Big Beaver

Low Head Clearance Option
Auger/Split Spoon for SPTs
Rubber Tracked Option
Versatile

Big Beaver

Low Head Clearance Option
Auger/Split Spoon for SPTs
Rubber Tracked Option
Versatile

Big Beaver

Pound for pound, one of the most versatile units for soil and groundwater investigations is the Big Beaver rotary auger – split spoon unit. It has now been 25 years since Kodiak assisted the manufacturer to modify this drill to operate on the same principals as a traditional truck mounted drill; a 140lb hammer drives a 2-inch split spoon sampler, while augers are used to bore the drill hole

After 25 years of innovation in limited access drilling technology, we still find so many applications where it is the best tool for the job.

Over all those years, we have made a number of modifications to the basic design to improve the effectiveness, including longer hoses, larger power unit, shorter towers, and a more powerful rotation motor. Our latest variation on the unit is to mount one on a very small rubber track carrier to produce the “Track Beaver”. Utilizing the narrowest (31 inches) track unit we could find, makes it only 3 inches wider than the standard Big Beaver. We can now bring either unit to the site, depending on the site constraints. The Track Beaver is more user friendly for the drillers, while also allowing us to get it through some rougher terrain. The additional weight of the track unit enables us to penetrate some formations that previously were refusing us.

The Beavers are often used inside buildings where soil sampling and/or groundwater monitoring is required at depths of 8-40 feet (or more). The locations we have drilled with this unit are incredibly diverse; ranging from fenced areas to fly-in locations, basements to bathrooms to boiler rooms to berms, parking garages to patios, dry cleaners to decks, gas stations to garages, schools to sidewalks, factories to forests, tennis courts to tank farms……the list goes on and on for 25 years.

The light weight, low head clearance, ability to do SPTs, and the detached power source, make this unit the premier drill for low clearance indoor locations for both geotechnical and environmental drilling.

Size: The standard format Big Beaver requires area of approximately 6′ x 10′, and 12‘ of clearance for conventional soil sampling. In areas of lower clearance, the unit can be used with a custom built short tower (min. 8′) or as an auger (min. 7’) in conjunction with another one of our drills for soil sampling. The Track Beaver needs a little more space to manoeuvre it.

Power: Standard 140 lb hammer; blow counts suitable for SPTs.

Emissions & Noise: Using hoses up to 100 feet long, the power unit can be positioned away from the drill, thereby eliminating exhaust emissions and noise for indoor projects.

Monitoring Wells: Using solid stem augers the boreholes are suitable for 1-2 inch diameter monitoring wells.

Other Factors

Access: Manoeuvrable by hand and is narrow enough to fit through a standard door frame. Its ability to be dismantled makes it suitable for many basements.

Augers: 4″ solid stem augers are the most common choice (2″, 6″, 8″, 10″ solid stem augers also available)

Concrete & Asphalt: Asphalt and low quality concrete can be penetrated with this drill. For interior drilling, we predrill the floor with a diamond bit coring machine.