Municipality finds answer to complex pipe inspection in challenging environment

Problem: A Canadian municipality needed to inspect a 223-foot stormwater pipe suspected of collapsing. The pipe discharges into a river at an angle of 45 degrees, maintaining a water level of about 25% with a strong continuous flow. The city had initially requested an inspection by a subcontractor, who was only able to complete 66 feet due to the challenging conditions for a crawler. Then they turned to Can-Explore, which attempted an inspection using a crawler held back by a manual winch. However, the water current interfered with the robot’s stability, causing it to lose control and repeatedly collide with the pipe walls. The high risk of damage or even the total loss of the expensive crawler, which could be swept away by the current and fall into the river, was too significant to press on with further attempts.

Solution: A ZIPCAM 360 from Can-Ex Technologies was fastened to a cleaning nozzle on the hose of a vacuum truck, which possesses a lift force far superior to what a crawler system could provide. An operator held onto the hose securely as the camera was allowed to descend, buoyed by the current.

Result: The inspection was successfully completed along the entire length of the pipe, without any equipment damage. Given the strong water current within the pipe, water drops are noticeable in the inspection footage. Fortunately, video capture was conducted during both the descent and the ascent, compensating to provide a complete view of the pipe. Ultimately, the 360-degree camera covered all angles, offering a comprehensive assessment and enabling the municipality to acquire the necessary information to address the collapsing issue. 418-871-0045; www.canex.tech

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Contractor rents portable crawler to inspect long drainage ducts

Problem: A U.S. Postal Service Facility at Carol Stream, Illinois, requested Complete Plumbing to conduct a series of inspections to check the condition and ensure the integrity of their under-facility drainage ducts. The company owned equipment to conduct inspections in short tracts, but they required additional equipment for the two main drainage ducts, with the longest one running around 790 feet. At the point of entry, one of the mains had an initial pipe diameter of 12 inches, then enlarged to 15 inches and finished with a diameter of 18 inches with an inclination of 1% and 1.9%, respectively. The other main run started with a 10-inch pipe with an inclination of 1% and finished with an 18-inch-diameter pipe with a 2% inclination.

Solution: The project team reached out to Fiberscope.net by MEDIT with their request to rent the portable crawler unit, TROGLOTREK, a self-contained robotic pipe crawler that features a compact portable reel and an all-wheel-drive crawler with a pan-and-tilt camera head. 

Result: The project team expected to complete the job in two days and wondered about the unit’s user-friendliness. The crawler surpassed their expectations by completing the task in one day. The crawler proved itself a user-friendly and affordable solution for underground pipe inspections and integrity checks. 877-613-2210; www.fiberscope.net