WATERWAY INSPECTIONS: HOW FREQUENT SHOULD IT BE PERFORMED? U.S Government regulations call for waterways to be 100-ft wider to maintain a minimal cover of 48”. And, this is so because pipeline crossings need to be inspected at least once in every 5 years. In most cases, the operating agencies perform surveys in 3 years or at a greater regularity rate for crossings and fast flowing rivers where erosion is suspected, or where flooded conditions are experienced. This is an obligation by PHMSA Regulations that pipeline water crossings need to be monitored frequently and protected. Pipeline operators must hire a top-grade, wellseasoned waterway inspections Mississippi team to ensure the safety and well-being of their water crossings. Here’s how the conventional survey is: Earlier, it required extensive diver labor to probe pipelines that are believed to have traversed the rivers. This process is carried out using a diver boat followed by a couple of divers and a single tender (if it is a large river). Smaller crossing inspections are performed with substandard equipment and less field recruits to maneuver out of a smaller vessel. A diver, with a marinized pipeline detector, interjects the water-equipped using a bar, so he could keep probing until he hits the line. The diver, then, assesses the cover-depth with the help of familiarized anatomy measurements of the bar or his arm or leg. Following this, he transmits data to the surface team, who then take imprecise position with the help of Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS). There’s been many such instances where cover extent is found enough to feed the inspection conditions. How often pipeline episodes occur in water crossings? Flood, washing away a segment of riverbed causing pipelines’ exposure and susceptibility to breakage, is a rare incident. This occurrence is also called scouring. According to a recent study by PHMSA, 0.3% of pipeline occurrences had a cover loss at water crossings over the last 20 years and as a contributing factor. How can CSU be helpful here? Since there’s an industry-wide demand for frequent and effective water crossing inspections, Central States Underwater (CSU) implements highly expedient and affordable inspection programs for water crossings.
They inspect crossings and determine the cover-depth. Identify the areas that are prone to erosions and also detect water channel changes. They put their best team forward to create metrics and identify priority crossings based on: scour potential, channel migration, cover-depth, impending debris and consequences. Opt for perpetual mitigation action and implement as per priority ranking: HDDs, freshly trenched crossings beneath the scour depth, extra fill, rock drops, bank stabilization. Continued real-time screening program for flooded conditions utilizing USGS Water Alert System. Besides, they also perform preemptive snow level monitoring before running off using pre-determined flow rate triggers. Continued leak detection for alterations in the flow rates of pressure of the pipeline.
What we deduce now is that CSU makes the wisest choice as a waterway inspection Louisiana-based company. They are comprehensive, approachable and affordable.