Technology Focus: Total Station

Technology Focus: Total Station

By: Samantha Magee |
Media Relations Coordinator

Senior Project Manager Caleb Voisin describes the technology below:

How does it work?

Initially, the team inspects the areas where all equipment is to be placed by using laser electrical discharge machining (EDM). Once the equipment is set, they translate the real-world locations of the flanges into computer-aided design (CAD), again using laser EDM.

After the location information is inputted into the system, the team removes all of the field welds from drawings and performs fabrication offsite. Once fabrication is complete, the installation onsite takes a fraction of the time it would take to fabricate the piping onsite.

What improvements does this technology provide?

Quality, safety, time and cost all benefit from this method of facility erection.

  • Quality is increased because spools are being fabricated in a shop environment away from the elements like harsh temperatures, dust and rain.
  • Safety is improved because there are fewer simultaneous operations going on in the field.
  • Project time is reduced because a fabrication shop allows for critical path items to be built in tandem while the field labor is dressing out equipment, installing bollards, building structural supports.
  • Cost savings are significant because the cost to fabricate in a shop in Louisiana is drastically lower than the cost of fabricating in the field.

The Pipeline Newsletter

View all posts