Offshore staff
OSLO, Norway — Equinor has deployed a rolling ultrasound scanner to assess the internal state of concrete structures on a platform offshore Norway.
Elop Technology developed the system.
“Being able to view deeper into concrete material is an enabler to increase safety, confirm integrity and, if possible, extend the lifetime of existing offshore platforms,” said interim CEO and head of sales, Emir Evlic.
Linjebygg, an inspection and maintenance specialist that works for Equinor, managed the scanning operation using the Elop Insight system.
Senior engineer Terje Ertvaag said, “We could clearly see the tendon ducts under the heavy reinforcement, in some places even two layers. These are located at approximately 30-40 cm depth, which is substantially deeper than we have been able to see when using other inspection tools.”
According to Elop, the ultrasound scanner is designed to quickly inspect and assess large surface areas, with the live 3D visualization of the concrete structure on the scanner screen providing a real-time interpretation of the concrete’s internal state, including cracks, air pockets, voids, delamination and rebars.
This was the first application of the technique on an offshore platform.
10.17.2022
