Ausenco delivered a five-year program of annual structural and mechanical asset inspections on select critical bulk materials handling infrastructure at Trigon’s bulk terminal located in Prince Rupert, British Columbia. The inspections, which included visual, non-destructive testing (NDT) and on-water and underwater dive components, allowed Trigon to better plan their short- and long-term maintenance of critical infrastructure and to lower the overall risks associated with their aging assets.
The challenge
Trigon operates a 155-acre facility near Prince Rupert, British Columbia that receives, stores, and loads coal and other bulk materials onto ships. The facility serves as a critical export point for several mines in the province. Built in the early 1980s, the terminal’s aging infrastructure represents an increasing risk to Trigon’s coal shipping operations. To help Trigon’s maintenance team better understand the associated technical and financial risks―and better mitigate those risks through appropriate maintenance and capital expenditures―Ausenco developed and executed a five-year program of annual asset inspections at the site, providing specific recommendations for repairs and replacements.
The better way
Effective planning was key to executing an impactful inspection program. As the first step, our team leveraged their extensive knowledge and experience to develop a customised program that would prioritise infrastructure items representing the greatest capital risk in the event of failure. The result was a five-year inspection plan with more frequent and/or detailed inspections of higher risk assets, and fewer inspections of less critical infrastructure. NDT, confined space inspections, visual inspections using aerial work platforms or boats, and underwater inspections were specified at selected locations.
Our team scheduled inspections to coincide with the client’s planned facility shutdowns as much as possible. Advance scheduling allowed us to coordinate the in-house experts and subcontracted specialists appropriate to each inspection. Because the terminal’s operations had a high degree of variability in ship scheduling, we implemented measures to facilitate a highly flexible team to ensure that the terminal remained as productive as possible while not compromising the quality of inspections.
Our inspections included specialised NDT consultants for select critical locations and dive teams to inspect the underwater piles supporting the ship loader and other marine structures. Some structures also required inspection work in confined spaces, at heights from aerial platforms, or close inspection of pipe piles accessible only by boat. As part of the inspection program, range of motion tests and operational tests of safety equipment like limit switches and e-stops were also conducted to verify full functionality to maintain asset safety.
All inspection findings were assigned to one of four categories in ascending urgency to prioritise maintenance spending on critical items, and to deliver the most value for preventative maintenance. These rankings allowed Trigon’s maintenance team and senior management to coordinate schedules and budgets appropriately.
The outcome
Ausenco’s five-year asset inspection program allowed the client to understand risks across the full range of their aging infrastructure at the terminals site and better manage the maintenance program and mitigate risks.
By developing reports aimed at both maintenance staff and company management, Trigon could execute better planning for long-term maintenance and capital improvements, eliminating risk where possible. Ausenco provided full coordination of our teams and other consultants and contractors so that we could deliver to Trigon a single, comprehensive overview and prioritised recommendations to support informed decisions for their asset management program.