This is a German built multi-purpose hydraulic drilling rig, specifically designed for environmental drilling purposes.  Its unique advantage over a standard ‘rotary’ rig is that it has a hydraulically controlled cable percussion mechanism and mast mounted rotary casing unit which allows the simultaneous drilling (by solid stem auger or by steel bailer) and casing of a borehole during advancement.  This allows discrete soil sampling, prevention of borehole collapse and prevention of cross-contamination between different water or contamination bearing strata. 

In addition to this ‘shell and auger-type drilling’ the rig can be converted to operate in rotary mode once bedrock is reached and casing and/or augering can advance no further.  Bedrock penetration by rotary techniques (using either recirculated water or compressed air as a flushing technique) to depths of up to 100 to 150m is then possible, safe in the knowledge that any shallow contamination is being retained outside the upper casing, protecting any aquifer materials encountered.

As well as rotary drilling through rock, this rig can also use hollow stem augers for rapid installation of boreholes in granular/non-cohesive strata or, if conditions dictate, a rotary percussive system (use of DTH hammer to advance casing through dense granular overburden).

This rig is 3.5 tonnes in weight, has the foot print of a standard car and has a mast height of 5.2m.  It is transported within an 18 tonne rigid box van along with all the necessary tools and materials to complete the work.

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