Pipeline Inspection

In the early eighties and speaking usually, the only internal pipeline inspection was either carried out by the sewer inspection organizations, who could be inspecting mainly dry sewer pipe（Underground Sewer Pipe） sections more than quick distances; normally not exceeding 150m and who would cease if the pipe became surcharged towards the point exactly where the camera would turn into submerged as well as the oil business support organizations who would run 'intelligent pigs' although the oil pipes to assess weld integrity, pipe wall thickness and condition in an effort to assess pipeline longevity and safe operating pressure.

At this time the water companies who have been largely oblivious to the internal condition of their pipelines, adits, aqueducts and tunnels were starting to have concerns about the integrity of their assets, numerous of which had been constructed throughout the Victorian era or more lately inside the early fifties and had by no means been inspected and had been unsuccessfully wanting to uncover businesses and/or gear that could carry out such surveys.

In some circumstances they have been able to de-water the pipelines（Water Supply Pipes） and if large sufficient diameter, they would send a confined space group in to carry out a visual survey; such surveys have been certainly fraught with prospective dangers, not least of which incorporated the danger of collapse, flooding as well as the accumulation of toxic gasses.

De-watering came with its own set of potential dangers towards the structural integrity on the concrete, tunnelled and brick constructed pipelines; in many instances, small leaks developed by displaced joints, erosion and localised damage and so on. enabled the leaking water to locate a path by way of the ground and over numerous years, earth would be washed out from about the pipe, typically resulting in large water filled voids forming around the outside of the pipeline.

The newly de-watered pipeline which would usually be partially reliant on the head of water within the pipeline (trying to push the walls out), to keep its structural integrity, could all of a sudden be subjected to many tons of water outside on the pipeline (trying to push the walls in), making localised places of external high stress, which would often cause pipe failure and localised collapse, causing subsidence from the ground above the pipeline manifesting as holes inside the ground that would appear 'over-night'.

At around this time there was an rising demand in the Water Organizations to send divers up water filled pipes（Tap Water Pipe） armed with CCTV cameras, to survey for as far as their nerve or umbilical length would permit.

Within an incredibly short period of time the HSE Diving Executive, showed a keen interest within the security aspect of sticking divers up pipes and prior to lengthy an excursion range of around 30m as a maximum was regarded as protected, supplying that each of the necessary security precautions were in spot.