Shore Approach

Shore Approach Overview

Shore Approaches and Cable Landing projects take place in environmentally sensitive ecosystems and often involve challenging terrains – complicated by the presence of water. The HDD Company specializes in facilitating the fronthaul and backhaul construction involving desalination projects and the installation of subsea fiber optic cables.

Coastal communities with limited access to fresh water are now using desalinated seawater for drinking water. This requires intake systems to deliver the seawater to desalination plants and return the concentrated saltwater to the sea.

As the demand for bandwidth keeps growing, Over the Top (OTT) service providers such as Google and Meta and international cable infrastructure consortiums are upgrading infrastructure. These companies are working to physically connect clients across all continents with faster, more reliable, higher capacity data. Hardwire fiber optic on the seafloor infrastructure remains the most dependable solution.

Our Role

The HDD Company, a Crossing Group company based in California, works with municipal governments and Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) firms to provide efficient shore approach solutions. These solutions minimize the impact on the aquatic environment and provide security to the cable infrastructure. We believe any installation is possible with the proper planning, the right technique, and an experienced crew that understands the unique demands of fronthaul and backhaul construction.

  • Fiber optic cable landings
  • Sewer and utility services
  • Desalination projects
  • Wind and offshore renewable energy projects
  • Oil and gas landings
The Crossing Group - The HDD Company - Horizontal Directional Drilling - Marine - Offshore Application - Sacramento California

The Right Solutions

The HDD Company provides sustainable trenchless construction alternatives to conventional installation techniques. Our experience allows us to anticipate problems – and reduce risk – to mitigating logistical issues from the start. This ensures construction proceeds on schedule and budget while adhering to the most rigorous safety standards.

The Crossing Group - The HDD Company - Horizontal Directional Drilling - Marine - Offshore Approach

Making Coast to Coast Connections for Our Homes

The installation of fibre cable along the seafloor is allowing for increased bandwidth and better global internet connectivity. As more and more communities make the upgrade to fibre, there is a need to connect local landlines to international fibre cables through subsea shore approaches. The HDD Company helps make the connection by drilling a bore hole that bypasses the shoreline and surfaces out at sea. A connection is then made along the sea floor connecting the community to the high speed global network.

CASE STUDIES

TUNNEL BORING / PIPE JACKING

Tunnel Boring and Pipe Jacking Systems are used to hydraulically install underground pipelines up to 4.2 m (168 in) in OD range within strict alignment and grade tolerances. The likelihood of settling or sloughing is very low. Wheel machines are equipped with various cutter heads and sand shelves. A closed-face attachment is available for boring in unstable ground conditions. This versatile system can be easily adapted to work with any jacking pipe, in any pipe joint length. It can accommodate a wide range of pipe diameters.

Tunnel Boring Machines are used to excavate tunnels with a circular cross section through a variety of soil and rock strata. They can bore through hard rock, sand, and almost anything in between. Tunnel diameters can range from 1 m and exceed 15 m (3 ft to 49 ft).

The Crossing Group - The Tunneling Company - Tunnel Boring - Pipe Jacking - Trenchless Construction - Tunneling - Augering, Boring & Pipe Ramming

SLIP BORING

A boring technique commonly used for installing oil & gas pipelines ranging from 51 mm to 1067 mm (2 in to 42 in) in diameter without leaving casing in the ground. Product pipe is welded to steel casings and either pushed or pulled through the ground in sections. The casing is cut off and removed, leaving just the product pipe. Maximum installation length is 150 m (492 ft).

The Crossing Group - The Tunneling Company - Slip Boring - Trenchless Construction - Tunneling - Augering, Boring & Pipe Ramming

DOWN THE HOLE HAMMER

A pneumatic hammer is attached to the inside edge of the casing. The front of the DTH breaks cobles, boulders and even solid rock into small pebbles or dust. The spoil makes its way through the hammer and into the casing, where it is removed by airway augers.

The Crossing Group - The Tunneling Company - Down The Hole Hammer - DTH - Trenchless Construction - Tunneling - Augering, Boring & Pipe Ramming

GUIDED BORING

A Guided Boring Machine (GBM) is used to install 305 mm to 3.6 m diameter pipe (12 in to 144 in) with grade and alignment precision. It is commonly used for installations 50 m to 150 m in length (164 ft to 492 ft) or when line and grade accuracy is critical in displaceable soil. Our GBM is extremely versatile and our customers continually approach us with new applications.

The pipe installation involves a two-step process where launch and reception shafts are strategically located to minimize surface disruption. A pilot tube with a theodolite guidance system is then pushed through the ground at the precise grade and alignment specified in the design into the reception shaft. A reaming head is welded to the pilot tube and the casing and the pilot tube is used as a guide to install casing. The GBM can be used in conjunction with auger boring or pipe ramming methodologies.

The Crossing Group - The Tunneling Company - Guided Boring - Trenchless Construction - Tunneling - Augering, Boring & Pipe Ramming

PNEUMATIC PIPE RAMMING

Pipe Ramming is used in a wide variety of soil types including gravel, cobble or sand. A pneumatic hammer is attached to the back of the casing pipe and driven through the material at any angle: from horizontal to vertical. The material is cleaned out of the pipe using an auger boring machine. Pipe Ramming methods are used for pipe diameters of 305 mm to 3.6 m (12 in to 144 in).

The Crossing Group - The Tunneling Company - Pneumatic Pipe Ramming - Tunneling - Augering, Boring & Pipe Ramming