Bentonite Drilling Fluids for Tunnelling and Microtunnelling

Pileman®-SDF is a universal drilling fluid for tunnelling and microtunnelling, formulated to drill through clay, sand and rock without frequent fluid changes — with a yield of 140 bbl/sht, the most economical cost per m³ of slurry on the range.

Pileman® BH is formulated for tunnel drives through saline, brackish or hard groundwater — coastal and estuarine tunnelling, tidal-ground microtunnelling, and any alignment with chloride, sulphate or carbonate hardness that standard bentonite can't hold.

Pileman®-SDF is the all-ground-condition formula for fresh water — it's built to handle clay, sand and rock in one slurry. Pileman® BH starts from the same bentonite base but is engineered for ionic resistance in saline or hard groundwater. Choose between them by water chemistry, not by ground type.

Test or estimate the tunnel alignment's groundwater chloride, sulphate and carbonate concentration. Fresh water with variable clay, sand or rock ground calls for Pileman®-SDF. Seawater exposure, brine or carbonate-hard groundwater above roughly 5,000 ppm chloride calls for Pileman® BH.

Yes. Used alone in fresh water it provides face support; blended with Easy-Bore Gel polymer it also delivers side support, significantly reducing tunnel and jacking pressure across the drive.

High chloride, sulphate or carbonate concentrations collapse the ionic layer that keeps standard bentonite particles dispersed, causing flocculation regardless of dosage. Matching the grade to the alignment's actual groundwater chemistry protects filter-cake integrity and jacking-pressure performance for the whole drive.