June, 2024 Presentation

Speaker: John Briand, PE

Date: Thursday, June 27, 2024

Topic:  Planning the Drill: Best Practices and Key Considerations for Horizontal Directional Drilling Design

Presentation: Video

Summary: Trenchless utility installation methods, including Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD), have become an essential component of infrastructure expansion and rehabilitation to address the challenges associated with crossing environmentally sensitive areas, such as streams, rivers, wetlands, and man-made obstructions, including highways, utilities, and railroads. A key consideration in designing HDD crossings is the widely varying geologic conditions in the Carolinas; from the coast to the mountains, the varying geology presents unique challenges and characteristics for trenchless installations. HDD is a complex operation that carries significant risk without proper planning and oversight. This presentation provides the framework to engage geotechnical and trenchless professionals to successfully design and construct pipelines and conduits using HDD methods. The presentation will include conceptual-level and final design considerations as well as construction oversight best practices and lessons learned. 

Bio: John Briand, P.E., is a Principal Geotechnical Engineer with 12 years of experience at CDM Smith Inc. in Raleigh, North Carolina. He is a registered professional engineer in seven states and the District of Columbia working on projects throughout the southeast and nationwide. Mr. Briand is responsible for supporting the design and construction of dams, levees, deep foundations, excavation support systems, retaining walls/bulkheads, and trenchless crossings on a variety of water, wastewater, commercial, federal, and large civil works projects.

Mr. Briand has prepared several papers for geotechnical conference proceedings and journals including the cover story in Deep Foundations Magazine May/June 2021 titled “Boston Waterfront Redevelopment: Re-Use of Existing Pier Piles to House Future Generations.” He is a member of the Deep Foundation Institute Ground Improvement and Micropile committees and an active member of ASCE, USSD, and ASDSO organizations. Mr. Briand has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a master’s degree in civil engineering with a geotechnical focus from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.