Pipelines transport a lot of essential materials, such as water and oil. For decades, the quality of laid pipe remained an unknown. Underground infrastructure has suffered from out of sight, out of mind.
When there is a pothole in a road, everyone who uses that road, notices it. However, when a pipe is damaged, it can go unnoticed, allowing infiltration of ground water into the pipe and loss of material being transported through the pipe.
Underground infrastructure needs to be monitored, just as above ground infrastructure needs to be monitored. Regular inspection of underground infrastructure allows the infrastructure owner or service provider to identify small damages and developing issues before they become big problems. When damaged goes unaddressed, oftentimes the damage gets worse until an entire section of it needs to be excavated and replaced, which is very costly.
Pipeline Inspection Tools
Pipeline inspection companies have five tools at their disposal for inspecting pipes.
1. Smoke tests
Heralded as a very efficient and cost-effective method for locating holes in a pipe, a non-toxic "smoke" is pumped through the pipe. The smoke escapes through the holes in the pipe and up through the ground. Anywhere there is a concentration of smoke, there is a hole in the pipe.
2. Dye tests
Dye tests are used to test area drains, downspouts, driveway drains, etc. by introducing a non-toxic, non-staining, soluble dye into these systems. The dye will go anywhere the water goes. If the water leaks out of the drain or spout, you will see colored water, and you will know from where the water is escaping.
3. Pole cameras
A pole camera is a camera attached to a pole. The camera side is inserted into the pipe and controlled manually. A screen on the opposite end of the pole allows the operator to see inside the pipe as they’re poking around in there.
4. Sonar inspection
This is a great solution for inspecting pipes filled with a murky substance because sonar doesn’t require light or a clear view. A small tracked or wheeled robot is placed into a pipe and operated via remote control. It constantly sends out signals, which bounces off the pipe walls and is read by the robot. This data is transformed into color-coded images, which professionals interpret to determine damages and inconsistencies in the pipe.
5. CCTV inspection
Closed circuit television (CCTV) is the late