Installation Crews Research Articles

Virtual reality simulator for pipe umbrella installation works

AbstractThe installation of pipe umbrella systems is a complex process that requires well‐trained machine operators and installation crews. Due to project and time constraints, adequate operator training in a safe environment without risk of personnel accidents or machine damage often falls victim to cost cuts. Previously, this shortcoming has been compensated by the deployment of selected expert personnel to respective tunnel projects for a certain period. This practice is, however, limited to availability of expert personnel and associated with high travel costs and significant waiting time on‐site. Virtual reality (VR) simulator‐based trainings have become state‐of‐the‐art in underground construction. They provide enhanced occupational safety by conducting virtual training before commencing works in the tunnel, increased operator performance, and improved installation cycle times. In addition to basic training, the VR simulator can be used for assembly and commissioning, maintenance, as well as refresher trainings and ongoing just‐in‐time support. Around mid‐2019, DSI Underground initiated the development of a realistic and authentic scenario‐based VR simulator for the AT – Pipe Umbrella System. This training tool also includes extensive theory background supported by a series of video modules illustrating best underground work practices. This article illustrates the background and development plan of the VR simulator and the implementation based on use cases.

Cross-laboratory reproducibility of sound transmission loss testing with the same measurement and installation team

Previous cross-correlative statistical research studies, combined with the results from past laboratory sound transmission loss round robin testing, illustrate that the laboratory-to-laboratory reproducibility of sound transmission loss testing is inordinately and unacceptably low. Industry building construction professionals use the results of laboratory sound transmission loss testing to determine acoustics-related building code compliance. As such, a forensic analysis of laboratory sound transmission loss is needed to narrow potential causes of cross-laboratory variability to a few primary sources. As a first step in this process, sound transmission loss measurements for two different assemblies are compared between multiple laboratories, each with their own different technicians and installation crews. Two different assemblies are then compared between multiple laboratory facilities with the same measurement and installation crew. The use of the same measurement crew at two different facilities resulted in much better statistical reproducibility than all previous reproducibility studies.

Meals on Wheels? A Decade of Megafaunal Visual and Acoustic Observations from Offshore Oil & Gas Rigs and Platforms in the North and Irish Seas.

A decade of visual and acoustic detections of marine megafauna around offshore Oil & Gas (O&G) installations in the North and Irish Seas are presented. Marine megafauna activity was monitored visually and acoustically by Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) qualified and experienced Marine Mammal Observers (MMO) and Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) Operators respectively, with real-time towed PAM in combination with industry standard software, PAMGuard. Monitoring was performed during routine O&G industrial operations for underwater noise mitigation purposes, and to ensure adherence to regulatory guidelines. Incidental sightings by off-effort MMOs and installation crew were also reported. Visual and acoustic monitoring spanned 55 non-consecutive days between 2004 and 2014. A total of 47 marine mammal sightings were recorded by MMOs on dedicated watch, and 10 incidental sightings of marine megafauna were reported over 10 years. Species included: harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), Atlantic white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus acutus), white beaked dolphin (Lagenorhynchus albirostris), common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), common seal (Phoca vitulina), grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) and, basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus). Passive Acoustic Monitoring was conducted on two occasions in 2014; 160 PAM hours over 12 days recorded a total of 308 individual clicks identified as harbour porpoises. These appear to be the first such acoustic detections obtained from a North Sea drilling rig whilst using a typically configured hydrophone array designed for towing in combination with real-time PAMGuard software. This study provides evidence that marine megafauna are present around mobile and stationary offshore O&G installations during routine operational activities. On this basis, Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for decommissioning O&G platforms should be carried-out on a case-by-case basis, and must include provisions for hitherto overlooked marine megafauna.

Paying Mind to Lift Systems in Mature Fields Yields Profit

Artificial Lift Case studies from around the world prove that big rewards await companies that optimize the artificial lift systems keeping their mature fields alive. The success stories involve a mix of monitoring, automation, and performance tracking. Through upfront sacrifices of time and money, companies that have taken the initiative are now enjoying the benefits of better production and reduced operation costs. For Australian production company Santos, the off-the-shelf technologies it adopted for mature fields went from “nice to have” to “must have” after its operating costs on more than 200 wells were dramatically reduced. Such improvements are even more important amid today’s low oil prices. “Your dollars per barrel is only going one direction right now, so we need to be smart about it,” said Blair Gardner, a production optimization engineer at Santos, who led the effort to automate his company’s lift systems. On a grander scale, the world’s largest supermajor, ExxonMobil, overhauled its artificial lift operations on approximately 1,000 oil wells in Africa with monitoring and automation systems and gained 10,000 B/D in added production. But by and large, these are the exceptions. Some industry experts say the status quo remains that in most mature fields, lift systems break down long before reaching the end of their expected run life. Shauna Noonan, completion technology manager and artificial lift expert at ConocoPhillips, said the technology is not to blame. “To make a long story short, when it gets to mature fields, it is not the fact that the lift systems will not work. It is that we really need them to be reliable,” she said. “If you want the reliability, you have to be willing to pay for it and put the time into it.” Of all the factors involved with the problem, Noonan said most of the time it comes down to a preventable human error, which she explained might be made by the manufacturer, distributor, installation crew, or the operator.

Korean Standard Nuclear Plant Ex-Vessel Neutron Dosimetry Program Ulchin 4

Abstract A comprehensive ex-vessel neutron dosimetry (EVND) surveillance program has been deployed in 16 pressurized water reactors (PWR) in South Korea and EVND dosimetry sets have already been installed and analyzed in Westinghouse reactor designs. In this paper, the unique features of the design, training, and installation in the Korean standard nuclear plant (KSNP) Ulchin Unit 4 are presented. Ulchin Unit 4 Cycle 9 represents the first dosimetry analyzed from the EVND design deployed in KSNP plants: Yonggwang Units 3 through 6 and Ulchin Units 3 through 6. KSNP’s cavity configuration precludes a conventional installation from the cavity floor. The solution, requiring the installation crew to access the cavity at an elevation of the active core, places a premium on rapid installation due to high area dose rates. Numerous geometrical features warranted the use of a detailed design in true 3D mechanical design software to control interferences. A full-size training mockup maximized the crew ability to correctly install the instrument in minimum time. The analysis of the first dosimetry set shows good agreements between measurement and calculation within the associated uncertainties. A complete EVND system has been successfully designed, installed, and analyzed for a KNSP plant. Current and future EVND analyses will continue supporting the successful operation of PWR units in South Korea.

Role of Inventory Buffers in Construction Labor Performance

Buffers of material stockpile (inventory) are formed at the work level in construction to help manage production. The size of material stockpiles often has an important bearing on construction project performance. In construction projects, where conditions are often uncertain and variable, some have suggested that buffers be sized and located according to the conditions. New management thinking like lean construction and theory of constraints suggests that the size of buffers needs to be managed carefully, because when oversized, buffers are wasteful, impede workflow, and hinder performance. Research has shown that project variability can be affected with the careful deployment of buffers but has not really evaluated the impact on construction labor performance. This paper reports an exploratory analysis of the relationship between inventory (buffers) and construction labor performance with data collected from three commercial projects in Brazil. In this study, the size of the buffer between rebar fabrication and installation in the construction of a structural system is compared to the labor performance of the fabrication and installation crews. The results show that some buffer helps achieve the best labor performance in the construction operations studied.

Symbiotic Crew Relationships and Labor Flow

This paper introduces a concept heretofore unrecognized in multiple crew relationships: symbiotic crew relationships. A symbiotic relationship occurs when the work pace of one crew depends on the pace of a preceding crew. Data from steel reinforcement activities from six commercial and residential projects in Brazil are used to demonstrate the negative effects of symbiotic relationships. The steel reinforcement on the case study projects was cut and bent on site. In this context, the pace of the installation crew's work (and hence performance) was dictated by the pace of the cutting and bending crew. The performance of crews with symbiotic relationships is shown to be consistently worse than when symbiotic relationships are not present. Symbiotic relationships are also tied to time buffers. There is better performance as the time buffer between crews approaches 5 days.