Brewis kit at the Heart of a World-Record HDD Pull

At Brewis Engineering, we build equipment for the jobs where reliability isn’t optional.

One project that perfectly demonstrates that was the James River crossing in Virginia, USA – a landmark Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) installation that set a new benchmark for the industry.

Delivered by Huxted Trenchless, the project saw an incredible 5,700 feet (1,737 metres) of 42-inch HDPE pipe successfully installed beneath the James River. At the time, it was recognised as the longest pull of its kind anywhere in the world.

At the heart of the installation was a 382 UST Brewis Swivel, designed and manufactured to cope with the immense pulling forces generated during the record-breaking crossing.

Engineered for the World’s Toughest Projects

Projects of this scale place extraordinary demands on every component in the drill string. When hundreds of tonnes of pulling force are involved, there is no room for compromise.

Brewis swivels are engineered to transfer pulling loads while eliminating rotational forces from being passed into the product pipe. Manufactured from high-grade materials and built to exacting tolerances, they are trusted on some of the most challenging HDD installations around the world.

The James River crossing demonstrated exactly why robust, dependable tooling matters. When failure isn’t an option, contractors need equipment they know they can rely on.

Proven Around the World

For more than four decades, Brewis Engineering has supplied HDD contractors with equipment designed to perform in demanding ground conditions and on increasingly ambitious installations.

From municipal utility crossings to major energy and infrastructure projects, Brewis products continue to support contractors delivering some of the world’s largest trenchless installations.

The James River project remains a standout achievement—not only because it set a world record, but because it demonstrated what can be achieved when experienced contractors combine innovative engineering with dependable equipment.

We are proud that Brewis equipment played its part in one of the most significant HDD installations ever completed.

As projects continue to become larger and more complex, Brewis Engineering remains committed to designing and manufacturing equipment that gives contractors complete confidence when it matters most.