Department of Corrections – Using CCTV to conduct Asset condition assessments

03/09/2021

Context/Challenge

Ngawha Prison in Northland is built on swampland and the infrastructure is being affected by subsidence. Sewer and stormwater pipes are beginning to fail, and the Department of Corrections needs to develop a maintenance plan to fix these assets. The historical As-Built drawings for the prison’s infrastructure are not accurate enough to enable physical location of key infrastructure, which presents a risk in undertaking construction activities.

Solution

USL is currently working at the prison to locate and map all infrastructure within prison grounds including sewers, stormwater, telecoms, gas. We are using a combination of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and electromagnetic location (EML) to pinpoint the location of this key infrastructure without disturbing the ground.

We are also completing a CCTV inspection of all sewer and stormwater pipes, to ascertain the internal condition of this infrastructure to inform a maintenance plan.

Key Outcomes

The Department of Corrections will have a clear understanding of the condition of their sewer and stormwater assets, and where maintenance efforts should be prioritised. A new set of As-Built drawings shows the exact location of all services, which will enable the protection of this vital infrastructure when contractors begin excavating the pipes for maintenance and repair.