'>Geotechnical Drilling Semmes What's Considered When Selecting a Drill Bit for Geotechnical Drilling?
Semmes, Alabama geotechnical drilling projects vary dramatically when it comes to the goals and objective for the drilling project. When a drilling crew arrives on-site, you may notice that they have lots of equipment, including lots of different drill bits. So how do the technicians select the proper bit for your project?
When it comes to geotechnical drilling, Semmes technicians may consider several different key factors when evaluating which drill bit (and drilling rig, for that matter) is most suitable for the job. Let’s examine what factors are considered as your technician prepares to start drilling.
How Does a Technician Choose the Right Bit for Geotechnical Drilling?
Semmes, Alabama geotechnical drilling technicians may choose from a variety of different rigs and drill bits. Drilling bits can be made from a variety of different metals and metal alloys. The bits may be impregnated with diamond bits to increase the overall strength, while others may have a special, treated tip made of carbide or diamond.
Drill bit tips tend to take a majority of the abuse during a drilling operation. When drilling through rock and dense ground conditions, the friction causes the drill bit to deteriorate over time. Lubricants and cooling fluids are used to prevent high heat which can cause bending, melting and warping.
Each drill bit has a different shape, diameter and usage. So your drilling technician will need to choose the right bit depending upon factors such as:
- Variability of the ground. Some areas have several soft layers of soil above very dense layers, while others are more uniform throughout.
- Density and hardness of the ground. Using the Moh’s Hardness Scale which gives a value of 1 to 10 to various rocks and minerals, the drilling technician can evaluate the location and choose the proper drill bit for the hardest, densest material you’re apt to encounter.
- Drilling rig style and RPMs. Different drilling rigs require different drill bits. The bits used for a percussive drilling rig (which works like a jackhammer) is very different from the bits used from a rotary drilling rig, which has a bit that rotates. The type and size of drilling rig varies, as does the maximum RPM. The faster the RPM, the more potential for friction and the greater the stress on the drill bit.
- Drilling objective. There are different drill bits for different projects. For example, if you’re extracting core samples, you would use a hollow cylindrical drill bit with a hard leading edge, while a different type of drill bit would be used for a different type of drilling operation.
The technician’s overall knowledge of the site’s geology is also a key factor because if you are uncertain of what lies beneath the earth’s surface and there’s a chance he may encounter dense stone or soil that’s going to be hard to penetrate, they may choose a more heavy duty drill bit.
*Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of Amdrill Inc*
