The Future of CCTV/Pipe Inspection

CCTV/Pipe inspections

Without the use of pipe inspection cameras, most sewer pipe damage cannot be determined how severe it is and where it is located. Globally, closed-circuit television (CCTV) has been used for a variety of purposes throughout history. The plumbing industry has benefited greatly from this breakthrough technology.

Domestic as well as commercial plumbing systems can be examined using CCTV-based pipe inspections to ensure maximum performance. In order to prevent leaks, cracks, blockages, corrosion, and other defects in pipes, surveyors must regularly inspect them.

Traditionally, sewer inspections have been time-consuming and inefficient. As a result, they may miss defects due to the use of manual processes on-site to check for defects.

What is the Function of CCTV Cameras For Sewer Inspections?

Surveyors usually use a robotic CCTV camera crawler transportation unit since they cannot inspect pipes above ground or physically access them underground. By inserting a CCTV camera crawler through a manhole, you can inspect and record sewer lines. Crawlers have CCTV cameras mounted on them that can rotate or change directions as necessary.

In addition to capturing high-quality images and videos, these devices come with user-friendly applications that promote safety and quality while enhancing productivity. Computer-controlled CCTV cameras transmit real-time information and images back to the operator along with the ability to store the information for later reference.

Innovative Technologies in Pipe Inspection

Generally, CCTV pipe inspections are more expensive because of the equipment, the site setup, and the back-end processing. In order to drive down the overall cost of CCTV/Pipe inspections, CCTV contractors and asset owners can utilize new technologies.

Sewer Camera Inspections with VR

Traditional surveying solutions could be replaced by VR. VR solutions let operators move crawlers forward and then capture VR video from any direction by simply instructing them to do so. A 360-degree video that has been captured on-site can then be reframed in editing software to simulate panning and tilting. In this way, operators can save time on location by working in an office setting.

Analytics Powered by Artificial Intelligence

There are multiple uses of artificial intelligence (AI) in pipe inspection, and it can be used in many different areas. The CCTV inspection package can be tailored based on statistical models that predict pipe degradation. Using artificial intelligence, the inspection workflow can be simplified both on-site and back-office, as manual processes can be eliminated.

Computer Vision Tools

With computer vision, it is possible to comprehend what is happening in a picture by using the pixels in the picture. Edge detection and noise filtering are some common computer vision applications. Images can also be measured using computer vision, and changes can be tracked over time using computer vision. 

Online Tools and Cloud Streaming with 5G

It was often time-consuming to transmit a large amount of data between locations before 5G was introduced. With the expansion of 5G coverage and adoption, cloud streaming services are likely to become more prevalent in wastewater networks.

For CCTV Pipe Inspection and CCTV Sewer Inspection, Trust Only The Best

The CCTV sewer inspection and CCTV pipe inspection services offered by Util-Locate will solve your underground sewer problems.

Our team of experts at Util-Locate can identify buried materials in your excavation without guesswork. We’re here to help if you need us at Util-Locate! Feel free to call us at 888-885-6228.

How to Prevent Damage to Underground Utilities

util locate man at work

There are so many industrial activities taking place on land. Such actions increase the possibilities of damaging underground utilities, especially if those operations involve drilling or excavation. As a result, most power lines, telephone cables, gas lines among others are damaged. Damages to these underground connections can result in dire consequences: disrupting critical public services, increase downtime due to repairs and replacements, and catastrophic accidents or death.

As such, when you need to dig, it is essential that you hire utility locating services with experience, knowledgeable personnel, and top-notch equipment such as using advanced ground penetration radar technology in their ground utility surveillance work.

Below is a list of useful tips of alleviating damage to underground pipes and wires.

Call Before Digging

The Federal Communications Commission issued a toll-free number 811 as a Call-Before-You-Dig contact in the U.S. for locating underground public utility lines.

For locating private utility lines, call our committed representatives. They will listen to the details of your project and relay the word to our field technicians who have the technological know-how and equipment to provide utility locating services. Util-Locate company Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) technology to precisely determine the depth of any in-ground wire and cables with over 97% accuracy.

Nonetheless, it is important to mention that utility markings of underground connections are only done on areas of utility easements, but not on private property. Therefore, any intrusive or drilling activities around a private landholding are not subject to public locating services.

Contact a private utility locating firm such as the Util-Locate company that uses the latest technology to provide precise information about the position and depth of utility lines.

Implementation of Better Working Practices

Several countries have created regulatory policies to govern underground locations to ensure utility damage prevention and maintain safe working conditions. Such policies detail the need to have an excavation plan, reliable utility locating services, and maintaining safety during excavations.

Improving working practices means that these companies need to utilize the latest technology to detect locations of buried pipes and cables. Purchase user-friendly equipment that features updated technological components. The machine must be highly accurate and sensitive, proof against external interference from power lines, multi-frequency Ground Penetration Radar equipment and emphasizing to employees the importance of proper working practices.

Planning of Safe and Efficient Excavation

Safe on sight excavation is a necessary ingredient for all construction works. Accurate information provided before commencing digging or any other civil operation is an essential contribution to safe excavation. Spiking an underground power cable or fracturing a gas pipeline can cause severe property damage and loss of lives from executions or explosions. Knowing their underground presence and exact position help avoid any possibility of property destruction and loss of lives. Using state-of-the-art Ground Penetrating Radar technology reduces unnecessary costs and major inconveniences while enhancing efficient working and site safety.

Protecting and Maintaining Infrastructure

Our company is the most trusted in underground utility damage prevention. Util-Locate company prides in providing a full suite of utility compliance and underground damage prevention throughout Southern California. Our mission is to deliver high quality, safe, efficient, and innovative solutions that safeguard our clients’ infrastructure and critical assets.

How Utility Locating Services Have Changed Over Time

Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR)

Locators of utility lines use a range of equipment to complete their work. Depending on the work to be done and the type of utility that needs to be located, locators choose which tools to use for utility locating. A reliable utility location method prevents hazardous utility strikes among excavation crews and the surrounding communities. 

There are a variety of tools used for detecting underground cables. Located tools are used for specific purposes and come with some limitations as well. Radars, electromagnetic utility locators, and APLs are the most popular tools for detecting underground utilities.

Common Methods For Underground Utility Location

It is possible to locate a buried utility line using a variety of methods and techniques. Before choosing a locating method, you need to gather as much information about the job site as possible, as well as any mapping information that’s available. 

Electromagnetic Utility Locating

Emitting electromagnetic waves is one of the most common methods of locating private utilities.

A metallic field is created using electricity for the purpose of detecting underground cables using these tools. There are two components to the electromagnetic utility locator, the transmitter and the receiver. Electrified cables are connected to the transmitter through electric current transmission.

Early nineteenth-century discoveries gave rise to a profound understanding of electromagnetic induction. Within a generation or so of the turn of the century, electromagnetic induction had been used to locate hidden cables. Electronic cable and pipe locators have advanced to the point where they are portable, accurate, and reliable. Pipes and cables are found underground using these devices.

Ground-Penetrating Radar

Another method of locating underground utilities is utilizing Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR). An operator transmits radio waves onto the ground, which are reflected back up to the equipment, where they display objects on a screen. GPR was originally developed in the 1930s for measuring glacier thickness. In the 1960s, 1970s, and ultimately in the mid-1980s, hardware and software made significant technological advancements.

Modern Utility Locating Technology

The increased demand in locating utility services demands and increasingly complex utility grids with many intersecting lines have put additional pressure on scanning tools to provide accuracy and depth. Electromagnetic scanning technology became more advanced and featured as new features and advancements were introduced.

Utility scanning and locating are often carried out by electromagnetic induction scanning throughout the world without causing any damage to the utilities. Repairing utility lines, cabling, and fiber optics, displaying key archaeological locations during excavations, and mapping construction sites for safe excavation are just a few of the applications.

As a result of these technological advances, GPRS has been training on and utilizing the most advanced electromagnetic scanning tools for locating private utilities. Utility scanning and locating services by GPRS continue to be among the best in the industry for construction and excavation crews across the country.

Whenever you require expertise in locating and scanning infrastructure, contact Util-Locate! To locate and map underground utilities efficiently, our team consists of highly skilled professionals using GPR. We at Util-Locate can assist you with private utility locating. Please contact us at 888-885-6228 for more information.