Processing, April 2020

34 Processing APRIL 2020 the ability to conduct a virtual revisit at any time If a client requests additional information or questions a report technicians can quickly access actual measurements and eld data to address the issue You can always go back to it there is physical data to back everything up Naugle said The value of data density To illustrate how high density data can help reduce costs in repairs and upgrades Naugle described work to install a geodesic dome onto a new tank A contractor had built a dome based on design drawings but without a scan e dome didnt t by a few inches and construction teams spent three days trying to make it work When the dome was nally in place Naugle used HMTs Trimble TX5 scanner to scan the tank After processing the analysis pinpointed the exact locations of the mis ts and revealed that the diameter at the top of the tank shell was a few inches out of tolerance Naugle also found that the tank was concaving at the top A few hours of scanning and processing would have saved several days worth of money and frustration Naugle said Scanning moves to the mainstream Laser scanning brings significant upside potential to tank inspection including improvements in time cost and safety Rather than requiring two or three people on a site for several hours one person can complete a job in an hour or two for an in service tank Scanning cuts the time spent in tank interiors reducing safety concerns and enabling analysis of interior features even after the tank is re lled e specialized software functionality is an essential part of tank analysis Hayes noted that traditional approaches can miss problem areas while point clouds and tank speci c processing provide comprehensive inspection and evaluation Naugle pointed to functions such as heat mapping that reveal deflections An inspection map uses color coding to reveal bulges or deformation in a tank shell The dimensions of the region may be measured directly from scanning data over the entire tank surface e scanning solution provides much more data than is required under existing inspection standards which is helping drive acceptance in the tank industry Hazel agreed and emphasized the value of capturing as built scans on new and repaired tanks The baseline data provides inspectors and engineers a better picture of tank structure and condition The data enables their clients to make more informed decisions about tank maintenance and repairs Hazel also sees tank calibration as an excellent application for laser scanning and analysis While the industry is notoriously conservative in adopting new technologies Hazel expects laser scanning and software will continue to grow for tank inspections e big value will come in time as companies acquire calibrations and baseline data to compare with subsequent scans to assess change or damage over time Here on the U S Gulf Coast we are prone to hurricanes If you have a model beforehand then you can see what has changed on a tank as the result of a storm Hazel noted that coming up to speed with scanning requires a focused e ort and shared what HMT has learned in implementing laser scanning into its inspection portfolio Plan on a learning curve and dont rush into it he said Its important to understand the nuances of the system and develop good procedures e e ort will pay o John Stenmark is a writer and consultant working in the geospatial AEC and associated industries A professional surveyor he has more than 25 years of experience in applying advanced technology to surveying and related disciplines Trimble Geospatial www geospatial trimble com