DRILL & BLAST
SONIC DRILLING I
EXPERT’S GUIDE TO
John Rodgman uses his industry expertise to discuss the relatively new trend for sonic drilling
n the drilling industry there are many techniques and equipment that have been used over the years to conduct drilling operations, but one of the more
exciting and innovative pieces of equipment has been the sonic drilling rig.
WHAT IS SONIC DRILLING? Sonic drilling is a more efficient method of drilling by using high-frequency resonance to create a smoother path of travel for the drill by reducing or even eliminating any frictional resistance from subsurface materials being encountered. Te high frequency resonance results in a vibrating head that is being both pushed up and down by the mechanism, rotated via the drill string and vibrating because of the high frequency resonance; creating a powerful force to displace subsurface materials and to reach the operator’s objective. Because of this incredible design, the
core samples that are produced as a result of sonic drilling are far superior to samples provided by other drilling methods. An undisturbed, quality, sample is possible due to an innovative advanced casing system that can capture the sample and maintain its integrity with as little as 1% deviation as opposed to other comparative methods such as a standard rotary drilling rig. When the sonic head is active and drilling through the subsurface materials, it liquidises any
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loose soil and can reduce any rock or harder material to a fine dust, meaning there is up to 80% less waste compared with a standard rotary drill as the waste can be confined to the original hole and later returned to its original state.
HOW DOES SONIC DRILLING WORK? A sonic drilling rig is unique in contrast to a standard rotary drill due to the sonic head at the helm of the rig. Within this sonic head are two rotating counterweights that produce a large amount of vibratory force, which becomes the resonance energy needed for the sonic drill to penetrate subsurface materials. Te energy from the two counterweights is projected vertically down the drill string which causes it to rotate within the head. Tis resonance energy is evenly distributed to the sonic head, creating the sonic drilling effect that allows more efficient and effective drilling. To maintain the integrity of the sample, a casing is advanced over the core barrel, closing off the sample and protecting it as the core barrel can then be retracted and the sample received with little mess and excellent quality.
USES OF SONIC DRILLING TECHNOLOGIES Tere are many applications for sonic drilling technologies, one of the primary
Sonic drills are used for site investigations
use cases being for geotechnical site investigations. Due to the low waste and high-quality yield of a sonic drilling rig, it is the ideal solution for any environmentally sensitive product to reduce any impact on the environment due to a geotechnical investigation. On an ecologically sensitive site, the efficiency of a sonic drill cannot be flawed due to its on average 400% quicker yield time compared with a sonic drill, allowing for a short
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