News and Projects
Technology meets practice: 3D-OLE on the EWA Lot 2 construction site
An exciting day at our EWA Lot 2 construction site: Together with HafenCity University Hamburg, we have put a feasibility study on the optical inspection of pipelines into practice. As part of the 3D-OLE (Three-Dimensional Optical Pipeline Recording) research project, a completely new method for assessing the condition of pipelines is being tested.
Funded by the Irene and Friedrich Vorwerk Foundation, this innovative project aims to develop a high-resolution and cost-effective alternative to existing inspection methods such as ultrasound or magnetic techniques using optical sensors, 3D cameras and an inertial navigation system (IMU). The team from HCU Hamburg and EUROPEAN PIPELINE SERVICES was actively supported on site by colleagues from the EWA construction site.
The focus is on a so-called geometry pig, which was provided by EUROPEAN PIPELINE SERVICES GmbH. This travels through the pipe and records the inner wall using RGB-D cameras and profile scanners. This creates a three-dimensional point cloud that makes corrosion, deformations and weld seams visible and assessable, among other things, without physically affecting the pipe. What makes this special is that the image and sensor data collected is evaluated using AI. Artificial intelligence enables damage and deviations to be automatically detected, classified and documented.
If today's study is successful, the plan is to fully integrate the sensor system into the geometry pig by October. The aim is to use it to travel along a 25-kilometre-long DN 1200 pipeline under real conditions and gain new, data-supported insights into the condition of pipelines.
An optical inspection system of this kind has not yet been used in practice, so there is a great opportunity to do some truly pioneering work here. We would like to thank everyone involved for their cooperation.
(August 2025)
