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Directional boring, also referred to as horizontal directional drilling (HDD), is a minimal impact trenchless method of installing underground utilities; such as pipe, conduit, or cables in a relatively shallow arc or radius along a prescribed underground path using a surface-launched drilling rig. Directional Boring/HDD offers significant environmental advantages over traditional cut and cover pipeline/utility installations. The technique is routinely used when conventional trenching or excavating is not practical or when minimal surface disturbance is required.

Although often used interchangeably, the terms directional boring and horizontal directional drilling are distinct in that they convey a different sense of scale. The term "Directional Boring" or "Bore" is generally reserved for mini/small sized drilling rigs, small diameter bores, and crossing lengths in terms of hundreds of feet. Whereas the term Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) is intended to describe large/maxi sized drilling rigs, large diameter bores, and crossing lengths in terms of thousands of feet. Directional boring and HDD are similar in some respects to directional drilling associated with the oil industry, however, an equal comparison cannot be drawn as the procedures serve markedly different functions. Directional Boring/HDD can be utilized with various pipe materials such as PVC, polyethylene, polypropylene, ductile iron, and steel provided that the pipe's properties (wall thickness and material strength) enable it to be both installed and operated (if applicable) under acceptable stress limits.

Deploying fiber above ground on poles or towers removes the need for underground digging and is particularly useful when the ground is uneven, rocky or both. Aerial installation is generally much less costly than underground construction.

In fact, there are a number of reasons for choosing an aerial solution, such as:

·  Aerial fibers are typically much faster and cheaper to deploy than buried networks.

·  The planned route may be undulating, rocky or both, making digging less appealing and more costly

·  All-Dielectric Self Supporting (ADSS) cables can be erected in close proximity to power transmission lines. This of course, allows for pole sharing, which reduces installation costs and speeds-up deployment.

There are two ways to lash cable to a messenger, the moving reel method and the stationary reel method. In the moving reel method, the reel is moved slowly under the route while the lasher is pulled along to lash the cable all the way to the messenger. This method generally only works when the reel vehicle can drive along the entire route.

The stationary reel method leaves the reel in place and the cable is pulled along the route and temporarily attached to the messenger with cable blocks. After the cable is placed, the lasher is pulled along the route to lash the cable. The lasher can push the blocks to the next pole for removal or be removed as the lasher moved along the route.