comes with a basic feasibility assessment for free. We generally include that practical view, the likely method and a budget figure straight in our reply to your enquiry, with the detail scaling to the information you have given us. A more in-depth study or a formal written report, with site surveys, ground investigation and worked-up design, is chargeable, and we agree the scope and cost with you before starting.
A plan showing the line you want, the levels or a ground profile if you have them, the pipe or duct size and what it carries, and the asset owner (road, rail, river). Even a rough sketch is enough for a first view. The more we have, the tighter the answer.
Related services
Once a route is viable, the detailed bore profile, layout and approval drawings.
View service →Boreholes and trial pits to confirm what a feasibility study can only estimate.
View service →The honest pricing framework behind the budget figures.
View service →Send us the line and the levels and we'll give you a straight answer, a method and a budget price, free of charge for most enquiries.