Drilling Technology: A Vital Tool for the Construction Industry

 Drilling is used worldwide in a wide variety of activities, such as the search for economically viable salt and mineral deposits, the exploration of underground oil reserves, sinking wells, and general or specialized scientific and research purposes. Drilling is used worldwide in a wide variety of activities, such as the search for economically viable salt and mineral deposits, the exploration of underground oil reserves, sinking wells, and general or specialized scientific and research purposes. 

Drilling holes in rock to receive explosive charges is a tunneling, mining and other excavation process. Various drilling equipment and methods are used in the construction and mining industry, which are developed and classified according to their current order and applicability. Methods used include mechanical, thermal, hydraulic, sonic, chemical, electrical, seismic and nuclear options. Drilling technology is one of the most important links in the construction industry, because ultimately it is the science that provides a solid foundation for all structures. Without drilling technology, there would be no modern tall buildings that require deep foundations. 

Early methods 

The first patented stone drill was invented in 1849 by J.J. Philadelphia sofa. Its drill passed through the hollow piston and was thrown like bait against the rock; seizing it, it was thrown forward again by the impact of the piston. 

An important development was the hammer-type rock drill for drilling the top hole, designed by Denver machinist C.H. Shaw before 1890. The plugs fell under the influence of gravity. This machine was called a cap when it was used in mines in Colorado and California. A pneumatic feed held the machine in place and drove the steel into the stone. These two developments, hammer action and air leg feed, became important in modern machines. The problem of removing horizontal boreholes was finally solved by inventing a hollow drill with an air channel to blow compressed air into the bottom of the hole. 

Later development 

Most modern drills are either rotary (incorporates a cutting or grinding function) or impact (breaks rock or periodically grinds under impact). The combined rotary impact drill uses both types of work if the hardness of the layer requires it. 

Rotary drilling 

The simplest rotary drill is the hand-operated auger, which is used primarily for drilling holes in relatively soft soil. Rotary drilling can be adapted to use at any angle and is suitable for underground mining. In most rotary drills, hollow steel rods circulate cooling water or other cooling fluids. Drill bits depend on the hardness of the surface and include carbide tips for cutting, wedge-toothed roller tips for breaking hard rock, and diamond tips for grinding rock. Rotary drilling is limited to low-stress rocks such as salt, mud, and soft limestone that do not contain abrasive quartz minerals. 

Efficient drilling 

This method is slower than rotary drilling, but has several special applications, such as shallow holes. In percussion drilling, a tool attached to a rod or cable is struck successively and the tool is rotated so that a new part of the surface is attacked with each blow. Sometimes a second cylinder is submerged in the first cylinder and water is pumped down the inner tube to remove soil and lift debris. In deep drilling, these methods replaced rotary drilling. Unlike other drilling methods, percussion tools can remove rock and fracture harder formations efficiently and quickly through most soil types. Rock crushing by percussive drilling can be divided into four stages: crushing zone, crack formation, crack propagation and cracking. However, the equipment is quite heavy and the cost is higher, but the performance is slower than other methods. Percussion drilling is suitable for uncompacted and compacted formations: sand, mud, stiff clay, sandstone, laterite and gravel layers. 

Rock Drilling Applications 

Rock drilling deserves special mention because it evolved from simple hammering with a portable drill to piston-type drilling using steam, hydraulic or pneumatic power; were then further developed into rotary jet drills. Today's rock drills are usually mounted on large platforms to drill several holes at once. Today, experiments are underway to use ultrasonic waves, high-frequency electricity, or thermal/nuclear energy to break rock in place. 

Concrete drilling 

Concrete drilling involves drilling perfectly round holes in concrete walls, floors, ceilings and other structures. It fine tunes the concrete structure to accommodate amenities such as phone lines, plumbing, HVAC ducts, sprinklers and more. Diamond concrete drills are the most commonly used tools in this process. When drilling is complete, a solid cylindrical concrete core or "slump" is removed from the hole. 

Deep foundations 

The most common drilling methods in deep foundations are Kelly drilling, continuous auger drilling, full displacement drilling, double drilling, hammer drilling, counter-rotation air injection drilling and core drilling. Many products can be created in a drilled hole, e.g. filling with fresh concrete, a so-called mass is created. It is also possible to install concrete elements and steel elements that act as load-bearing or covering elements. 

Construction of oil and gas wells 

Wells are created by drilling into an oil or gas reservoir, which is then equipped with an extraction device, such as a pump press, that allows extraction of the reservoir. Well construction can be an expensive process, especially for offshore oil rigs. Modern oil well drilling first began in the 19th century, but was perfected by the advancement of oil rigs in the 20th century. 

A well is created by drilling a 12 to 1 meter (5 to 40 in) diameter hole into the ground with a drill that rotates a drill string with a bit attached to it. After drilling the hole, parts of the steel tube (shell) with a diameter slightly smaller than the borehole are placed in the hole. Cement can be placed between the outer surface of the casing and known as the ring. The casing ensures the structural integrity of the new one