Digital Pipeline Image Scanning and Intelligent Data Management for Sewer Pipelines

There have been several digital pipe scanning technologies for pipeline inspection and condition assessment. Digital pipe scanner means a method of inspecting pipes (usually sewer pipes) using digital optical sensor (digital camera) to scan the inner surface of the pipes. Digital scanning technology delivers not only high quality images, but also well-organized data to be imported into any database system with minimal data conversion and data loss. In the area of sewer infrastructure asset management, digital pipe scanning is one of the crucial technologies for easy inventory, accurate condition assessment and evaluation, and deterioration prediction modeling. An upgraded and new digital pipeline scanning technology is presented in this paper. The system adopted the image processing and software technologies in raw data acquisition, data calibration, image distortion adjustment, and generating reports, and exporting data to Computerized Maintenance and Management System (CMMS). The eventual objective of the research and development is to provide a complete solution for sewer infrastructure asset management that uses all the potential advantages of digital pipeline scanning technology. In this paper, digital image processing, condition assessment, and database management part of the solution is discussed, and future asset management development plan is described.