Sure, here's an explanation of each method and a table outlining their differences:
1. Auger Boring
Auger boring involves using a rotating helical screw blade (auger) to excavate soil and bring it to
the surface. It's commonly used for shallow depth exploration, such as soil sampling or installing
small diameter pipes.
2. Auger and Shell Boring
This method combines the use of an auger with a casing or shell to prevent the borehole from
collapsing. The auger removes the soil while the casing provides support to the hole, allowing for
deeper excavations compared to simple auger boring.
3. Wash Boring
Wash boring involves flushing the soil out of the borehole using water or drilling fluids. A drilling
tool, typically a hollow tube or pipe, is used to inject water or drilling fluid into the ground, which
carries the soil particles to the surface. This method is suitable for loose or sandy soils.
4. Percussion Drilling
Percussion drilling involves repeatedly striking the soil with a heavy drill bit to break it apart. The
broken soil is then removed from the borehole using a bailer or by flushing it out with water. This
method is effective for hard or rocky soils.
5. Rotary Drilling
Rotary drilling uses a rotating drill bit attached to the end of a drill pipe to cut through the soil. As
the drill bit rotates, it creates borehole while the soil cuttings are brought to the surface by
circulating drilling fluid. This method is versatile and can be used for various soil types and
depths.
Here's a table summarizing the differences between these methods:
Typical Use
Method Description Cases Examples
Auger Uses a large, helical Installing pipes Installing utility
Boring screw which is and cables below lines under a
driven into the the ground road without
ground without disrupting traffic.
horizontally. Debris trenching.
is removed via the
flights of the auger.
Auger and Combines an auger Deeper and Boring wells or
Shell with a hollow shell. larger diameter for
Boring The shell helps boreholes in environmental
retain the borehole cohesive soils. sampling in clay-
by cutting and rich soils.
lifting the soil,
which is then
removed by the
auger.
Wash Involves pumping Soft ground and Creating
Boring water down a when other boreholes for
hollow drill rod to boring methods bridge
create a slurry that are impractical. foundations in
Typical Use
Method Description Cases Examples
lifts soil cuttings up muddy areas.
to the surface.
Percussion A heavy cutting or Deep boreholes Drilling for water
Drilling hammering tool is in hard rock or wells in rocky
lifted and dropped where boulders terrain.
on the surface to are present.
pulverize the
material at the
bottom of the hole.
Rotary Uses rotary motion Mineral Extracting
Drilling to cut material, exploration and mineral core
typically with a other subsurface samples in
sharp, hard, spiral investigations. geological
drill bit. Materials surveys.
are removed by
continuous
circulation of fluid
(mud or air).
These methods offer different advantages depending on the soil conditions, depth of exploration, and
specific project requirements.
