300mm — 1500mm
Pipe Diameter
WHAT WE OFFER
Cost-effective unguided horizontal boring, from service ducts under driveways to cross-country pipeline schemes.
Auger boring (sometimes called thrust boring) is an unguided horizontal earth-boring technique. A sleeve or product pipe is installed on a set line and grade from launch pit to reception pit the quick, economical choice for crossings where precise line and level isn’t the driver.
TWO METHOD FAMILIES
From earth to soft rock to hard rock, the rig chooses the method that keeps the drive moving.
B&W run two related auger-boring fleets: the standard rigs for everyday earth and soft-rock drives, and dedicated rock-boring units for hard rock up to 250 MPa.
01
EARTH / SOFT ROCK
Standard Auger Boring
Thrust-driven auger cuts through earth, clay or soft rock inside a casing between launch and reception pits. Spoil returns on the auger screw; the product pipe follows behind. Ground condition decides the head — Muck for soils, Carbide for weaker rock.
Typical use
Earth, clay, soft rock
Pipe diameter
300mm — 1500mm
Heads
Muck or Carbide
02
HARD ROCK
Rock Boring (SBU / MSBU)
For hard rock up to 250 MPa we deploy Small Boring Units (SBUs) for non-steerable drives or Motorised Steerable Units (MSBUs) where directional control matters. Same thrust-behind-pipe principle, engineered for the rock face.
Typical use
Hard rock (to 250 MPa)
SBU sizes
600 / 900 / 1050 / 1200mm
MSBU sizes
1200mm, 1500mm — steerable
BY THE NUMBERS
Auger boring specs
300mm
MIN. PIPE
Smallest standard auger drive
1500mm
MAX. PIPE
MSBU-driven steerable rock
250MPa
ROCK CAPABILITY
SBU hard-rock limit
2
METHOD FAMILIES
Standard + Rock Boring
APPLICATIONS
Where auger boring fits.
Auger boring has a clear place in trenchless delivery. It excels in five key applications where a fast, economical, unguided thrust-bore is all that’s required, without the need for laser-accurate line and level.
All Services01
Road & Highway Crossings
Unguided drives under live carriageways, no surface opening
02
Rail Crossings
Service ducts and mains beneath running lines
03
Cross-Country Pipelines
Fast, cost-effective long-distance installations
04
Water, Gas Mains & Ducts
Trenchless where precise grade isn’t the requirement
05
Hard-Rock Crossings
Via SBU or steerable MSBU — rock to 250 MPa
PLANT & EQUIPMENT
Owned rigs, heads and rock units — ready to mobilise.
01
OWNED AUGER RIGS
Barbco rigs and power packs for 300–1500mm drives, launched from battered pits or segmental shafts.
02
MUCK HEADS
For clays, silt, sand and gravel — the default head for everyday earth drives.
03
CARBIDE HEADS
Weak to medium-strength rock — fitted without dropping the auger out of the casing.
04
SMALL BORING UNITS (SBUS)
Non-steerable rock units for 600 / 900 / 1050 / 1200mm drives in hard rock to 250 MPa.
05
MOTORISED STEERABLE UNITS
Robbins MSBUs at 1200 and 1500mm — remote or manual steering for directional rock drives.
06
THRUST & TRACK KIT
Power packs, cradles, track and guidance from our in-house fleet, tuned to each drive.
“From a 300mm fibre duct under a road to a 1500mm steerable rock drive — one family of rigs, one experienced crew.”
YOUR NEXT DRIVE
Tell us about the ground.
Send us your ground investigation and pipe requirements and we will get back to you with the right rig, the right head, and a programme for the scheme.
Or call direct
300mm
1500mm
PIPE DIAMETER RANGE