Hi
would like to see some pictures of the selfie stick with gopro if possible. Did you find a way to be able to measure pipe sites on the video images? Lath attach??s or in view during video shoot?
thanks,
christof.
I sure would like to see an affordable digital imagery approach. Maybe like this?
Brad - I have thought about using one of these....can't get depth but photos, video etc. all in about 15 seconds and you don't have to touch anything.
I don??t understanding the ??you don??t have to touch anything?
is that about controlling the drone? It detects the bottom of the manhole or the flu??dum without user interaction?
is there enough light to have usable video?
christof.
It hurts my feelings when I occasionally drop a box tape down a manhole or catchbasin.?ÿ One small goof and that drone is going to careen off the wall and float downstream.?ÿ I'd use a gopro or similar attached to a rod if I ever need to get photos or video down a manhole.
I don??t understanding the ??you don??t have to touch anything?
is that about controlling the drone? It detects the bottom of the manhole or the flu??dum without user interaction?
is there enough light to have usable video?
christof.
The "don't touch" is referring to the poop stick and not wanting to touch it. But I think you could tape a little LED pin light to that drone with no problem. One thing that is really cool that I would be interested in is to have it fly in 360 degree mode where it spins and takes photos - maybe you could take the photos from top to bottom and run it through Pix4d to get a 3D model of the sewer barrel?
You can also program this drone to perform a series of tasks - it is open source like?ÿ?ÿ ??ÿ
I used to dip structures in Chicago. Lots of good ideas to "chew on" here!
🙂
N
The "don't touch" is referring to the poop stick and not wanting to touch it.?ÿ
My solution to that is disposable nitrile gloves and commercial (real bleach) disinfectant wipes.
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that happened to a guy I worked with
Great tips. Speaking of tips, those heavy lids will chop the tips of your digits clean off.
Be careful.
see above
I've done a few Sewer Asset Inventory and Assessment (AIA) as well as many miles of route surveys for new and rehab sewer projects?ÿ I've also had the misfortune of surveying the hydrology profile of waste treatment plants. H2S is no joke and neither is the threat of Hepatitis but you also have to realize that there are thousands of people working at treatment plants who represent the canary in the coal mine. Bottom line, wear gloves that are easy to take on and off and put your dirty level rod in a pvc pipe capped on one end and tilted appropriately.
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I've popped over 2000 MHs. In the beginning I was anxious over the uncertainty of invert measurements and pipe materials. Then I filled in as an inspector on a few sewer projects and realized the insignificance of the accuracy of my inverts beyond 0.1' and most of the time 0.2'. Mind you, I don't work in dead flat areas but if I did I would be out during construction with a level and would never rely on design plans.
Most engineers are using pipe TV companies and PACP assessments where it matters. Even with a Go Pro you are not providing information that is useful in obtaining federal funding unless you are trained in NASsCO's PACP point system. You are better served by being efficient and noting when material and diameter were hard to observe. Remember the next MH, up or down, may hold answers to the one in question. Also, stop by the waste treatment plant and get a copy of whatever maps or records they have.?ÿ
As for safety, don't trust cones. Two people are required for MHs in streets. Be mindful of peak traffic, sometimes you need the municipality's help. For the vast majority of streets, bring a couple of tall cones out with your long- shank offset handle MH cover puller, a heavy duty flathead screwdriver, paint, 3lb sledge, and level rod. One person spots traffic and is vocal to a point nearing annoyance to the other person trying to flip the lid. Pop, measure, paint, observe, replace lid, then get out of the road. Efficiency is your greatest safety. Cones help attentive drivers but are useless at preventing you from getting clobbered.
At my insistence, my company purchased DCs with cameras preinstalled. You may be the first to open up a given manhole in decades. Cover your butt by taking a photo of it closed with your invert measurements on the asphalt.?ÿ This saved me big time when a tractor trailer popped a MH cover up and the lady following too close behind him totalled her car when she struck it. I showed the police a time stamped photo of the closed MH, complete with painted depths, and all was kosher.?ÿ
How you locate it depends on your equipment. I deal with revolving designers so I prefer to offset down to the invert and use F2F to connect or display sewer lines. Sheets are great if you are the one breaking it all down, but why not learn how to use features and attributes and eliminate that chance of a transcription error? My attributes for MH features evolve, but generally begin with:
Diameter of structure (3',4',5'etc)
Material of Structure(brick, concrete, plastic)?ÿ
Holes in Lid(yes or no)?ÿ
Condition (too much to list here)?ÿ
Photo
Notes
Out depth
Out size
Out direction?ÿ
In-1 depth
In-1 size... and I repeat for five "In" pipes. I've had a couple of times when there were multiple pipes stacked in the same direction and went over five so I had to be creative in my digital notes.
Good luck
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I sure would like to see an affordable digital imagery approach. Maybe like this?
Brad - I have thought about using one of these....can't get depth but photos, video etc. all in about 15 seconds and you don't have to touch anything.
Unless the drone is "intrinsically safe" there is a potential to spark a methane explosion especially in a larger slow moving vault.?ÿ Safety.?ÿ It's ruined all the fun in the world.......?ÿ?ÿ 😉
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I sure would like to see an affordable digital imagery approach. Maybe like this?
Brad - I have thought about using one of these....can't get depth but photos, video etc. all in about 15 seconds and you don't have to touch anything.
Unless the drone is "intrinsically safe" there is a potential to spark a methane explosion especially in a larger slow moving vault.?ÿ Safety.?ÿ It's ruined all the fun in the world.......?ÿ?ÿ 😉
?ÿ
Very good point...
Unless you have OSHA training and the proper equipment for entering MH's, DO NOT DO IT.
You can be overcome by the gas fumes and lose your life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm probably kicking a dead horse here since many have already mentioned that you shouldn't go in manholes, but it is good to know why it is dangerous and unpredictable.
H2S (Hydrogen Sulfide) is considered IDLH (Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health) at concentrations as low as 100ppm.?ÿ OSHA doesn't want anyone breathing 1ppm for more than 8 hours (not that I put much faith in OSHA).
H2S is not toxic like Chlorine, it doesn't immediately harm lung tissue.?ÿ It is a somewhat heavy gas that, when concentrated in places like a manhole, pushes out the breathable air.?ÿ It also attaches to the lung and inhibits Oxygen absorption.?ÿ
Even people aware of the threat get fooled because, initially, we can smell H2S at concentrations considerably less than 1ppm.?ÿ However, we quickly get desensitized to it.?ÿ Moral, if you smell rotten eggs in a manhole or near a hog lagoon, don't come back later the same day and assume the threat is gone because you don't smell rotten eggs anymore.?ÿ Many have died...
