AEL Sonic coring project at Modderfontein

Geomechanics was commissioned to determine the extent of contamination of explosive material in the ground.

The Geo-601 Comacchio combination drill rig was converted to drill remotely to reduce the risk of injury to staff from drilling into unexploded ordinance. The adaptation included the extension of hydraulic hoses from the rig’s valve banks to the operator control console. This was done to allow the operator to work 30m away from the rig.

As the soil samples were recovered, they were immediately collected by AEL and taken to the on-site laboratory for analysis. Depending on the results the drilling would either progress closer or further away from the original contaminated area.