Water-based infrastructure includes locks and dams, bridges, pipeline crossings, and barge terminals. Maintaining the structural integrity of these facilities is critical to their continuing functioning, but water-based infrastructure poses an additional challenge because a section of the structure is submerged. The most reliable visual inspection technique to establish the underwater state of a structure is to use an experienced, certified commercial diver with the requisite skills to do a full underwater inspection.
Reasons for inspection:
A multitude of factors can lead to the requirement for underwater inspections. Topside visual signs of approaching failures, such as fissures, water seepage, or a collapse of the surface, are one of the most prevalent examples. These are all signs that the structure is beginning to deteriorate, and the issue is most likely beneath the water’s surface. Failure to conduct further research could have disastrous consequences.
Federal regulations may call for periodic underwater inspections of vital infrastructure on occasion. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, for example, requires hydroelectric facilities to be inspected every five years. Dam owners are subject to this scrutiny to guarantee that their constructions’ underwater conditions are being monitored. The government is worried about a catastrophic collapse that might result in fatalities.
Methods of a dive inspection:
Underwater inspections should be carried out by dive teams that are appropriately trained and equipped. Working underwater is hazardous since vision is frequently reduced to near-zero. Commercial divers with certification from the Association of Dive Contractors International and an understanding of underwater structures should be used. At least three persons make up a standard dive team. A single diver from a three-person dive crew enters the water, while a standby diver is ready to respond to an emergency. The third person takes notes on the diver’s verbal reports and underwater bridge inspection and operates the underwater radio. He or she is frequently watching footage collected by a camera mounted on the diver’s helmet. This video, combined with the diver’s audio as he or she walks along with the structure, can be captured.
A safe alternative:
A Remotely Operated Vehicle can be utilized in situations where diving is either unsafe or impossible. A safe alternative for visual inspections is to use an ROV with long-reach tethers in restricted places, environmentally hazardous areas, or high-head differential situations.
Save money with preventative maintenance:
Structures that are inspected on a regular basis are more likely to have benign findings. Maintaining a yearly routine inspection plan helps lessen hazards, much like going to the doctor for a regular check-up reduces the likelihood of problems compared to only seeing a doctor when problems become critical. Routine inspections allow for the monitoring and management of changes in conditions. It will almost certainly save money in the long term because preventative maintenance is always less expensive than major repairs. Underwater inspections are still the most effective approach to keeping track of a structure’s condition. Using a professional dive crew will provide you with the information you need to prevent being caught off guard by expensive structural breakdowns.
