Gregg Drilling LLC Spends Time on Ice

Gregg Drilling LLC of Signal, California, spent time indoors this winter. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they were staying warm. Todd Hanna, project manager, had their Geoprobe® 7822DT collecting soil cores under the ice rink at the former Anaheim Ducks practice facility to measure the soil temperature.

Gregg Drilling LLC conducts Macro-Core® sampling at the former Anaheim Ducks practice facility.

The rink features a sub-ice heating system to prevent frost build up under the rink floor. According to Hanna frost under the floor would eventually cause heaving of the rink. The temperature of this heating system is automatically regulated between 38-40 degrees Fahrenheit, but this particular system was not functioning correctly and needed to be replaced.

“Our soil core sampling discovered sub-freezing conditions down to ~15 feet, and around 40 degrees at 22 feet,” Hanna said. “Once the ice is thawed, heaters will be brought in to thaw the ground before the repairs are done.”

Because of the unique nature of the project, communication between crew members Hanna; Sean Lance, operator; and Dejuan Ward, helper, became a key to success.

“All-in-all it was a neat project that had some safety challenges,” Hanna said. “Most of the safety challenges were anticipated, but some were not, so adjustments and crew discussions were had.”