4.1 Operational experience and independent testing have fully documented that the usable life, maintenance and failure and mean time between failures (MTBF) in buried storm and wastewater lines can be directly affected by the defects during manufacturing, incorrect pipe storage, and improper installation, including improper compaction often resulting in the deformation and physical damage in newly installed, repaired and replaced pipelines. Laser profiling assessment is an effective quality control tool for identifying and quantifying deformation, physical damage, and other pipe anomalies after installation, providing valuable means and methods for determining the quality of workmanship and compliance with project specifications. Laser profiling capabilities include:

4.1.1 Measurement of the structural shape, cross sectional area and defects;

4.1.2 Collection of data needed for better pipe rehabilitation or replacement design; and

4.1.3 Post rehabilitation, replacement or new construction workmanship verification.

4.2 This standard practice provides minimum requirements on means and methods for laser profiling to meet the needs of engineers, contractors, owners, regulatory agencies and financing institutions.

4.3 A laser profile pre-acceptance and condition assessment survey shall provide significant information in a clear and concise manner, including but not limited to graphs and still frame digital images of pipe condition prior to acceptance, thereby providing objective data on the installed quality and percentage ovality, or degree of deformation, deflection or deviation, that is often not possible from an inspection by either a mandrel or only CCTV.

4.4 This practice applies to gravity flow lines—storm sewers, sanitary sewers, combined sewers, siphons, edge drains, highway drains, and culverts, and to all other pipelines, ducts and conduits that are made accessible and meet the requirements of 1.3, regardless of shape, design configuration or material. The line shall be free of excess debris and obstructions with a maximum flow level or stagnant water, during laser profiling, not to exceed 10 % of nominal pipe diameter or 6 in. (150 mm) in depth, whichever is the lesser.

1.1 This practice covers the procedure for the post installation verification and acceptance of buried pipe deformation using a visible rotating laser light diode(s), a pipeline and conduit inspection analog or digital CCTV camera system and image processing software. The combination CCTV pipe inspection system, with cable distance counter or onboard distance encoder, rotating laser light diode(s) and ovality measurement software shall be used to perform a pipe measurement and ovality confirmation survey, of new or existing pipelines and conduits as directed by the responsible contracting authority.

1.2 This practice applies to all types of material, all types of construction, or shape.

1.3 This practice applies to gravity flow storm sewers, drains, sanitary sewers, and combined sewers with diameters from 6 to 72 in. (150 to 1800 mm). The pipe shall be pre-cleaned and free of debris that would prevent the CCTV camera and laser diode assembly, shown in Fig. 1, from moving through the pipe, or adversely affect the accuracy of the survey. Flow or debris, within the line, shall be less than 10 % of the nominal pipe diameter or 6 in. (150 mm) in depth whichever is the lesser.

FIG. 1 CCTV—Rotating Laser Profile Camera in Pipe

1.4 The Laser Light Diode(s) shall be tested, labeled and certified to conform to US requirements for CDRH Class 2 or below (not considered to be hazardous) laser products or certified to conform to EU requirements for Class 2M or below laser products as per IEC 60825-1, or both.

1.5 The profiling process may require physical access to lines, entry manholes and operations along roadways that may include safety hazards.

1.6 This practice includes inspection requirements for determining pipeline and conduit ovality only and does not include all the required components of a complete inspection. The user of this practice should consider additional items outside this practice for inspection such as joint gap measurement, soil/water infiltration, crack and hole measurement, surface damage evaluation, evaluation of any pipeline repairs, and corrosion evaluation.

1.7 This standard practice does not address limitations in accuracy due to improper lighting, dust, humidity, fog, moisture on pipe walls or horizontal/vertical offsets. Care should be taken to limit environmental factors in the pipeline that affect accuracy of the inspection.

1.8 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conversions to SI units that are provided for information only and are not considered standard.

1.9 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. There are no safety hazards specifically, however, associated with the use of the laser profiler specified (listed and labeled as specified in 1.3).