Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) installs pipe and conduit underground along a steered path, without digging a trench. It’s the go-to method for crossing roads, waterways, and developed property where open-cut isn’t practical. GriffinCo runs HDD crews from our base in Mobile and Baldwin Counties to projects across coastal Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida.
How HDD Works
- Pilot bore. A steerable drill head bores along a planned path, tracked from the surface so the crew knows its depth and position at every point.
- Reaming. The bore is enlarged in one or more passes to fit the product pipe.
- Pullback. The pipe is attached behind the reamer and pulled back through the finished bore.
Drilling fluid supports the bore wall, cools the tooling, and carries cuttings out, and is captured and managed on site.
When HDD Is the Right Call
- Crossing highways, rail lines, creeks, rivers, and wetlands
- Long runs where trenching would close streets or disturb property
- Environmentally sensitive areas that can’t be disturbed
- Tight urban and residential corridors
What We Install with HDD
- Water mains and sewer force mains (HDPE and fusible PVC)
- Natural gas and pipeline
- Electrical and power conduit
- Fiber optic and telecom conduit
Industries We Serve with HDD
Municipal Water & Sewer · Energy & Pipeline Infrastructure · Transportation & Highway Crossings · Fiber Optic & Telecom
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- Rig models and pullback capacity
- Longest bore and largest diameter completed
- Products you install by HDD (water, sewer, gas, power, fiber)
- 2–3 HDD project examples with photos