A R U P I N S P E C T
Using data to manage assets effectively
ARUP INSPECT 3
USING DATA TO MANAGE ASSETS EFFECTIVELY 2
Inspecting or surveying infrastructure is a historically antiquated process
requiring duplication of data from hand-written notes to word-processed
reports. A constraint with traditional inspection is the inability to provide
clients, who may not be on site, the context to understand where inspection
findings are located and how to plan accordingly.
Infrastructure integrity is essential to everyday life
to keep cities running. Ensuring our assets across the
energy, water, rail and highways industries are running
effectively and safely is critical. Undertaking asset
inspections can be a time-consuming process which
produces multiple sets of disparate data making strategic
decision making difficult.
Arup Inspect has been developed to overhaul the way
we look at managing asset inspections. Our approach
takes inspections from a dated process to a fully
digitised workflow, allowing for the inspections to be
completed mostly remotely. Our approach aids reduction
in risk, time and costs and is a significant step towards
developing a digital twin approach for assets across
various industries.
The core of our technology is Arup Inspect 3D, an innovative 3D-model based tablet application. Arup Inspect 3D has been developed over years by specialist in-house designers guided by our decades of experience in asset management, integrity and inspection. We’ve combined these technologies into one service for clients, allowing inspections to be
completed more remotely in an efficient way
than a traditional approach. Inspection reports can automatically be created allowing for better decisions to be made from accurate data.
Enhancing asset management in
the built environment
Often the only option available to provide a
visual record of an inspection finding is via
a standard camera. Managing hundreds or thousands of images is a labour-intensive process to capture what’s needed. Arup Inspect removes these barriers by providing clients with a high resolution ‘Google Street View’ like environment, with highly responsive 3D models in an easy-to-use
application, tagged with inspection findings.
C R E AT I N G A N E W A P P R O A C H F O R I N S P E C T I O N S
Our state-of-the-art approach has been developed in-house digitalising inspected infrastructure using techniques including:
Reality capture
Automation
Artificial
intelligence
USING DATA TO MANAGE ASSETS EFFECTIVELY ARUP INSPECT 5 4
B E T T E R D ATA , B E T T E R D E C I S I O N S
With traditional inspections, evaluation is broadly completed at the time of data capture – that could be during an offshore wind development inspection, or a visit to a pumped
hydro facility. Our approach significantly
reduces the overall time at site, which is particularly relevant in this new normal where social distancing and reducing site headcount is needed.
To allow for the most effective outcome, we work with clients to create 3D models of assets that are incorporated into our Arup Inspect 3D application. The newly created visualisations allow for a better inspection evaluation by our experienced engineers and
consultants remotely, in the office rather than
at site. This approach allows us to deliver the recommendations and reports in a variety of ways – from delivering the visualisations with tagged inspection information, to more traditional reports, which are automatically generated.
A S S E T S T H AT C A N B E N E F I T F R O M A R U P I N S P E C T
Over the past five years we have built up a
proven track record of successfully delivering projects for a wide spectrum of clients across a variety of industries. Arup Inspect is a
beneficial service for assets such as:
• Nuclear facilities • Tunnels
• Onshore and offshore wind developments • Offshore energy infrastructure including
platforms and LNG facilities
• Telecommunications masts and towers • Solar PV facilities
• Onshore energy infrastructure including pipelines and transmission lines
• Railway infrastructure • Bridges and highways.
Our innovative approach is versatile
and flexible making it applicable
to small and large-scale assets, a
single asset or an entire portfolio
of a clients assets. It can also be
used for fixed assets, such as
commercial buildings and hospitals.
A R U P I N S P E C T
A simple approach to effective inspections
MInteg inspector using Arup Inspect 3D for oil and gas inspections (see later case study for more details)
USING DATA TO MANAGE ASSETS EFFECTIVELY ARUP INSPECT 7 6
B E Y O N D I N S P E C T I O N
Arup Inspect has a variety of uses beyond inspection. Each project and programme varies with scale, client objectives and scope complexity - we’ve designed Arup Inspect so it can be used on a one-off basis or as part of an annual or programmed approach.
We have successfully delivered the service to provide clients the ability to complete safety inductions virtually, for site shutdowns, turnarounds, and overhaul maintenance planning, as well as to provide an interactive 3D record for complex construction project close-out.
A D A P T I N G T E C H N O L O G Y
We embrace and thrive on a culture of innovation and continuous improvement as well as strong client relationships. As part of our culture, learning from each project is essential to us.
Arup Inspect is an industry-first digitised
inspection service – we take the time to work with clients to ensure future iterations of Arup Inspect is even better than the one before, to maximise the value added.
U S I N G D ATA F O R B E T T E R O U T C O M E S
Inevitably, inspections generate findings.
Arup has over 70 years of experience designing and maintaining some of the world’s largest and most complex assets across the built environment. We have the
expertise to pragmatically prioritise findings
and recommend how to apply resources at the right time to manage degradation and mitigate the associated risks.
It’s critical to understand the
data and how to act upon the
findings. Our experience across
infrastructure allows us to interpret
the data and provide support in
planning for effective change,
whilst efficiently executing the
design and management of the
enhancement, refurbishment or
repair projects.
We developed the ability to stream
data from third party sources - such
as sensor data - to add dimensions
to Arup Inspect deliverables, in a
cost-effective manner tailored to a
clients specific needs.
Integrating Arup Inspect
Innovation to deliver long term benefits
USING DATA TO MANAGE ASSETS EFFECTIVELY ARUP INSPECT 9 8
A R U P I N S P E C T
Our experience: Working with our clients
We’ve worked with clients across multiple markets especially within the
energy sector, where Arup Inspect can add significant value to assessing
infrastructure from pipelines to offshore assets.
The visualisations delivered as easy-to-use applications have contributed to improved reporting. The 3D model-based tablet
application will also help Apache on its journey to adopting a digital approach for the platform.
Arup in collaboration with MInteg
successfully transitioned Apache
from an old inspection process to a
fully digitised approach.
Which minimised time spent on
site, resulting in high-quality data
to better plan for the future of the
asset as well as reduced risks,
time and costs.
C L I E N T: A PA C H E
L O C AT I O N : N O R T H S E A , U K S E C T O R : E N E R G Y
Arup was commissioned alongside partner MInteg to undertake an annual structural inspection on one of the world’s largest offshore platforms – the Beryl Alpha, situated in the North Sea owned and operated by Apache.
Apache commissioned the new approach to inspecting the asset, using Arup Inspect instead of the historic approach. We collaborated with MInteg and worked alongside the Apache team to develop a plan for the inspection which eliminated the need for rope access or working at height. To eliminate the need for working at
height, we utilised our Arup Inspect workflow
and technology.
Over 60,000 images, including 360° panoramic views, were captured using
ultra-high-resolution cameras all from safe-access walkway locations. Reduces risk to personnel by reducing team size by up to
25%
Reduces time on-site by up to50%
Arup Inspect can also reduce cost by up to
30%
Improves data quality for strategic decision making
