Innovation

Novel Construction Spring Session

To mark its 20th anniversary, the Novel Construction Spring Session was held on 24-25 April 2024 at the Castle Hotel Windsor, where the first event took place two decades ago.

We were delighted to welcome more than 90 delegates from around the world at the event. Georges Hage, IPLOCA Executive Secretary, opened the meeting with a reflection. “Not all projects endure the test of time, but the Novel Initiative has remained as relevant as ever, if not even more so today. Those of you who have contributed to the Initiative over the years can be proud of what we have achieved together.” In his speech he added: “As we gather from different corners of the world, representing diverse companies and expertise, we are united by a common understanding—that the landscape of energy and pipeline infrastructure is changing rapidly.”

At the heart of the Spring Session were topics that resonate deeply within the industry: new technologies, energy transition, and the pressing need to reduce carbon optimum delivery systems to deliver an organisation’s specific requirements.

The CSRA team also helped facilitate the round table discussions that followed their workshop presentations, which explored how to improve corporate safety memory via these different topic areas and resulted in some interesting and lively discussions.

For more information about the CSRA, to access the incident learning tools, or to find out more about any of this research, please visit www.csra.colorado.edu footprints. Over the two days delegates had the privilege of listening to some experts in these subjects alongside taking part in breakout sessions to discuss and develop ideas on how IPLOCA can continue to shape and support the future of the pipeline industry. The key message for those in attendance was: “Let’s build upon the foundation laid in the last two decades and let’s pave the way for a new future for the sessions.”

The theme of this special gathering was: “Beyond Boundaries: Embracing 20 Years of Innovation, Unveiling Tomorrow’s Transformative Trends in Pipeline Construction.”

The following subjects were presented in the morning of the first day:

- LAURINI: A Game Changer in a Tough World *

Marco Laurini, Laurini

Michelangelo Blasi, Laurini

- Change Starts Here - We have the Opportunity of a Lifetime

Hakan Ask, Volvo CE

- Techint E&C Innovation in Pipeline Digitization

Diana Romero, Petro IT & Alejandro Aguirre, Techint

- H2 to Achieve Net Zero: Why & How to Store on a Large Scale?

Elodie Zausa, Geostock

- Adapting the Pipeline Industry to Deliver a Net Zero Energy System

Chris Beech, Worley

A workshop was held in the afternoon and the participants were divided into small working groups for brainstorming. The group discussions were related to the following subjects:

- AI Transformation

- Skill & Resources

- Standard & Regulatory Material

- Energy Transition

- Net Zero Construction

On the second day the following presentations were made, before the conclusions from the workshop were presented:

- Connected Assets - Enhance Equipment Health, Performance and Safety

Kai Thesen, Caterpillar

- Innovative Methods in Asset Tracking and Surveying with Lorawan and Satellite *

Cagatay Karatas, TINGZ Technologies

- Cadent’s Regional Hydrogen Development Programmes

- Kelly Manders, Cadent Gas

- ‘Future Grid’ and NG Hydrogen Work

Shaun Bosomworth, National Gas Transmission (NGT)

- Lowering Carbon Footprint in Pipeline Construction

Geoff Cox, Bechtel Pipeline

* Articles on these initiatives follow this report.

The presentations are available at www.iploca.com/event/ iploca-novel-construction-spring-session-2024

We would like to thank our generous sponsors Winn & Coales (Denso), Herrenknecht, Petro IT, Scaip, Sicim and Spiecapag, as well as all those who participated in the Novel Construction Spring Session. We look forward to our next session which is planned for 23-24 October 2024 in Lisbon, Portugal. The hotel is yet to be defined.

Unlocking digital transformation in pipeline & offshore construction with IoT Technology

Cagatay Karatas, Co-founder and CEO at Tingz

Digitalisation has become a cornerstone of modern industries, revolutionising processes, enhancing efficiency, and enabling real-time decision-making. However, the construction sector has lagged behind in embracing digital transformation.

This reluctance is not unfounded, as construction sites pose unique challenges. Remote locations, unreliable or absent GSM signals, harsh environmental conditions, and the prevalence of subcontractors and rented equipment all hinder the adoption of digital technologies. Nowhere are these challenges more pronounced than in pipeline and offshore construction.

Pipeline construction, in particular, presents a myriad of obstacles to traditional data collection methods. The vast expanses and constantly shifting nature of these construction sites make establishing reliable connectivity a monumental task. Yet, in such high-stakes operations, digitalisation holds immense value. Timely insights into equipment operations, swift interventions, and real-time decision support mechanisms can save contractors millions of dollars in costly delays.

For digital solutions to be effective in pipeline construction, they must fulfill three critical functions:

1. Precise Machine Operation Analysis

Raw sensor data or onboard computer metrics from equipment are not enough. It is imperative to dissect machine operations through the lens of a seasoned foreman or project manager. For example, identifying actual loading times and automatically redirecting idle machinery in real-time are essential functionalities.

2. Connectivity

With GSM signals often unreliable or nonexistent in pipeline construction sites, alternative industrial wireless data collection technologies like LoRaWAN must be considered. Moreover, data receivers in the field must be mobile to adapt to the expansive and ever-changing nature of pipeline construction sites. Once collected, transmitting this data to the cloud in GSM-deficient areas necessitates practical and cost-effective satellite connectivity solutions.

3. Integration

A solution deployed in the field must seamlessly integrate with other third-party technologies to combine data from various sources. Beyond machinery, data from different equipment, personnel, and fixed sensors must be harmonised to maximise utility. Combining operational insights with data from onboard vehicle computers can also be beneficial, enriching the data pool with complementary and diagnostic insights.

At Tingz, we meticulously address each of these three pillars, offering robust engineering solutions at every step. Our machine operation analysis transcends conventional methods, employing machine learning algorithms to report on equipment movements at an activity-specific level. We calculate loading times, analyse interactions between different machinery, and monitor wait times for excavation trucks—all in real-time.

In one of our most recent projects, we monitor 300 construction machines in an open-pit mining area with these methods. We carry out all loading, dumping and truck routing digitally. In this way, we achieved a 6% increase in all mining activities in the first 3 months of the project, while saving 27,000 liters of fuel per month and preventing 80 tons of CO2e emissions.

In the realm of connectivity, Tingz stands as a LoRaWAN expert, earning accolades within the community for successful data collection in the most challenging terrains. Tailoring LoRaWAN capabilities to pipeline construction, we strengthened our infrastructure with low-orbit microsatellites, ensuring uninterrupted data collection capabilities in even the most remote and inhospitable areas.

Moreover, Tingz’s infrastructure not only facilitates operational machine analysis but also enables the integration and orchestration of data from diverse sources. Thus, digital transformation becomes feasible for pipeline construction projects, paving the way for enhanced efficiency and cost savings.

In conclusion, while digitalisation may seem daunting in the context of pipeline and offshore construction, the potential benefits far outweigh the challenges. By embracing IoT technologies like LoRaWAN and satellite connectivity, contractors can unlock unprecedented insights and efficiencies, ultimately redefining the landscape of construction operations.

Laurini A game changer in a tough world

Michelangelo Blasi, General Manager at Laurini

The Novel Construction Spring Session 2024 took place in Windsor, where the first event was held exactly 20 years ago. What better opportunity for Laurini to celebrate 20 years of history in this incredible industry? A history of ambitions and challenges, where innovation is the key to improving quality, performance, safety, and sustainability.

“Beyond Boundaries: Embracing 20 years of Innovation, Unveiling Tomorrow’s Transformative Trends in Pipeline Construction” was the theme of the session. I would like to focus on two verbs in the title: “unveiling”, because the aim of the pipeline industry is to remove the “veil” from the future and focus on new trends, and “embracing,” as in giving a huge hug to everyone who brings innovation to make things better in our industry.

Laurini has always been committed to innovation and that is why we consider ourselves, together with many other IPLOCA member companies, as “game changers in a tough world”. We believe there are five characteristics of a game changer: open-mindedness, talent, knowledge sharing, failure, and endurance. In our presentation during the Novel session, we analysed these attributes, retracing Laurini’s long history of innovation.

“Open-mindedness” is about considering different viewpoints and never settling for the “it has always been done this way” mentality. In 2004, Laurini presented the Side Excavator, a new single structure as a base for winches and sideboom attachments with no modifications needed on the base machine. Two operators could convert it in one day.

At the time the Side Excavator by Laurini was recognized as a very innovative solution and it received the “New Technologies Award sponsored by BP” at the Convention in Vancouver in 2005. This was the first award of our Association recognising the “talent” of a company that had broken into the pipeline industry just a few years earlier. In 1996, Marco Laurini designed and built the first machine, a crushing machine called Grub, especially designed to work inside a trench, leaving behind a uniform layer of fine material. Grub was self-propelled and remote controlled. In the same year, certain companies (e.g. Bonatti and Somico) bought the first two units.

“Knowledge sharing” is crucial

Just like in team sports, many skills combined can create wonderful things. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. In 1996, Laurini joined IPLOCA and attended the Annual Convention in Istanbul. This was a turning point for our company because being in contact with leading companies in the pipeline industry allowed us to better understand the needs and problems that needed to be solved. In 2000, Laurini’s bestseller, the Vulcano, was born. It is a screening padding machine, self-propelled and remote controlled. Even the best innovations need updates, so Vulcano 2.0 was delivered in 2015, followed by Vulcano Smart and Vulcano XXL (higher output).

Knowledge sharing is also about building

valuable partnerships

Last year Laurini signed an agreement with Tesmec, another innovator in machine manufacturing. The idea behind the partnership is to combine our machines in bedding, padding and backfilling operations. When using a trencher, the performance of the Vulcano can be improved because of the finer material produced by the trencher. The competitive advantages include a comprehensive worksite solution, cost and time savings and fewer machinery movements along the jobsite.

During a dinner in 2006, Marco Laurini and Spiecapag‘s Asset Manager, Bernard Quereillahc, were having discussions about a multipurpose tractor. Marco drew the plans on a napkin. That was the day Muletrax was born.

The idea was to create a tracked flatbed for various uses. Muletrax won Laurini’s second BP Award in Sydney in 2007. We received the third BP Award in 2011 with the Seam Aligner Clamp, which ensures the fast, accurate and safe positioning of pipes.

Innovation is also about failure

In 2018, we developed Apollo, a pipe laying system. At the time we wanted to ensure the stability of the pipe column, secure the sidebooms and reduce the number of machines used during the laying of the pipe. Things do not always go as planned. Apollo had no luck because of the few types of construction sites where it can be used.

The last key ingredient to be a game changer is “endurance” and this word has several meanings:

- Endurance means courage: in 2021, we designed our SansOne pipelayer which brought important innovations in terms of visibility and transportability.

- Endurance means adaptation: from 2022, we designed and manufactured Sliding Shoes for Microtunnel installations.

- Endurance also means new challenges: in 2018, Laurini started a new business unit for special transformations of excavators for demolition machines.

The know-how gained in pipeline machinery was essential to our success in developing special transformations for excavators also suitable for pipeline sites.

Our latest innovation is the Switch-boom Excavator. Its competitive advantage is that a single operator can switch between the digging and pipelayer configuration in only ten minutes. The machine was presented at the Pipeline and Gas Expo in Piacenza at the end of May.

For more information: www.laurini.com

Picture: Jacko Lake Project, Surerus Murphy, Canada