In current municipal pipeline renovation, rural pipeline laying, and low-voltage electrical construction in residential areas, large trenchless drilling equipment is bulky, expensive, and cumbersome to relocate, while micro-drilling rigs lack sufficient power and cannot handle complex geological conditions, making them unsuitable for small to medium-sized projects. The 16-ton horizontal directional drilling rig perfectly fills this market gap, offering a medium-sized trenchless solution that balances power, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness.
The 16-ton horizontal directional drilling rig, often referred to in the industry as a small trenchless pipe-laying rig, tracked HDD rig, or horizontal directional drilling machine, is a small, intelligent, fully hydraulically driven trenchless construction device. Its core function is to complete the laying of underground cables, water pipes, gas pipes, and communication lines without excavating the ground, without damaging roads, green spaces, or buildings, making it a core piece of equipment for green municipal construction.
This equipment belongs to the mainstream horizontal directional drilling rig category, also commonly referred to in the industry as an HDD rig, and is currently the mainstay model for small to medium-sized trenchless construction worldwide. With its 16-ton standard push-pull power, compact body, and stable fully hydraulic output, this equipment is widely adaptable to narrow urban sites, complex rural road conditions, and soft soil mixed strata construction. It has already been exported in batches to countries such as the Philippines, Nigeria, Peru, Vietnam, and Kenya, and is suitable for municipal infrastructure projects in most developing regions of Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America, enjoying high recognition from small and medium-sized engineering teams. If you are planning a new project soon, please contact us now for more product information.
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Horizontal Directional Drilling Rig Technical Parameters
| Maximum torque of the power head | YG-160A | YG-180 | YG-280 | YG-320 | YG-320A |
| Engine-rated power | 100KW | 97KW | 160KW | 140KW/160KW | 160KW |
| Push and pull | Cylinder | Motor | Motor | Cylinder | Motor |
| Maximum drag/feed force | 160/100KN | 180/180KN | 280/280KN | 320/320KN | 320/320KN |
| Maximum torque of power head | 5000N.n | 6000N.n | 10000N.n | 12000N.n | 12000N.n |
| Powerhead speed | 0-180r/min | 0-140r/min | 0-120r/min | 0-140r/min | 0-140r/min |
| Moving speed of power head | 30m/min | 20m/min | 20m/min | 20m/min | 20m/min |
| Maximum reaming hole diameter | Φ600mm | Φ600mm | Φ750mm | Φ800mm | Φ800mm |
| Drill rod length (single) | 3m | 3m | 3m | 3m | 3m |
| Drill pipe diameter | Φ60mm | Φ60mm | Φ73mm | Φ73mm | Φ73mm |
| Drill pipe diameter | 10-23° | 10-22° | 10-23° | 10-20° | 10-20° |
| Maximum mud flow | 160L/min | 250L/min | 320L/min | 320L/min | 320L/min |
| Maximum mud pressure | 100bar | 80bar | 80bar | 80bar | 80bar |
| Overall quality | 6700kg | 8500kg | 12500kg | 11500kg | 11200kg |
| Dimensions (length*width*height) | 5700*1820*2400mm | 6400*2270*2340mm | 7100*2260*2450mm | 7100*2250*2450mm | 7662*2162*2450mm |
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Why Choose the YG 16-Ton Horizontal Directional Drilling Rig?
What problems can this equipment solve for contractors?
- Avoid the difficulties of road excavation approval: Urban road excavation requires approval from multiple departments, a cumbersome and time-consuming process. Using a 16-ton HDD rig, you can directly cross from one end of the ground to the other without breaking the road, significantly shortening the project cycle.
- Reduce the impact on the surrounding environment: Traditional excavation construction generates a lot of dust, noise, and traffic congestion, affecting the normal lives of residents and businesses along the route. Horizontal directional drilling technology achieves “underground operation, normal surface operation,” significantly reducing social impact.
- Save on earthwork backfilling and road restoration costs: Trenchless construction eliminates the need for large-scale excavation and earthwork backfilling, saving on road restoration procedures and material costs, reducing overall construction costs by 30%-50%.
- Adapt to complex terrain and special working conditions: When pipelines need to cross rivers, railways, highways, or existing buildings, conventional excavation methods are often ineffective. The 16-ton HDD drilling rig, with its flexible guidance control, can easily handle such complex crossings.
- Improved pipeline laying accuracy: Equipped with a professional guidance and positioning system, operators can monitor drill bit depth and azimuth in real time, ensuring pipelines are laid precisely along the designed path and avoiding pipeline crossings.
Outstanding cost-effectiveness:
Compared to the hundreds of thousands of dollars required for large HDD drilling rigs, YG’s cost-effective 16-ton horizontal directional drilling rig costs only between $15,000 and $30,000 (specific price depends on configuration), making it ideal for startup engineering companies or traditional construction companies looking to expand into trenchless operations.
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Which Engineering Scenarios Are Suitable for Using a 16-Ton Horizontal Directional Drilling Rig?
The push-pull force range of a 16-ton horizontal directional drilling rig makes it particularly suitable for underground pipeline crossing projects with small to medium diameters and short to medium distances. Typical application scenarios include:
- Urban Gas Pipeline Laying: When laying natural gas pipelines in existing urban areas, using an HDD rig can avoid road excavation, protecting existing road surfaces and green spaces.
- Municipal Water Supply and Drainage Projects: When water supply and drainage pipelines with diameters of 200-500 mm cross urban roads, trenchless technology has become the industry’s preferred solution.
- Communication Fiber Optic Cable Laying: In fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) projects, using a small HDD rig is the most economical and efficient way to complete the “last mile” access segment from the main pipeline to the user terminal.
- Power Cable Protection Pipe Laying: This type of equipment is commonly used in substation incoming and outgoing lines or urban ring network power supply projects for laying protective pipes for high-voltage cables.
- Agricultural Irrigation Pipeline Crossing: Provides solutions for agricultural irrigation systems crossing roads and ditches without affecting crop cultivation.
- Residential Community Pipeline Renovation: Upgrading and renovating water, electricity, gas, and telecommunications pipelines in old residential communities using trenchless technology minimizes disruption to residents’ lives.
- Streetlight Foundation Construction: Provides trenchless anchoring for street lighting pole foundations, avoiding large-scale damage to existing road structures.
- Landscape Pipeline Laying: Protects surface vegetation from damage when laying irrigation pipelines or landscape lighting cables in parks, green belts, and other areas.
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Customers in the Philippines and Tanzania Use YG’s Small Horizontal Directional Drilling Rigs
Cebu City Water Supply Network Expansion Project, Philippines
- Project Background: Cebu City Water Company planned to lay a 315mm diameter PE water supply pipeline, approximately 280 meters long, under the city’s main road to connect a newly built water plant to the city’s water distribution network. The road is densely packed with shops, with a daily traffic flow exceeding 20,000 vehicles. The client explicitly required that the road not be closed during construction.
- Solution: The construction unit used a 16-ton horizontal directional drilling rig from YG Machinery for trenchless drilling. The drilling began from the east side of the road, with a 12° entry angle, controlling the penetration depth to less than 3.5 meters to avoid existing underground pipelines. The drilling process took approximately 4 hours to complete the pilot hole. Subsequently, 300 mm and 400 mm stage reamers were used to enlarge the hole sequentially, and finally, the 315mm PE pipe was successfully pulled back into place.
- Results: The entire project was completed within 48 hours, saving approximately 7 days compared to the traditional open-cut method. Because the road was not broken during construction, traffic was not affected, and businesses along the route continued to operate normally. The total project cost was approximately US$8,500, representing a 40% reduction in overall cost compared to the budget.
- Client Testimonial: “This 16-ton HDD rig perfectly met our project requirements. The equipment is easy to operate, and two workers were sufficient to complete the entire operation. We are grateful for the technical support provided by YG, which helped us achieve success in our first attempt at trenchless construction.”
Tanzanian Dar es Salaam Power Line Upgrade Project
- Project Background: A power line upgrade project was underway in a residential area of Dar es Salaam, requiring the laying of 12 CPVC power protection pipes (110mm diameter) with a total length of approximately 180 meters beneath the existing road. The construction site was located within a residential area, with narrow roads and parked vehicles on both sides, making it impossible for large equipment to access the site.
- Solution: A 16-ton horizontal directional drilling rig from YG Machinery, combined with a small mud recovery system, was used. Due to the road width of only 4 meters, the equipment had to enter the site in two stages: the first stage laid 6 pipes, and the second stage, after relocation, completed the remaining 6. The rig was precisely positioned in the confined space via wireless remote control, and the guidance system was monitored in real time to ensure that the 12 pipes were aligned parallel to the designed spacing.
- Usage Results: The renovation project was successfully completed, and the power pipeline passed inspection on the first attempt. Thanks to the trenchless construction method, residents’ normal travel and electricity needs were not affected during construction. The equipment’s compact design allows for flexible operation in space-constrained residential areas, earning high praise from the client.
- Customer Testimonial: “YG’s 16-ton drilling rig is compact and perfectly suited for small urban projects like ours. The equipment has been running stably for over 800 hours, and its cost-effectiveness far exceeded expectations.”
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Frequently Asked Questions about 16-ton Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) Rigs
A1: The standard traversal capacity of a 16-ton HDD rig is between 200 and 400 meters, depending on geological conditions, pipe weight, and pipe diameter. For smaller-diameter fiber optic cable protection pipes, the maximum traversal distance can exceed 500 meters; when laying large drainage pipes, it is recommended to limit the traversal distance to within 300 meters to ensure safety.
A2: A complete trenchless drilling operation typically requires: a mud mixing system (for preparing drilling mud), a mud recovery system (for treating waste mud generated during drilling), a generator set (to power guidance instruments and other equipment), a pipeline detector (for accurately locating existing underground pipelines), and transport vehicles. YG Machinery provides one-stop equipment procurement services.
A3: The 16-ton horizontal directional drilling rig is primarily designed for soft soil, clay, sand, and weathered rock formations. When encountering hard rock, rock-guided drill bits or roller cone reamers are required, but drilling efficiency will significantly decrease and tool wear will accelerate. It is recommended to conduct a geological survey before bidding to avoid construction difficulties caused by incompatible geological conditions.
A4: The qualification requirements for HDD drilling rig operators vary by country and region. Most regions require operators to hold an engineering machinery operator’s license or have undergone manufacturer-certified training. YG Machinery provides free operation training to its customers to ensure that operators master equipment use and routine maintenance skills.
A5: HDD trenchless solutions are preferred in the following situations: pipelines need to cross roads, railways, rivers, or buildings; the construction area has existing pipelines and the excavation risk is high; the owner or management department prohibits road excavation; the construction period is tight and needs to be shortened; the construction site space is narrow and large equipment cannot enter.
A6: Compared to large HDD drilling rigs of 30 tons or more, the 16-ton model has the following advantages: lower overall price and shorter investment payback period; smaller size, making relocation and transportation more convenient; more economical fuel consumption and lower daily operating costs; relatively lower operating difficulty, making it easier to train operators; suitable for small and medium-sized engineering projects, offering greater flexibility.