New LoDril® Rigs Go Where Others Can't

Hammer & Steel's Drilling Equipment Division has all the bases covered. In addition to its line of powerful, high-torque Delmag rigs (with masts starting at 45'-50' tall), the company now offers the LoDril® line by Bay Shore Systems, which can be as small as 10'5". LoDrils are ideal for places where a big rig just can't fit: under bridges, overpasses, transmission or electrical lines.

In addition, LoDrils are ideal where reach is important. LoDrils can reach 15'-20' in front of the tracks of an excavator and the telescoping kelly bar system can drill as deep as 100'.

Highly mobile, LoDrils fit most any excavator. They come in a variety of sizes and drilling depths- from a hardworking 10,000 ft./lbs. of torque to an unstoppable 100,000 ft./lbs. There is a LoDril model for just about every drilling requirement.

Peterson Contractors, Inc. Use LoDrils for Geopier™ Systems

Peterson Contractors, Inc. has employed LoDrils regularly for more than seven years for the installation of Geopier™ systems. A Geopier is an intermediate foundation that fills the void between shallow and deep foundations, and can take the place of traditional soil replacement methods, as well. Located in Reinbeck, Iowa, PCI is the largest Geopier installer in the country.

"We are a CAT company. We have 10 LoDrils, fitted with standard 30" auger bits, all mounted on Caterpillar excavators," said Bill Pecenka, PCI general superintendent. "They are extremely efficient, light, mobile, and easy to use," he noted. "We like them because they give us low headroom, but provide good torque. They are also telescopic, so they can dig deep or shallow holes."

Pecenka said that his company was happy to learn that Hammer & Steel is now the Midwest distributor for LoDrils. "We've dealt with Hammer & Steel for a number of years and know that if any of our equipment ever needs service, they will come right out and take care of it. They have a very good service department."

Drilling Service Co. Rents Different Size LoDrils

Drilling Service Company, which specializes in the construction of drilled-shaft foundations, earth-retention systems, dewatering systems, micropiles, pile driving and limited access drilling, rents different size LoDrils from Hammer & Steel, as needed. "The beauty of renting," explained Jim Schmitt, project manager "is that it gives us a greater range of equipment."

Located in Bridgeton, Missouri, Drilling Service Co. works on bridges, commercial building foundations, power lines and towers, heavy civil projects such as light rail and tunneling. The company first used a LoDril when they had an access problem working under an I-70 overpass.

"Hammer & Steel suggested a LoDril because it was the most suitable piece of equipment for the job," Schmitt explained. "Our drill wouldn't even fit there."

Schmitt found that the LoDril gave them the maneuverability and clearance they needed. "It could reach out and had the torque to core the rock," he said. Since then, Drilling Service has been using LoDrills steadily, particularly for its St. Louis MetroLink projects.

MICHELS Drilled Foundations Finds the LoDril Simplifies Power Projects

The drilled foundations division of MICHELS Corporation, based in Brownsville, Wisconsin, first used a LoDril for a private roller coaster project; however, the company quickly recognized the advantages of using LoDrils for its core business, providing drilled caisson/shaft foundations for power transmission poles.

"About a month ago, we were awarded a project to drill seven-hundred 30" diameter caisson foundations in sandstone to support the load points of a roller coaster at the Timber Falls Park in the Wisconsin Dells," recalled MICHELS Drilled Foundations general manager, John Ambroso. "We rented a LoDril from Hammer & Steel because the site conditions were such that no other drill could access the site efficiently." That was the first time they ever used a LoDril and it worked very well. "The LoDril had the versatility required to reach various elevations, all from one sitting position, and it allowed us to sneak in under an overhead restriction," said Ambroso.

MICHELS quickly rented another LoDril for use on a power transmission project. "The LoDril has a low mast height, which is a huge plus working around substations and power transmission lines," Ambroso noted. "In the past, an outage would be necessary before we could begin drilling. It was also possible that in order to gain clearances necessary for conventional drill rigs, conductors would need to be moved, and then put back into position after the work was completed," he explained. "Granted there are still many times the conventional method is the only way, but the LoDril shines when the conventional way is not required."

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