Bundled Road Bores: How BBS Pipe Bumpers Keep Multi-Line Pulls Protected
If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, a bundled bore is very similar to a standard horizontal directional drill (HDD) or road bore, with one key difference: instead of pulling a single pipeline through the bore hole, multiple pipelines are pulled through at the same time.
Why Bundled Bores Are Becoming More Common
There are several reasons why bundled directional drilling is gaining momentum across the pipeline industry:
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Limited right-of-way availability: With so much existing infrastructure already in the ground, it’s becoming harder and harder to secure new corridors.
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Reduced environmental impact: By drilling once instead of multiple times, operators minimize disturbance to the surface and surrounding environment.
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Lower overall cost: When engineered properly, a single large-diameter bore can be more cost-effective than multiple smaller drills.
We’ve seen this evolution firsthand. In fact, we’ve been directly involved in bundled bore projects that included two pipelines in the same hole — and others with as many as eleven pipelines pulled through simultaneously.
Hard to imagine? Yes.
Incredible to witness? Absolutely. (Unfortunately, no cameras were allowed on that particular job site!)
The Challenge: Protecting Pipelines During and After the Pull
As impressive as these multi-line bores are, they present a unique set of challenges. When several steel pipelines are pulled side-by-side through a muddy, high-friction borehole, contact between lines is inevitable — and that can lead to damage both during installation and long after the system is in service.
The question becomes:
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How do you prevent the pipelines from damaging each other during the pull?
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How do you ensure they don’t rest on each other for the next 30, 40, or 50 years underground?
The answer: pipe bumpers, also known as pipe doughnuts, BBS Bumper Systems, or simply spacers.
Pipe Bumpers: Simple Concept, Critical Function
At first glance, a pipe bumper might look like a simple molded or fabricated spacer that keeps pipelines separated during the pull. And on paper, the idea seems simple enough.
But in practice? It’s anything but simple.
When you’re pulling multiple lines through a bore hole, you’re talking about enormous shear and peel forces acting on everything in that hole. Picture a pipe bumper wedged between three different pipelines, being dragged through hundreds of feet of drilling mud. That bumper is going to act like a sail — seeing tremendous forces as the pipelines move.
If the bumper isn’t held in place by a road bore–rated material, it can easily shift, peel off, or fail completely — leaving the lines unprotected.
That’s why at BBS (Bundled Bore Solutions), our bumper systems are held in place by materials specifically designed and tested to survive the extreme stresses of directional drilling applications.
We’ve seen the results firsthand — and we’ve even documented them. In our Pipe Bumper Case History, before-and-after inspections confirmed that the bumpers stayed exactly where they were supposed to, even after being pulled beneath significant distances and through tough geological conditions.
Not All “Pipe Doughnuts” Are Equal
Here’s where things get a little tricky: not every product on the market that looks like a pipe bumper is actually rated for road bore use.
Some systems utilize adhesives, wraps, or spacer materials that are not approved by their own manufacturers for use in directional drilling. That might sound like a small detail — but it’s a huge risk.
Think about what happens when those unapproved materials are dragged beneath a road, a ship channel, or a reservoir. They’re exposed to pressure, friction, heat, and movement that far exceed typical above-ground or stationary pipeline applications.
What happens to those bumpers?
Nobody really knows.
And does it make sense to use a system that even the manufacturer would say “No way — you can’t use our product for that”?
Of course not. Yet, we still see it happening across the industry.
Why Road Bore–Rated Systems Matter
Using a road bore–approved bumper system ensures that:
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Every component (bumper, adhesive, backing material) is designed to handle the shear, peel, and compressive loads of a bore.
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Spacers stay in place throughout the pull and for the lifetime of the pipeline.
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The system is backed by field-proven testing, data, and case history — not guesswork.
At the end of the day, pipe bumpers or doughnuts might look like simple accessories, but they play a critical role in protecting your investment. They prevent coating damage, spacing failures, and long-term structural issues between parallel pipelines.
Let’s Talk About Your Next Bundled Bore
Bundled road bores and directional drilling are here to stay — and as they become more common, the importance of proper pipeline spacing and protection only grows.
If you’re planning a multi-line bore, let’s have a conversation. Our team can help you select the right BBS Bumper System for your design, soil conditions, and pull forces — so you can focus on the hundreds of other details that demand your attention.
Because when it comes to protecting bundled pipelines underground, the best solution is the one that’s been proven to work.
Bundled Bore Solutions (BBS)
Experts in multi-line pipeline protection and road bore–rated bumper systems.
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