Remote monitoring aids roadside culvert safety in Far North Queensland

To assist local authorities with essential maintenance of roadside culverts in Far North Queensland, Omniflex has delivered a remote monitoring and control solution for an impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) control system that is designed to operate in the complete absence of mains power and cellular coverage.

Roadside infrastructure operates in extremely challenging environments in this vast remote region of Australia, with monsoons and seasonal flooding placing significant pressure on culverts. Often out of sight, culverts are essential to road safety and drainage and susceptible to corrosion, with failure of these culverts having the potential to lead to roads collapsing.

Working with corrosion consultant Infracorr, Omniflex’s bespoke ICCP enclosure and control system to protect the culvert is powered entirely by solar panels and uses satellite connectivity, which enables continuous reporting of performance data without the need for regular site visits.

“The culvert that needed cathodic protection was several hours from the nearest town, in a region with no power or network coverage,” Omniflex Managing Director David Celine said. “This meant that traditional remote monitoring solutions weren’t viable, and sending engineers to inspect the system in person would be very costly.

“During our own early site visits, access was so limited that the consultants were forced to abandon the trip altogether when the road became impassable due to flooding; not a cost-effective use of time.

“With galvanic anodes already in place from a previous installation that were not providing sufficient protection, an ICCP system that would extend the lifespan of the infrastructure and allow performance to be verified was urgently needed,” Celine said.

Image: Supplied

With vandalism considered a risk factor due to the remoteness of the site, the entire ICCP system was installed at the top of a pole under the solar panels, with the batteries buried in the ground in a waterproof enclosure.

Two solar-powered transformer/rectifiers for ICCP delivery and a Remote Terminal Unit to monitor and control performance using four reference electrodes embedded in the earth surrounding the culvert were used in the system. Using satellite connectivity to report back to Omniflex’s Data2Desktop platform, set points can be adjusted by local authorities, who can also access performance data and information on solar power generation and battery health in real time, reducing the need for regular in-person site inspections.

Top image: Supplied