Tag: Construction

Events

WORD 2021 Top 8

Posted on by msockwell

1) Celebrated our 15 Year Anniversary

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March 2021 marked a celebratory 15 years for WORD Rock Drills! To mark the occasion we held an office quincenera and shared our favorite stories from over the years. One fun fact you might not have known about WORD, we built our first drill in a garage. We have since expanded to a larger shop facility down the road but that detached garage is currently where our team members report for work each day.

2) Remodeled our Offices

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The office team at WORD powered through during months of remodeling construction to expand our existing office space to better accommodate our growing team. Featuring a new open concept working area, designated break room, conference space, and shipping/receiving area, the updated space has brought a new level of efficiency to our office team!

3) Became a WOSB (Women-Owned Small Business)

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Did you know that WORD Rock Drills is a Women-Owned Small Business? That’s rights, in 2021 WORD made it official! With our new status as WOSB we are hopeful to connect with customers in new areas of the construction industry. In addition, we are excited to engage in this new platform and spread awareness not only for WOSB organizations but also for the Women in Construction movement.

4) IFCEE 2021: Our Biggest Trade Show YET!

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2021 was an exciting year for trade shows after many events took a hiatus for 2020 but IFCEE took the cake! Our biggest trade show yet, we displayed a variety of equipment and even had a mechanical bull in our booth space to bring a little Texas spirit. Connecting a wide range of drilling industry professionals, IFCEE was a great show to start up conversations with both current and new customers.

5) Hosted our First Hollow Bar School

Hollow Bar School

In partnership with our friends at Intech Anchoring Systems, we took on the challenge of hosting our very own Hollow Bar school. Featuring an educational presentation on Intech hollow bar systems, Chemgrout mixers, and WORD drilling units in addition to outdoor training, this school was a big success. If you and your team would like updates on our 2022 school, be sure to register for our WORD Wednesday Newsletter for updates!

6) Increased Our Ministry Focus

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We were blessed with many opportunities in 2021 to serve various ministries as a team. One of the most popular service projects was a day spent in Charlotte, NC volunteering at the Operation Christmas Child packing facility. Not only were we able to donate 200 shoeboxes as a team, but we were also able to help move those boxes towards their final destination by sorting and packing the larger shipments directly!

7) Celebrated our Team with WORD Weekend 2021

WORD Weekend

As 2021 came to a close, we took a long weekend trip to Tennessee as a team to celebrate a great year! Our team and their families joined in for a fun day at Dollywood along with a couple of site visits to locations in the area where our customers had worked. We are so grateful to our team and glad that we were able to provide this fun opportunity after a year of hard work!

8) Shipped a Record-Breaking Number of Drills

Record breaking

Totalling 73 units by the end of the year, our team of 19 shipped a record-breaking number of drills in 2021. To celebrate, we sent out our 3rd annual “Rock Tour” end-of-year t-shirt boxes to each of our drill customers. These annual boxes feature a different rock band-themed t-shirt each year with a rock drilling twist.

Events

Rock Drilling Attachment FAQs | Skid Steer & Excavator Drills

Posted on by msockwell

FAQ’s about WORD Rock Drills

Will a WORD Rock Drill work for my drilling project?

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WORD Rock Drills offers skid steer and excavator-mounted drilling attachments for a wide range of construction, foundation, utility, fencing, solar, and geotechnical drilling applications.

Choosing the right rock drill depends on factors such as hole diameter, hole depth, ground conditions, drilling method, carrier equipment, hydraulic requirements, and the number of holes required.

Our team works with each customer to review the specific needs of the jobsite and recommend the drilling attachment, drilling head, tooling, and accessories best suited for the project. If a WORD Rock Drill is not the right solution for the application, we will tell you.

Do I need an experienced driller to operate a WORD Rock Drill?

No. WORD Rock Drills are designed for operators with varying levels of drilling experience.

Installation and operator training are included with the purchase of a WORD Rock Drill. This training helps your crew understand how to safely operate, maintain, and get the best performance from the drilling attachment.

The level of drilling experience required may vary depending on the application, ground conditions, and drilling method being used.

Can a WORD drilling attachment mount to an excavator or skid steer?

WORD drilling attachments are designed to operate on compatible excavators and skid steers, but the carrier must meet the hydraulic and mounting requirements of the specific drill.

Important compatibility factors can include:

  • Hydraulic flow
  • Hydraulic pressure
  • Carrier size and capacity
  • Mounting configuration
  • Drill model and drilling application

When discussing your project with WORD Rock Drills, our team can help determine whether your existing skid steer or excavator is compatible with the drilling attachment and identify any additional equipment or mounting components that may be required.Want more information on WORD Drilling Attachments? Click HERE.  

What size holes can a WORD Rock Drill drill?

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Depending on the drill model, drilling head, tooling, and application, WORD Rock Drills can accommodate hole diameters ranging from approximately 1 inch to 12 inches.

Different drilling heads can be used to support different hole sizes and drilling methods. When selecting a drilling system, our team considers both your current project and the types of drilling work you may perform in the future.

Choosing a versatile drilling head can allow one WORD drilling attachment to accommodate multiple hole sizes and applications.

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If I need a different hole size for another project, do I need to buy another drilling machine?

Not necessarily.

Many WORD drilling attachments are designed to accept interchangeable drilling heads, allowing contractors to use one machine for multiple types of drilling work.

Depending on your existing drill configuration, you may be able to change the drilling head, tooling, or accessories to accommodate a smaller or larger hole diameter or a different drilling method rather than purchasing an entirely new drilling attachment.

WORD Rock Drills can review your existing equipment and help determine which drilling head options are compatible with your machine.

How much does a WORD drilling attachment cost?

The price of a WORD Rock Drills skid steer or excavator drilling attachment depends on the configuration required for the project.

Three primary factors influence the cost:

  • The type of drilling attachment, such as skid steer-mounted or excavator-mounted
  • The drilling head required for the application
  • The accessories and tooling needed for the job

Project requirements such as hole diameter, hole depth, number of holes, feed rail length, ground conditions, drilling method, and environmental considerations also help determine the final equipment configuration and price.

Contractors can use the Price Your Drill feature on the WORD Rock Drills website to receive an estimated drilling equipment cost based on their project requirements. You can use the “Price Your Drill Today” feature on our website to get an estimated cost based on your needs.    

Events

The Multi-Tool

Posted on by msockwell

The Multi-Tool: Get a Drill that Does MORE

There is no denying that rock drilling machines are expensive. Stand alone machines in particular can cost a pretty penny, taking a chunk out of your budget and profits. Fortunately, Rock Drilling Attachments are another option out there that are more cost effective. As a bonus, Rock Drilling Attachments give you more flexibility, as you can easily take the attachment on and off your equipment as needed.

New Excavator Rock Drilling Attachments from WORD Rock Drills

Although most Rock Drilling Attachments are more cost effective than a stand alone drilling machine, this industry has fallen into a pattern that inhibits its customers from reaching true versatility. A majority of rock drilling attachments are engineered to perform a specific type of work. And they perform this type of work well. However, your company does a variety of work and the specs that fit the job you purchased the drill for don’t do anything to help you on the next job.

So, what gives? Why can’t your rock drill do more? Why do you need a completely new machine for EVERY job?

Well … the WORD on the street is that you DON’T!

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That’s right! You DON’T have to pay big bucks for a Rock Drilling Attachment that you can only use once in a blue moon! If you want a drilling attachment that will become a tool in your arsenal, rather than an ornament in your equipment yard, WORD is the way to go!

WORD Drilling Attachments are MADE for versatility. We like to call ourselves the multi-tool of the rock drilling industry because of this. WORD Drills are specifically designed to accommodate multiple drilling heads with a patent pending Quick Change Mount.

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The Quick Change Motor Mount is a unique system of pins and hoses that allow you to quickly switch the motor on your drill. With this ability, you can switch the type of work you perform from one job to the next or even on the same job. Some customers have even told us that they can switch their motors in as little as 30 Minutes!

When you purchase a WORD Drill you aren’t just investing in the project in front of you, you are investing if the future of your company.

Events

On The Job Versatility: Crane Drilling

Posted on by msockwell

Limited Access?? Maybe Crane Drilling Will Do It?

By: Mikayla Sockwell

Most all contractors have had to deal with limited access issues at some point within their careers. It comes in many shapes and sizes, but the more time I spend in the construction industry the more I have come to realize that working with limited access is almost inevitable. When a limited access job site also needs a rock drill, creativity, versatility, and innovation becomes key to helping the contractor come up with a solution to get the job done.

Adaptability and Limited Access Drilling

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In all honesty, I am relatively new to the rock drilling industry. However, in my two years of working at WORD Rock Drills I have heard dozens of impressive stories about how contractors overcome the constraints of limited access drilling. Most recently, one of our customers at WORD purchased an M125 drill motor to do just that.

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Lakes & Rivers Contracting out of Illinois won a contract with the Illinois Department of Transportation to remove and replace a pier protection cell for I-80 over the Des Plaines River in Joliet, IL. The previous cell, having been struck by a barge, had been badly damaged and had fallen. To replace the damaged pier, Lakes & Rivers Co. planned to anchor a replacement cell into the underlying limestone with 2.5” rock anchors, increasing the cells ability to withstand barge impacts in the future. In order to complete the anchoring process, Lakes & Rivers Co. needed to be able to drill 24 rock anchors in a cell that was only 26’ in diameter and approximately 10’ below the top of the sheet piling.

Creating Drilling Solutions

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Confronted with limited access within the cell, Lakes & Rivers Co. knew that conventional drilling rigs would be challenging to put in place and operate once inside. As an alternative solution, they reached out to WORD Rock Drills and purchased our M125 drill motor. This motor provided the needed torque and DTH hammer capabilities to drill the 6” diameter holes needed for this job. They then built a sled system onto their existing crane and mounted the drill onto the sled, allowing the drill to travel up and down the crane leads to drill.  

Working With WORD

Through this drilling method, Lakes & Rivers Co. was able to successfully complete their job, mending the protection cell and helping to keep the bridge safe from future harm. Their purchase of a WORD M125 drill motor also increased the capabilities of their fleet for future projects. When asked about their experience working with WORD Rock Drills, Lakes & Rivers Co. Project Superintendent on the job replied, “Working with WORD was a great experience, their salesman, John, helped me through specifying the equipment for the project and was willing to offer some input to follow-up questions we had through the drilling procedure.”

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