Underwater inspections made easy – it’s our promise

All over the world civil engineering structures such as quay walls and bridges, are reaching the end of their technical lifespan and authorities need to decide whether to replace or reinforce them. Visual inspections and assessments carried out from the water, usually by diving teams, provide a certain level of insight, but they need considerable investment in time and money.

Our clients in the Netherlands require frequent underwater visual inspections, and RPS was asked if we could make the inspections safer, more reliable, faster, and more cost effective by removing the need for a diving team. Our solution to this complex problem lay with our remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). The ROV-drone can be deployed with little notice and is extremely accurate. With its own propulsion, sonar (2D) and on-board film and photo camera, clients can watch a live-feed of the inspection work as it happens.

First developed for industrial purposes, such as internal and external inspections of underwater pipelines and the structural testing of offshore platforms, ROVs are now used for many other applications, some of them scientific. They have also proven to be extremely valuable for inspection methods.

The ROV-team in the Netherlands, led by Michel de Vré and supported by Chris Vreeken, now frequently inspects harbours, industrial sites and quay walls with the ROV, gathering crucial data for their clients. Based on the inspection data they’ve collated, clients can make a better-informed decision on what to do next with their project sites and structures.

Recent clients/projects:

• City of Rotterdam
• Port of Antwerp
• Waterboard of Delfland