North Sea Port conducts quay-inspection test using underwater robot from Asset.Insight.
North Sea Port strives to maintain effective insight into the condition of the quays in the port. On Wednesday 26 June, as an alternative to deploying a diver, a test involving an underwater robot from Asset.Insight. will be carried out in Terneuzen, North Sea Port says in a press release.
This high-tech underwater robot is equipped with various sensors, including ultrasonic, laser, PEC, sonar and a high-resolution camera. The measurements taken during the inspection will be very precise and displayed in easy-to-understand fashion via a dashboard. Not to mention, of course, that deploying an underwater robot is safer than having a human diver carry out an inspection. An added advantage is that ships can continue to sail in and out as usual. With this test, North Sea Port is investing in the development of innovative methods for managing the port infrastructure.
Quays are subject to continuous wear and tear from propeller movements and ships turning around. Repairing and restoring quays is often an expensive undertaking. For that reason, timely insight into the condition of the quays is extremely important. It is absolutely vital to detect potential cracks before they occur. If such weak areas are not identified in time, financial and safety risks will ensue.
“The chance to gain insight into the thickness of the quay walls, cracks and structural defects – without interrupting shipping traffic – is a valuable reason to try out this innovative quay inspection method,” explains Jan Lagasse, CEO of North Sea Port.
The underwater robot is used to gather data. Kars Quist, Commercial Director of Asset.Insight.: “The most valuable aspect of this underwater robot is the data it collects, which we then make available to our clients. This enables the asset manager to take data-driven decisions in order to efficiently plan their management and maintenance efforts. Which, in turn, saves a great deal of time and money.”