Pioneering Drone Stormwater Inspection for AECOM in Christchurch

The Project

We recently carried out a detailed stormwater pipeline inspection for AECOM in Christchurch, using our advanced Flyability Elios 3 drone with LiDAR capability alongside traditional CCTV inspections.

Our team delivered high-quality pipeline mapping and clear visual data, supporting AECOM with accurate analysis and reporting. The inspection covered two key stormwater pipelines:

Pipe 1: 1800mm diameter pipeline
Pipe 2: 1200mm brick egg-shaped pipeline

With our mix of drone technology and on-ground expertise, we continue to help our clients gain safe, efficient access to complex underground infrastructure.

The Elios 3 Drone Inspecting Inside one of the Two Stormwater Pipelines

Our team was prepared and fully equipped ahead of the Elios 3 inspection, with all necessary equipment onsite and set up beforehand.

Overcoming Inspection Challenges with Drone Technology

One of the key challenges on this project was inspecting two parallel stormwater pipelines while capturing high-resolution footage and producing a detailed map with georeferencing. Our Elios 3 drone proved to be the right tool for the job. Equipped with a 4K camera and LiDAR, it allowed us to collect sharp, detailed visuals even in low-light conditions, ensuring nothing was missed.

Another major challenge was the length of the pipeline. At 300 metres long and large in diameter, inspecting it with traditional CCTV and water jetting methods would have been time-consuming and inefficient. By using the drone, we eliminated the need for confined space entry and avoided potentially spending days jetting the line.

The Elios 3 provided a faster, safer and more cost-effective solution for completing the inspection, while still delivering high-quality results for our client.

The Elios 3 drone’s LiDAR scan reveals the detailed structure of the tunnel beneath the roadway.

Before inspecting the pipelines, our onsite team used Flyability’s geo-referencing features to accurately map the surrounding area and ensure precise data capture

The Elios 3 drone captured data, which was processed through Flyability Cloud and used to generate reports in WinCan.

For one of the first times in New Zealand, we have generated a Wincan report from Elios 3 flight data. By utilising its advanced features and the latest software updates through Flyability Cloud, we have enhanced our service delivery.

The feedback from our client has been very positive, as they were pleased to receive the report, which provided extensive and detailed insights to support their decision-making process.

Measurable benefits of using the Elios 3 for this project

The main benefits of using the Elios 3 were the significant time savings compared to standard CCTV inspections, along with the ability to capture high-quality video footage. This provided data and insights that traditional CCTV methods couldn’t match. Using LiDAR, we were also able to create a full 3D map with georeferencing, giving our client a clear and detailed view of the pipeline’s condition.

This project also marks a first for Christchurch City Council and AECOM, with a drone being used for both design work and CCTV pipeline inspections in the region. It follows on from our successful emergency response to the Parnell sinkhole, where we also used the Elios 3. Read more here.

In total, we successfully inspected 265.69 metres of pipeline.

Marsden Point Manual Tank Clean with Channel Infrastructure

The Project

In June 2022, InterGroup was appointed by Channel Infrastructure (formerly Refining NZ) to provide manual industrial tank cleaning services. This formed part of the decommissioning stage of the transition from a refinery to a terminal storage facility, with some tanks earmarked for a change in product service. We have cleaned approximately 40 tanks, previously used to store crude, finished fuel and other hazardous substances. With tanks allocated different priority levels aligned to the terminal transition sequence and schedule requirements, the project was split into two groups and is now nearing completion.

Led by our Area Manager Ryan Naidu, and drawing on the expertise and experience of the Northern Industrial Operations and Administration teams – as well as our National Compliance Management team, we planned, programmed and delivered safe and efficient work – meeting all the client’s time, cost and broader delivery requirements.

Zone 0 Non-Man Entry Robot

Gerotto robotic tank cleaning asset InterGroup

Delivering Strong HSE Performance

With a ‘No Spill’ culture and high safety and environmental standards, a strong performance in this regard was vital to the client and is always front of mind for Intergroup. Our existing presence at the refinery meant we brought a depth of familiarity with the client’s systems and procedures. This helped us to meet the ongoing challenge of successfully delivering multi-disciplined work site packages within this extremely high-risk operational environment. We delivered exceptional environmental and safety outcomes with zero spillages and loss of containment and 45,000 manhours without a safety incident. This was achieved through the implementation of our expertly designed methodologies and by minimising manned entry through the use of the Gerotto robotic system.

What We Did

Our dedicated and expert team has delivered sludge removal and detailed cleaning of 33 hydrocarbon tanks, including nine large diameter floating roof crude tanks via confined space man entry requiring breathing apparatus and extensive health and safety planning. Detailed cleaning has been to a class II/IV level of cleanliness as dictated by the intended re-purposing of the tank. In total, around 4000m3 of sludge has been removed from crude tanks. Tank cleaning works have been delivered through a range of methods – manual, magnetic (utilising our Verti Drive magnetic tank cleaning robot) and, for heavy sludge intensive crude oil tanks, our new Gerotto Zone 0 robotic tank cleaning system.

The Marsden Point site is being transitioned to a terminal storage facility, requiring complex industrial tank cleaning under highly challenging conditions

Meeting complex Challenges

Numerous and varying challenges were faced by our team on-site. Frequent changes to the tank availability schedule, based on the terminal transition plan, impacted on the management, planning and delivery of the project works. Regular and clear communication with the client was vital to integrate these, and our agile approach and strong client relationships helped to keep the works running smoothly and within the required timeframes despite required changes.

Integrating and operating the new technology (Gerotto) with no past experience was also challenging for our team on the ground. However, understanding the wide-ranging benefits of using this new system, we invested time in familiarising appropriate staff with the optimal operation of the robot – and the challenge very quickly became an opportunity realised.

Adding Value through Innovation

InterGroup has an impressive history of introducing innovative technology into New Zealand. This project benefited greatly from our approach to challenging the status quo – bringing in the Gerotto Lombrico robotic system which, while widely used to de-sludge and clean crude tanks in refineries in Western Europe, was a first for New Zealand.

Designed and certified to operate in an explosive atmosphere where the risk is continuous, this remotely operated crawler fits through a standard 24” manway and enhances efficiency by being able to be deployed immediately upon removal of the manway cover. This reduces both the required manpower and tank cleaning time. In addition, it provides significant health, safety and environmental benefits by eliminating exposure to toxic waste and the need for a nitrogen blanket or tank venting.

As well as being Zone 0 rated, the unit is fitted with a low pressure and volume jet nozzle system, used to introduce diluted cutter stock to agitate and fluidise the sludge. This feature enables the sludge to be easily vacuumed through the system and the fluidised sludge then extracted from tanks via the head of the “ATC” with sludge vacuumed using High Capacity 3A Vac Trucks

Added Value of our Industrial Team

The value of our technical expertise and ability to problem solve as we go was demonstrated on the T04 (crude tank conversion to Jet-A1). This required a first of its kind solution, to provide a full internal shell clean without any resulting jet contamination.
Despite the complex nature of the work, InterGroup’s experienced industrial team delivered to the required quality standards and within the cost and schedule we had committed to CHI.

Drone Technology with LiDAR Provides Emergency Assistance

The Project:

A critical situation arose in a large city centre, when a section of the main sewer line collapsed causing a burst pipe and a 13m sinkhole. With the collapsed sewer servicing large parts of the highly populated city, urgent investigation and resolution was required and InterGroup approached the client to offer our support.

The client needed the following:

An immediate understanding of the root cause of the collapse and the condition of the surrounding assets
A safe means of accessing this information, with too many unknowns to send in personnel
Clear visual data from which to derrive the best possible solution

Equipped with cutting-edge drone technology with LiDAR capability, InterGroup offered a proactive and immediate response. When the client confirmed their need for our assistance, we mobilised to site the same day.

Embracing Technology To Enhance Safety And Project Outcomes

Our state-of-the-art drone eliminated the need for human entry and enabled a comprehensive assessment of the pipe network. Using LiDAR, we precisely located and quantified the volume of rubble, while also identifying additional defects such as pipe holes. These findings offered invaluable insights into the extent of the damage, enabling the asset owner to make informed decisions for efficient and targeted remediation.

InterGroup’s rapid deployment of this advanced drone technology played a pivotal role in delivering a swift and effective solution to this urgent infrastructure challenge.

intergroup_drone_technology_lidar_E3_portrait_4

Pioneering Elliptic Sewer Pipe Assessment Using Cutting-Edge Drone Technology

The InterGroup team successfully conducted a comprehensive condition assessment of the Elliptic Sewer Pipe, using our drone equipped with Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) technology – a first for New Zealand. The highly sensitive and precarious work involved navigating four sections of the pipe, covering a total distance of approximately 992 meters.

Over a period of a day and a half, the team’s work and outputs surpassed the client’s expectations – gathering all the required information safely and efficiently. The resulting mapping and imagery allowed the client to gain a full understanding of the damage to the pipe, the state of the debris and to identify additional areas of concern to be factored into remediation planning.

InterGroup’s seamless execution, technical expertise, and commitment to safety were vital elements in the overwhelming success of this highly complex, pressured and challenging project.