DQ500 drill rig delivers exceptional versatility in Dagestan

A Sandvik Construction DQ500 dimensional stone drill rig has proved indispensable on an infrastructure project in Dagestan, Russia. Local contractor, Dagestan Vzryv Stroy, is using the drill rig to work on the reconstruction of the Avar-Kakheti road. The company has been impressed by the versatility of the new rig, which has led to the replacement of its former fleet of ten drill rigs.

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The reconstruction of the Avar-Kakheti road began in early 2014. The local authorities were keen to rebuild the mountain part of the 83 km route in order to connect Russia with Georgia. The economically important project was given a national grade as it was seen as essential for strengthening relations with neighboring countries, and developing the economy in the Dagestan region.

In 2015 the Russian government allocated more than 30 billion rubles to the project. Local contractors were keen to become partners, and were soon hard at work ensuring that the road would play a vital role contributing to the region's prosperity. The hard work and dedication of the contractors has been shown that despite taxing operating conditions, they have managed to complete a large volume of drilling and blasting, as well as constructing 25 bridges, 5 tunnels and 10meter high retaining walls.

Some of the most demanding project work related to blasting and drilling, and is being undertaken by a local contractor, Dagestan Vzryv Stroy. Currently its operators are working on expanding the road from 5 to 12 m width. The problem the company has faced from the very beginning was poor safety features and efficiency of the available drilling rigs. In order to rectify this situation the company initiated discussions with construction equipment specialist company, Quarry Service, the official distributor for Sandvik Construction in Russia.

Following site visits and in-depth analysis of what was required Quarry Service was able to recommend a solution for drilling marlstone which is abundant in this particular area. Quarry Service also provided a thorough geological study of the location, which led to the recommendation of making drill rig versatility the primary factor in equipment choice. Dagestan Vzryv Stroy chose a DQ500 dimensional stone drill rig. Despite its compact size the DQ500 is able to deliver an impressive 129 kW of power, which made the contractor take a highly critical look at its existing, non Sandvik, fleet of drill rigs.

The DQ500 although lacking in the power and size of its larger brethren has proved to be more than equal to the task of drilling the medium-hard marlstone. In fact the lower weight, greater mobility and versatility have made the DQ500 indispensable on the project. The roll-over boom feature found on the DQ500 has also made an impressive contribution; using unique Sandvik technology, the rig is able to spin around the axis and drill at different angles. This has made a massive contribution to safety, efficiency and productivity. Its cost effectiveness is further enhanced by the low fuel consumption of the engine, which has made a significant contribution to reducing project fuel costs.

Anvar Aivazov, CEO of Dagestan Vzryv Stroy, praised his new rig: "I'm very happy with it. The old drilling rigs were decommissioned right after we purchased DQ500 since it can singly cope with the huge amount of work under any conditions. After completing this project we plan to move to Chechnya and North Ossetia to build new roads. Of course, we are also considering expanding our machinery fleet with Sandvik Ranger or Pantera rigs."

The construction of the new road should be completed by 2017–2018. Today Dagestan Vzryv Stroy has already undertaken the drilling required for over 9 km of the Avar-Kakheti route. By the end of this year around 12 km of the road surface will be laid. In 2016 it is planned to finish the next 27 km. Mr. Aivazov believes that federal authorities will be providing further support for the project, as it is seen as strategically important in improving the economy in the region and allowing Dagestan to export its high quality agricultural goods.

Now the only stumbling point in achieving these vital aims is the lack of infrastructure found in the area. However, contractors such as Dagestan Vzryv Stroy, using equipment such as the DQ500 drill rig, have gone a long way to resolving this part of the problem.