| Installation Length | Longer crossings require sufficient thrust, pullback capacity, drilling-fluid management, and rod storage. | Small utility crossings: approximately 30–150 m; medium projects: approximately 150–600 m; larger crossings may exceed 600 m. | Match rated thrust and pullback to the bore length, product size, soil resistance, and required safety margin. | High |
| Product Diameter and Type | Cable, water, gas, and telecommunications installations have different pullback, bending, and buoyancy requirements. | Common utility installations range from small ducts below 100 mm to pipelines above 500 mm in outside diameter. | Select adequate pullback force, torque, reaming capacity, and tooling compatibility for the final product. | High |
| Ground Conditions | Soil and rock conditions affect cutting tools, drilling-fluid pressure, steering accuracy, and bore stability. | Typical conditions include clay, sand, gravel, mixed ground, weathered rock, and competent rock. | Use interchangeable tooling, variable torque, suitable drilling-fluid circulation, and rock-capable options where required. | Critical |
| Thrust and Pullback Force | The machine must overcome friction, soil resistance, borehole curvature, and product installation loads without overloading the pipe or cable. | Compact machines may provide tens of kilonewtons; larger systems can provide several hundred kilonewtons. | Choose a rated capacity above the calculated installation load, with allowance for changing ground conditions. | Critical |
| Rotational Torque | Higher torque supports larger reamers, dense soils, gravel, and rock drilling, but may increase equipment size and operating cost. | Light-duty systems may be below 5,000 N·m; medium and heavy-duty systems commonly provide higher torque levels. | Select torque according to tooling diameter, formation strength, and required steering performance. | High |
| Drilling Fluid System | Drilling fluid cools and lubricates tooling, transports cuttings, stabilizes the bore, and reduces pullback resistance. | Flow requirements vary widely, from low-flow utility work to several hundred litres per minute for larger bores. | Provide adjustable flow and pressure, mixing capacity suited to the bore size, and filtration or recycling where practical. | Critical |
| Steering and Guidance | Accurate tracking helps avoid existing utilities, environmental constraints, roads, railways, rivers, and restricted work zones. | Guidance methods may include walkover locating, wireline guidance, or gyro-based systems for difficult or deep crossings. | Use a guidance system appropriate for depth, magnetic interference, drilling fluid, and required positional tolerance. | Critical |
| Site Access and Footprint | Urban streets, narrow easements, environmentally sensitive areas, and remote sites can limit equipment size and setup options. | Working areas vary by machine and bore design; compact setups generally reduce traffic disruption and temporary land use. | Prioritize compact dimensions, low ground pressure, transportability, and flexible anchoring or setup arrangements. | High |
| Power and Fuel Efficiency | Remote projects may face limited fuel supply, high transport costs, or strict emissions requirements. | Diesel power is common for mobile equipment; electric or hybrid support may be suitable where grid access and regulations allow. | Select power output for peak drilling loads while considering fuel consumption, idle control, emissions, and serviceability. | Medium |
| Rod Length and Bend Radius | Rod geometry influences setup length, bore profile, steering control, and the minimum allowable curvature. | Rod lengths commonly fall within approximately 3–10 m, depending on machine class and transport constraints. | Match rod strength, connection design, flexibility, and allowable bend radius to the planned alignment. | High |
| Safety and Compliance | International projects must address worker safety, underground utility clearance, drilling-fluid containment, noise, and environmental controls. | Requirements differ by jurisdiction and may include guarding, emergency stops, noise limits, spill control, and utility-locating procedures. | Choose equipment with documented safety systems, clear operating procedures, emergency controls, and compliance support. | Critical |
| Transport and Logistics | International deployment depends on shipping dimensions, lifting points, customs documentation, spare parts, and local haulage capacity. | Transport limits commonly include road axle-load restrictions, container dimensions, crane capacity, and regional access conditions. | Favor modular components, documented weights and dimensions, standard lifting points, and readily available consumables. | High |
| Maintenance and Operator Support | Downtime can be costly when projects operate far from major service centers or across multiple regulatory regions. | Key considerations include preventive maintenance intervals, technician availability, spare-parts lead time, and operator training. | Select robust, serviceable equipment with diagnostic access, multilingual documentation, training, and a practical spare-parts plan. | High |
| Total Project Cost | The lowest purchase price may not provide the lowest installed cost once transport, tooling, fluid, labor, fuel, downtime, and restoration are included. | Evaluate total cost of ownership over the project life rather than comparing equipment price alone. | Balance productivity, reliability, fuel use, consumables, residual value, rental alternatives, and expected utilization. | Critical |
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