D-Drill workers not fazed by tough conditions

A team of skilled diamond drillers have been praised for their efforts in harsh conditions.

D-Drill’s Sheffield office was asked by North Midland Construction to drill a 300mm diameter hole through one metre thick reinforced concrete at the sewage treatment works in Skegby, Nottinghamshire.

While the job was technically not difficult, the pair of drillers had to work in a very confined space, below ground level and through a host of pipes and existing services.

They also had to ensure that the hole was drilled at a precise angle to hit an exact spot in a chamber on the other side of the wall – all of this while water levels were rising and conditions were becoming increasingly muddy.

They set up two submersible pumps to keep the water level as low as possible and spent a full morning setting up the drilling rig.

Dave Platts, D-Drill’s Sheffield branch manager, said: “It looked like conditions would prevent us from completing the job but the lads had a breather and just got back on with it.

“It was really impressive to see their dedication to the task in hand and by late afternoon they got through.”

Even the drillers’ outer clothing had to be disposed of once the job was complete.

“They were horrible conditions and you could see that from the lads’ clothing when they’d finished the job,” added Dave. “They just threw the outer clothing in the skip and didn’t seem at all fazed.

“We’ve had great feedback from North Midland Construction. They knew we were more than capable of carrying out the job but the fact that we worked and got it done when the elements were against us shows just how determined we are to go the extra mile for the client.”

D-Drill, which has offices throughout the UK, is a concrete sawing, diamond drilling and controlled demolition specialist.

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