Now more than ever, new technologies, such as drones, are needed to address asset inspections.
Aging asset inspections, especially those in difficult to access high level structures have been historically undertaken by erecting scaffold, climbing ladders with testing equipment, hiring a crane with a man-riding basket, abseiling down a structure or other similar methods, all of which can put the inspector at risk of falling from heights, particularly when working at these elevated heights.
Depending upon site specifics, these traditional inspection methods can be extremely costly too. To erect and then dismantle scaffold or to drive a crane for many hours across the country for a 10-minute inspection is a regular occurrence.
It’s presenting a challenge, especially in this new environment of social distancing, reduced business or office hours, and working from home, while still trying to run a financially stable business and keep the economy moving forward.
But what if asset owners could assess their asset's health from the comfort of their own computer screen? No costly scaffolds, crane hire or programme delays to complete an otherwise straight forward inspection task or construction planning task. All whilst minimizing the number of people in-situ and eliminating risk to workers.
The use of drones is increasingly commonplace and subject to complying with local laws, photographs and video content can be readily captured. Drones themselves are no longer a future technology but there is so much more we can be doing with them beyond photography. One such example is where the use of Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) equipment is being extended to drones and GHD’s Digital team in the United Kingdom developed a way to do just this! The system comprises a drone-mounted ultrasonic probe, which when in flight, touches the structure surface and wirelessly transmits in real time the metal thickness to a data logging station.
In the United Kingdom, we are now using this technology on an ongoing basis to support our industrial and nuclear clients with critical asset inspections. It’s a solution that has not only significantly de-risked the safety aspects of inspection but is also reducing our clients carbon footprint and supporting them in building datasets leading to data driven insights.
Picture this much safer alternative for asset inspection that completely eliminates the need for specialist lifting or access equipment. Even the most heavily coated and corroded metals can be measured to accurately determine structural integrity. High level or difficult to access chimneys, piping, structural members, vessels and much more can be monitored safely from ground level.
Then imagine, in tandem with this technology, that a cloud-based platform allows inspection data to be accessed and manipulated using an intuitive 3D user interface. Not only does this technology allow for convenient data storage, it also can help owners digitise their assets, visualise them and analyse trends. Even if staff are working in different locations off-site, a cloud based platform allows individuals to readily access and share data through a simple web browser interface, with no software and no onerous demand on IT infrastructure.
Drones are making their way into many industries and helping businesses and industries with critical functions such as measurement of coastal erosion, earthworks activities, LIDAR scanning, people movements, construction planning, emergency incident coordination, thermal imaging and the list goes on.
With Coronavirus (COVID-19) forcing many people working from home, the need to practice social distancing alongside an essential need to manage our aging assets these types of technologies will become increasingly essential to help businesses get ahead.
Meet Craig
Craig Stockton has both an entrepreneurial and an innovative mindset with a passion for the use of digital technologies to solve client challenges. Now leading GHD’s UK and Middle East Digital business, Craig’s 25-plus years of experience includes detailed engineering spanning the water, chemical, energy, industrial and nuclear industries with strengths in plant layout, front end design, value engineering and buildability. His expertise is in project delivery, design management and in-house implementation of technology accelerators including Building Information Modelling, Photogrammetry and laser scanning integration and digital automation. Craig was a co-founder of GHA Livigunn which went on to develop into a 160 person business. For more information, please contact Craig Stockton at Craig.Stockton@ghd.com.
