Construction of the much-anticipated Iowa Events Center, a $217 million state-of-the-art entertainment complex in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, required the installation of more than 400 miles of new electric cable to provide power to the new complex, which is anticipated to be completed by 2005.

Baker Electric, a local contractor, used a Vermeer D24x40A NAVIGATOR directional-drilling unit to install the HDPE (high density polyethylene) conduit, which will carry new electric lines installed under pavement, streets and mature landscape. The new line will provide power to the 17,170-seat Wells Fargo Arena, the renovated Veterans Memorial Auditorium, the 250,000-sq-ft Hy-Vee exhibit hall and adjoining street lighting.

Advancements in the Vermeer D24x40A NAVIGATOR directional drill and tooling accessories helped make a challenging job easier. Most of the conduit was installed at a 4-ft depth. To avoid damages to existing lines in the vicinity of the proposed drill path, crews used a Vermeer E550 EVACUATOR vacuum/excavation unit to pot hole and expose existing lines.

Early in the project, a 27-inch sewer pipe was identified, which created additional navigation challenges. Parts of the installation called for a 3-inch duct and a 1-inch duct to be bundled and installed in the same bore hole. The D24x40A used on the job features Vermeer’s new automated rod loader, which maximizes worker safety and cuts down on the need for manual handling of drill pipe. Higher torque on the D24x40A insures that the drill will not get stuck during the bore.

Project engineers preferred horizontal directional drilling (HDD) instead of traditional open-cut methods for installation of the new underground lines in order to minimize the risk of causing damage to existing utilities in the area, which included a high-voltage line, three storm sewers, cable and traffic-signal lines. A newly resurfaced asphalt parking lot, with 1700 parking places north of the auditorium, was another reason for using HDD instead of open-cut methods