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10/7/2011 11:41:40 AM // TOPICS: Digger Derricks

From Hand Used Augers to Machine Driven Augers – a Progression!

From Hand Used Augers to Machine Driven Augers – a Progression!

Since the invention of the Archimedean screw to transfer low-lying bodies of water into a higher level irrigation system, there has been an ongoing transformation from a simple device to a powerful and sophisticated piece of equipment. This simple invention has became the principal means by which machines have used augers to bore post holes for the electric and telecommunications companies.

Hand Used Auger:

An auger is a device with a rotating spiral or screw blade which removes material from the hole that is being made. Two types of augers have drilled holes over the last several decades: hand used augers and machine-driven augers. An example of hand used augers is the drill and bit which is used for wood working by which pressure is applied to the top of the tool while the U-shaped grip handle is being rotated. Although tiresome and occasionally inaccurate, it was a means by which a hole could be drilled into a particular material. The rotational speed by which a hole could be drilled depended upon the type of material into which a particular auger was boring.

Rig Mounted Auger:

In a more industrial application, crews used augers on a drill rig to dig holes for utility poles. That was a very impractical application because the drilling rig had to be taken down and re-assembled for each hole. Considering how many holes are required to string a line of wire alongside a road, this was very unproductive, inefficient and hard work. It required several work crews to accompany the drilling rig to accomplish the job. It was slow and the cost of using multiple crews was expensive. Something needed to change.

Boom Mounted Auger:

The major breakthrough came when stationary auger drilling rigs were mounted to the back of a truck chassis that could be driven from one worksite to another. It further evolved into equipment that is known today as digger derricks and pressure diggers, both of which incorporate boom-mounted hydraulic motors that spin the auger to dig holes. With the invention of the digger derrick truck, utility companies became much more time and cost efficient. The adaptability of the boom, the accuracy of the auger, and the ability of the truck to quickly move from one hole to another allowed jobs to be completed with fewer workers, less effort, and in a fraction of the time previously required.

Digger Derrick Truck Application:

The auger of the digger derrick is ideal for drilling holes to install (or set) telephone and electric utility poles. The standard configuration is designed to the auger appropriate for each individual application and specification which allows for different size, style and type of augers to be used on the same machine. Augers for digger derricks come in a variety of designs including hard rock applications, high production drilling, slurry drilling, dirt augers and continuous flight systems. The digger derrick truck application can also be used to drill holes for highway and bridge development as well as commercial foundations.

Digger Derrick Truck Benefits:

One advantage of the digger derrick trucks goes beyond how crews have used augers for digging holes. Thanks to the versatility of the boom, it can be used to set poles in place in a short period of time as well. The same boom can also be fitted with a bucket and used for lifting workers to perform other jobs that would otherwise require a bucket truck. This versatile truck is also used by the construction industry for many applications including drilling holes for the placement of piers for buildings and bridges. With proper training on this specialized vehicle, the work that can be performed is quite extensive.

Due to its uniqueness, it is common for companies to purchase a used, reconditioned version of the digger derrick truck to lower operation costs. Some companies offer used augers for sale at about half the price of new ones. Whether new or used, this specialized truck is an excellent example of taking the hand used augers of yesterday and turning them into a machine-powered, truck-mounted drilling wonder of today!