Remote Underwater Surveys and Inspections: Exceeding Regulatory Requirements for Safety of Water Power Projects

ABSTRACT ONLY - Narrows Dam Case Study – Cube Yadkin Generation (an affiliate of Eagle Creek)
Remote underwater surveys and inspections provide facility owners and their engineers with detailed, accurate and repeatable data that gives them a comprehensive understanding of their asset. ASI helps clients meet the evolving requirements by regulators for inspecting and maintaining the various underwater infrastructure at hydroelectric power generation plants.
Traditional underwater inspections are difficult to compare year over year due to changing reference points, visibility and other factors. ASI specializes in the delivery of georeferenced data products such as high- resolution 3D point clouds, elevation maps, cross-sectional profiles, and corresponding underwater photos, creating a baseline and a mode for comparison of the asset year over year. With the collection of baseline data and the implementation of a consistent survey and inspection program, critical information such as deterioration, anomalies, and undermining can be identified, measured, and monitored accordingly to determine when and if intervention is necessary.
In this presentation, ASI will highlight the technology, methods and subsequent deliverables, providing examples from our recent survey and inspection at Narrows Hydroelectric Dam in NC. The individual technologies, their benefits and limitations, and the combined data results will be further discussed, accentuating the value of detailed and comprehensive data for clients and regulatory agencies. We invite you to analyze the case study at Narrows Dam and see firsthand the benefits of thorough underwater investigations.