Abstract
Pipeline water crossings at rivers continue to be a pressing concern for pipeline owners, operators and regulators. On April 11th, 2019, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) issued an advisory bulletin 1 to pipeline owners and operators urging them to ensure the integrity of their assets in the event of severe flooding, river scour, and river channel migration. PHMSA suggested corrective actions to ensure the safe operation of pipelines, such as, the inspection of pipeline water crossings immediately following a flood event 1.
Advancements in technology have contributed to the development of intelligent monitoring solutions and autonomous surface vehicles (ASV). Using remote sensors, real time detection of pipeline exposure due to river scour can be combined with a water crossing inspection that validates the severity and risk of the threat. An ASV provides an increase in safety and the timely acquisition of depth of cover, depth of water, and 3D geospatial positioning, along with providing a full bathymetric profile using both multi-beam and side-scan sonar – providing a clear picture of the condition of the pipe and river bottom.
This paper will present inspection and monitoring methods and discuss improved methodologies of water crossing assessment using case studies and lessons learnt.
