Aiding localauthorities in Queensland, Australia, in the essential maintenance of roadsideculverts, remotemonitoring expert Omniflex has delivered a remote monitoring and control solution for animpressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) control system designed to operatein the complete absence of mains power and cellular coverage.
In Far North Queensland,a vast remote region of Australia, roadside infrastructure operates inextremely challenging environments. Monsoons and seasonal flooding in theseremote areas place huge pressure on culverts that are often out of sight, but essentialto road safety and drainage. Such culverts are susceptible to corrosion andfailure could lead to the roads collapsing.
Working with corrosionconsultant Infracorr, Omniflex supplied a bespoke ICCP enclosure and controlsystem to protect the culvert. The system, powered entirely by solar panels andusing satellite connectivity, now provides continuous reporting of performancedata without the need for regular site visits.
“The culvertthat needed cathodic protection was several hours from the nearest town, in aregion with no power or network coverage,” explained David Celine, managingdirector of Omniflex. “This meant that traditional remote monitoring solutionsweren’t viable, and sending engineers to inspect the system in person would bevery costly.
“During our ownearly site visits, access was so limited that the consultants were forced toabandon the trip altogether when the road became impassable due to flooding;not a cost-effective use of time.
“With galvanicanodes already in place from a previous installation that were not providing sufficientprotection, an ICCP system that would extend the lifespan of the infrastructureand allow performance to be verified was urgently needed,” continued Celine.
Due to theremoteness of the site, vandalism was considered a risk factor, so the entireICCP system was installed at the top of a pole under the solar panels, with thebatteries buried in the ground in a waterproof enclosure.
Omniflex’ssystem used two solar-powered transformer/rectifiers for ICCP delivery and a RemoteTerminal Unit to monitor and control performance using four referenceelectrodes embedded in the earth surrounding the culvert. Using satellite connectivity to report back toOmniflex’s Data2Desktop platform, local authorities can easily adjust setpoints, access performance data and information on solar power generation andbattery health in real time, reducing the need for regular in-person siteinspections.
Omniflex is anexpert in remote monitoring for cathodic protection in hazardous, orhard-to-reach areas. Learn more about cathodic protection in remote areas withits dedicatedsector overview.
