Leeds Beckett partners with construction site investigator to advance the future of drilling technology

Borehole Solutions uses geotechnical engineering – a form of civil engineering involving the study of materials present below the earth’s surface. This is used within infrastructure projects and uses a range of drilling techniques.

Dr Martin Pritchard, reader in the School of Built Environment, Engineering and Computing and project lead, inset, said: “One technique used by Borehole Solutions is sonic drilling – this relatively new technique is seen as the future of drilling.

"It is a soil penetration technique that strongly reduces friction on the drill string and drill.”

"He added: “Its benefits include increased safety, cost savings, speed, cleanliness, and accuracy as well as being more environmentally friendly.”

Sonic drilling is not widely used throughout the construction industry but Borehole Solutions wants to expand its capability.

The aim of the project is to address the current challenges around sonic drilling and create an independently verified, credible evidence base to allow Borehole Solutions to be explicit about the advantages of sonic drilling.

This will help Borehole Solutions to position themselves as a market leader in sonic drilling, and eventually discontinue the more dangerous, slower, traditional alternative of CP drilling.

Rob Lewis, manging director of GeoEnviro Solutions, Borehole Solutions Group, said: “It’s great to be getting involved with the university to explore the sonic technology we have adopted as a company.

"The project will allow us to provide rigorous data for the method together - and to improve on the knowledge we have already gained by leading the technology in the field.”

Professor Akintola Akintoye, Dean of the School of Built Environment and Engineering at Leeds Beckett University, added: “I am delighted that our staff from our Civil Engineering specialism are able to partner with Borehole Solutions to advance the future of drilling technology in UK construction - developing appropriate field-based technologies to significantly improve the borehole infrastructure and operational reliability.

"This is a positive example of the close working relationships we are building with local employers through our research and enterprise including KTPs; thereby making an important contribution to the development of our regional economy.”

The academic team – which includes experts within Leeds Beckett’s School of Built Environment, Engineering and Computing and Leeds Business School - will support Borehole Solutions to develop the technical skills and capabilities to measure, analyse and disseminate the positive benefits of sonic drilling to the market – as well as the strategic marketing insight to fully commercialise the new capability.