Who Are We ?

From The Desk Of HDD Consortium.

Members of the Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) industry have long recognized the importance of having knowledgeable and competent project personnel. Today, this growing industry suffers from a shortage of experienced personnel and could benefit from training based on consensus “good installation practices” guidelines. 

The value and need for guideline-based training became even more apparent with proposals, emerging over the past year or so, from state and local regulatory agencies to require that field responsible HDD personnel demonstrate basic knowledge and capabilities before they be allowed to operate in public rights-of-way.  To respond to the need for education and training of field responsible HDD personnel, the HDD industry in April 2000 formed a consortium to develop guidelines and training material on “good HDD installation practices.”  

The HDD Consortium has broad-based industry support with representatives from virtually all HDD contractor groups as well as equipment manufacturer/supplier, and trenchless educational/training organizations.  Specific members of the HDD Consortium are the Equipment Manufacturers Institute (EMI), the Distribution Contractors Association (DCA), the Directional Crossing Contractors Association (DCCA), the North American Society for Trenchless Technology (NASTT), the National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA), and the Power & Communications Contractors Association (PCCA).  

The objectives of the HDD Consortium have been to: 

1. develop consensus guidelines based on proven “good installation practices” using HDD technology, 
2. aid in the understanding of these guidelines through development of a curriculum for training field responsible HDD personnel, as well as facilities planners and project responsible persons, and 
3. encourage the use of the good practices guidelines and training material by qualified training organizations.  

This document fulfills the “guidelines” portion of the Consortium’s objective. A companion training curriculum is also available from Consortium member organizations.  Those associated with the HDD industry as well as persons/organizations benefiting from applying its services are encouraged to make good use of these peer-reviewed “works.”  Respectfully,

The HDD Consortium

HDD GP Guidelines