Stormwater Culvert Drone Inspection
Project - Water Infrastructure
Client | pitt&sherry & Spark JV
Scope | Drone Inspection
Equipment | Elios 3 RPAS
Sector | Infrastructure
Location | Victoria
Azure worked with Spark JV and pitt&sherry using our internal Elios 3 RPAS to conduct a remote confined space entry inspection of a large stormwater culvert as part of the North East Link infrastructure project in Melbourne, Australia.
The culvert passes under a major highway, and the scope of works involved robotic access to the culvert using our Elios 3 RPAS, with an objective to inspect all surfaces to a 250m distance from the entrance.
With safety as a Spark JV priority, confined space entry and accessing the dirty water in the weir were considered unacceptable health and safety risks, and Azure were engaged to provide a solution. Several robotic options were proposed for the work, including RPAS/drones, remote control boats, and crawler systems, and the Elios 3 RPAS was selected for its versatility in accessing the partially submerged structure.
The project was successfully delivered with minimal risk and with high quality data outcomes, and included both a visual and point cloud dataset.
Benefits of drones for internal Stormwater Culvert Inspections
Speed
Using the Elios 3 RPAS for the inspection enabled inspectors to complete the work in 1 day instead of 3 days, significantly improving the turnaround of the inspection process.
Safety
The Elios 3 RPAS eliminated the need for entry into the confined space of the culvert, and entry through the standing water at the weir, which required additional planning and approvals, as well as a safety plan and safety team. This kept the inspection team safe while gathering key data.
Operations
Previous inspections were delayed or cancelled as inspectors could not enter the culvert due to unexpected flow of stormwater through the structure. Using the Elios 3 ensured the inspection could proceed regardless of water flow and prevented any delays to the work.
Data Quality
Azure’s remote pilot inspection team provided high resolution 4k video and full 3D model of the culvert structure to their client, including localised points of interest. This streamlined the engineering assessment and pinpointed the position of any defects that needed additional review.
