Troublefree Transitions Plus Added Power

As the oldest materials testing lab in New York, nearly 70 percent of Municipal Testing Labs’ employees are engineers. However, during the past 10 years they’ve seen a ramp up of geotechnical work, beginning with the Build It Back initiative after Hurricane Sandy. Three years ago they talked Steve Wolf out of retiring to come lead their boring department, growing to six full-time crews.

“We’re now doing waterfront jobs, 200 to 220-foot borings consistently, and barge jobs. We’re really growing and we’ve grown with Geoprobe^®,” John Hicks, vice president, said. “We’ve really been doing what big-time boring companies do and just as well.”

Using their 7822DT combination drill rigs for much of their expanding workload, when they heard about the NEW 3126GT geotech drill rig workhorse from Vic Rotonda they seized the opportunity to amplify their production.

“We first added the 3126GT and then wanted a truck that was versatile but still had as much power, so we added the 3100GT,” Hicks said. “They’re performing so well it keeps our scheduling going. Definitely makes it much easier for guys in the field to work through backlog created by those snowstorms.”

Municipal completes work in the five boroughs and tri-state area. From tight urban blocks to mountain tops, the crew appreciates the maneuverability of the 3100 series geotech drill rigs.

“I was operating an auger rig, now I’m operating the 3100GT and I find the difference to be incredible,” Dave Johnson, driller, said. “The ability of the 3100GT to move from site-to-site without a transport truck is exceptional.”

While he admits the ergonomics and centerline head side shift took some getting used to, he appreciates the well thought out head and controls.

“The interchangeable operations from drilling to sampling is smooth and efficient with all operations on the same centerline. The head design helps with straight drill hole operations. Less time adjusting the alignment means more time drilling,” Johnson said. “Everything just lines up on the centerline. No swinging hammer over, it is much safer.”

With similar controls from 7822DT to 3100GT to 3126GT, he finds the transition from one machine to another easy while adding versatility and power.

“The 3100 series rigs have more diversity and ability than a conventional rig. The variable speed adjustments don’t result in any power loss. The hands-free, automation to control rotation and feed rates are great,” Johnson said. “The lifting power is phenomenal. We send steel into tight conditions where it would typically get stuck, but the lifting ability of the Geoprobe^® pulled it right out.”

What’s happening downhole is no longer a mystery while using the 3100GT geotech drill rig on a rocky moraine area with boulders to 75-80 feet or using the 3126GT geotech drill rig on a hillside doing 100-foot rock coring where straight holes were imperative for installing the instrumentation.

“The coring features made it much more efficient and easier,” Johnson said. “The display screen assists the driller to know what is happening downhole and with the drill rig itself.”

And the extra engineering put into the mud pump system isn’t lost on the drillers.

“Now with two hydraulic pumps we’re not bleeding pressure from the flow,” Johnson said. “A lot of thought went into the design and the ability to control flow is really beneficial.”

For Municipal Testing drillers, Geoprobe^® benefits their jobs — from operation to service.

“Geoprobe^® drill rigs are a very user-friendly way to drill. If issues arise, their service department is an excellent resource to keep you up and running,” Johnson said.

Hicks sees similar benefits.

“From the service and the way the rigs perform to the people associated with Geoprobe^®, it’s been nothing but pleasurable,” Hicks said.

Improved Mud Pans and Racks

Municipal Testing Labs driller Dave Johnson raved about the NEW mud tub design.

“It’s so much better thanks to the 8-inch neck, three chambers, handle locations, and drain from the bottom with plugs on the side. It’s light and portable — one guy can move it,” Johnson said. “It allows us to control flow rate so cuttings drop in the first chamber versus the third and getting pulled back into the pump. This saves your pumps.” 

And you can minimize your mud rotary mobilization woes with the NEW 'Super Rack.' Tote tooling for mud rotary jobs, including hollow stem augers, mud tub, water tank, etc., using your drill rig to do the heavy lifting. Streamline storing and hauling all your field supplies and have the flexibility to place tools within easy access of the front of the rig, saving time and energy when you eliminate trudging around the drill rig to get your tooling.