GPRS Performs CCTV Video Sewer Pipe Inspection in San Jose, California

Ground Penetrating Radar Systems (GPRS) was recently called out to inspect a sewer system due to a noticeable sink hole in the area near SanJose, California. The customer was unsure if the sink hole was related with the storm pipe or not and called us out to investigate the pipeline with our robotic crawler.

When the GPRS video pipe inspection (VPI) crew got on site, we met with the customer and walked the site to find out which sewer pipes they needed to inspect.  After walking the site and talking with the customer, GPRS setup on the first location that was the main concern. The inspection took place with the Envirosight Rover Xcrawler video camera which can access pipe sizes of 6 inches and up. With the capability of the video camera system being able to rotate the camera head 360degrees we were able to get a full VPI on all of the joints to determine if there was any joint separation allowing soil or water to leak into the pipe causing the sink hole. The pipe showed no signs of infiltration or defects that would be related to the sink hole and we informed the customer the pipe was in good working order. GPRS crews then started investigating the remaining parts of the sewer pipes to determine if the rest of the storm system was in good working order. During the inspection the crew came across a section of pipe that was compromised by what was believed to be a water pipeline that was directionally bored through the bottom of the storm pipe, which was clearly visible. The customer was immediately informed due to the structural damage that was caused to the pipe.

With the VPI inspection that was conducted, the customer was informed of a possible future hazard that could cause a sink hole in another location. If the sewer pipe had been located prior to the water pipe being directional bored, the boring company could known where the pipe was and had an estimated depth of how deep the storm system was in order to avoid drilling through the pipeline system. We were able to give the customer an exact location of where the pipelines intersected so they could make the necessary repairs to prevent future problems. GPRS pipe inspection video cameras have a lot of great features to help the customer get the information they need.Of these features, one of the best is they are locatable with ourElectromagnetic equipment and are equipped with sondes that we can pinpoint the exact location of our camera in the pipe. This saves the customer from having to dig a large exploratory excavation along the pipeline to find a small problem area.

GPRS is a nationwide company specializing in underground utility locating. Our crews can use state of the art equipment for locating and inspecting various types of pipes and utility lines. Our GPRS team has the following tools to get the jobs done: GPR (ground penetrating radar), concrete scanning, geo mapping, and video pipe inspection cameras is some of the equipment we utilize for various jobs.

‍Note: GPRS does not provide geophysical, geological, land surveying or engineering services. If you need such services, please contact an appropriate professional.

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