The benefits of guided wave testing (GWT) can be magnified if multiple collections from the same sensor at the same position can be compared and analysed together. This allows:

• The state of the structure to be regularly monitored for changes in a semi-automated way
• More accurate separation of environmental effects (for example areas of frozen insulation) from real defects
• Collections to be performed by less trained personnel (only requiring a fully qualified inspector when the sensor is first installed)

In addition to the safety implications of site access, the nominal access costs to the pipe can often account for a large fraction of the inspection cost, so recurrent testing for monitoring pipe condition can therefore be costly and carry risks.

gPIMS^® is a GWT sensor that is permanently mounted to the pipe. It offers an excellent solution to recurrent inspections where access to the test point is only required once. Further access cost for inspections is considerably reduced or completely eliminated. With the help of the data comparison module in the WavePro^™ software, the monitoring data enables accurate tracking and trending of defects.

Monitoring presentation available for download here.