Get hooked on the quality of these pipe pulling products
This is part of our deliver better outcomes series.
Polyethylene (PE) pipe is commonly used in utility installations throughout Australia and New Zealand. We’re talking about gas, water, power and communication services. The PE pipe is installed using Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) and other trenchless technology methods, using towing heads and swivels.
Brewis & Blick
Brewis are the original manufacturer of towing heads. Rod Brewis saw a growing market with PE pipe installations using trenchless technology. He engineered a solution, and the towing head was born in 1984.
The towing head range has since grown to these options:
Standard Towing Head
Mudtight Gold™ Towing Head
PE Fuse-on Towing Head
In addition to the towing heads, Brewis developed a range of drilling swivels. Featuring a patented swivel for small rigs / MiniRig™, paired with maxi rig / BigRig™ heavy duty swivels for larger installations.
Brewis are ISO 9001:2015 accredited, manufacturing to quality and reduced project risks. Their products are the industry choice for good reason.
Blick are proud to represent Brewis throughout Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
The how and why - parts needed to install PE pipe
The fundamental aim of installing these services is a safe and smooth installation - not exceeding the rating forces that the PE pipe manufacturer specifies.
In most instances, the asset owner prefers the pipe installed and presented clean, and free from drilling fluid slurries, or any residual formation cuttings entering the inside of the pipe. This can be a single PE pipe. It can also involve multiple lengths of pipe, and within multiple pipe installations varying sizes of pipe.
The asset owner will have engineered and selected the appropriate pipe type to suit the purpose of the installation. The pipe selected will consider the expected lifespan of the asset, and other bore related factors. This can be coiled pipe or straight lengths of pipe, which may require fusion welding to achieve the installation length.
The Standard Dimension Ratio (SDR) (which relates to the product pipe wall thickness) is something to understand prior to installation. It is important to understand the product pipe SDR rating, so the towing head can be prepared and used in the correct way. Some preparation is required to make changes to the products between the available SDR sizes of 9, 11 & 17.6.
This installation involves preparing a stable, clean borehole. Once this has been achieved, the contractor uses the tooling that was used to create the borehole, pushing that tooling out of the borehole to make a connection to the product pipe. This product pipe is pre-planned and laid out, or positioned in front of the borehole.
The two key items used to make this connection are a towing head (duct puller or pulling head) and a swivel (see below). Once the connection is made, the pipe is pulled back through the borehole, until the total length of pipe is installed into the borehole.
Options & Benefits
Standard Towing Head
The Standard Towing Head sits flush up against the end of the PE pipe. The rest of the assembly sits totally inside the pipe. The eyebolt - which is a specially forged, single piece, high tensile steel eyebolt - is rotated to retract the tail component. This expands out the gripper rings for a tight secure grip inside the pipe. SDR 17.6 & 11 in the one piece.
Mudtight Gold™ Towing Head
The Mudtight Gold™ Towing Head provides some additional design features on top of the Standard. The design is similar in that the internal gripper rings expand and get a tight secure grip of the pipe. This product also has a bell shaped sleeve that slides over the outside of the PE Pipe. The benefit to this is around stopping mud / drilling fluids entering the product pipe. Additionally if the formation is fractured or unconsolidated, there is potential to jag or catch on the pulling head. Here the bell sleeve gives further protection to the pipe, and the additional ‘mud tight’ cleanliness. SDR 17.6 & 11 in the one piece.
PE Fuse-on Towing Head
An easy to use Polyethylene material that is fusion welded to the product pipe. It is machined from a solid cylinder for high strength. The eyebolt is drop forged, high tensile alloy steel, fitted with precision machining for a tight superior attachment. This results in the pulling head stopping drilling mud / slurry entering into the pipe, and the bolt being durable and long lasting. This is the strongest connection of pulling head to pipe that can be achieved, that also keeps the product pipe totally clean. SRD 17.6, 11 & 9 in the one piece.
Also available - Hollow Stem Fuse on towing heads can also be manufactured. These are ideal for ballasting or pressure testing your pipe.
Swivels
Swivels make the connection from the drill rig tooling to the towing head/s. The design of the swivel includes a fixed body and connection end which doesn’t rotate, this end is connected to the side facing the product pipe. Doing so means that as the pipe/s are being pulled back into the borehole, they don’t rotate or spin in the hole, causing potential tension and damage to the pipe or borehole.
The other end of the swivel has a bearing. This end is connected to the drill rig tooling. As this end rotates, it allows the contractor to rotate their tooling assembly downhole, while the body and other end remain stationary. What is important to note in this process - is the bearing is taking the weight / load of the pipe, and forces associated with pulling that pipe downhole.
The Brewis MiniRig™ Swivel features a patented sealing system that keeps bentonite out of the bearing, and still allows power greasing. This design also includes a bearing load that is fully rated to the stated tonne. The heartbeat of a swivel is the quality of the bearing inside, and your ability to keep that bearing greased up. Therefore, Brewis swivel design means you’re facing risks head-on, and investing in long lasting products.
Once you use a Brewis towing head or duct puller, you'll be hooked on the quality. Available in sizes up to a metre in diameter, the Brewis range of towing heads have been the towing workhorse of the industry for almost forty years.
Our teams are available to chat through a towing head or swivel solution. Australia is available on +61 3 9068 5688 and New Zealand on +64 7 849 2366.
