High-voltage cables draw sharp lines against a deep blue sky. It's a clear day in Tilburg, where Hanab is carrying out the job. Right beside a nature reserve sits the jobsite, quite literally under high tension. But the job runs calm and controlled.
Drilling beneath the nature reserve
This project involves multiple crossings underneath a nature reserve. Bundles of four PE pipes, each 315 mm, form part of a wider network expansion. The bores follow one another in a tight sequence, each one running 1,020 metres through coarse sand and small gravel. Reaming was carried out in stages, working up from 28" (710 mm) to 40" (1,040 mm). Hanab Directional Drilling focuses on exactly this type of work: delivering critical cable and pipeline connections using HDD, often in close cooperation with other Hanab divisions.
A proven set-up
A 200-tonne Herrenknecht rig sits at the centre of the operation. Around it, the set-up combines long-standing equipment with temporary support. Up on the recycling unit stands Remco, the site supervisor. From here, he has full overview. The unit itself has been running with Hanab for around twenty years. Built to fit their way of working, the shaker system was modified early on. It still does the job today - separating cuttings cleanly and keeping the system running as it should. For this project, the set-up is extended with a SiteTec P2500E pump unit. A rental that delivers the required flow and pressure, tuned to the demands of this bore.
Staying in control
“That’s what I like about SiteTec equipment,” he says. “No unnecessary extras. I don’t need all that.” Remco works freelance, moving between projects and contractors, and knows the job inside out. He sees a shift in the field, with a growing demand for more screens and automation, everything accessible from a single panel. It looks efficient, and in some cases it is, but for him the real work sits elsewhere. "In doing it yourself. Staying connected to the machine. Knowing when to step in, and doing it right away. If a valve is a few steps away, you don't need a button for it. Keeping things straightforward keeps you involved, and it keeps the process under control."
Experience that carries forward
Moving between teams and environments, Remco builds up that experience, and he passes it on by pointing out what really matters. "Consistency, for one. Holding a steady rhythm instead of chasing short bursts of speed. These are things you learn on site," he says. "By doing the work, and by working alongside people who've seen it before." The technology keeps evolving, and that's part of the job, but the fundamentals don't change: understand what you're doing, and stay in control.