Line 59 Expansion Auger Bore
Michels Trenchless, Inc. installed 337 feet of 36-inch steel pipeline under state Highway 23 north of Pontiac, IL. The project was completed in four total passes. A 4-inch pilot tube was followed by a 16-inch casing with augers, a 36-inch casing with augers, and then a 36-inch product pipe.
The trenchless project supports the expansion of a 593-mile interstate pipeline delivering crude oil from North Dakota’s Bakken region and western Canada to the Gulf Coast refineries.
Sticky and swelling clays were encountered throughout the bore’s path. Polymer was added to the lubrication mix to mitigate effects. Heavy rainfall resulted in an adjacent creek, flooding job sites and the entry and exit pits.
