Select Solutions is a market leader in the supply of asset inspection services to electricity distribution and transmission networks and generators. Our wealth of experience and our capability in providing multi-disciplinary inspection and test services sees us chosen as the favoured provider time and again. With decades of practice, our processes and systems are stream-lined and refined. Choose us for either rapid response or routine programmes to inspect and report on the condition of your network assets, using both aerial and ground based inspections. Our qualified inspectors, linesmen, assessors and engineers partner with a team of more than 100 personnel, who bring their rich local knowledge to the job.

Our services include:

  • Aerial inspection programmes
  • Ground based inspection programmes
  • Thermal imaging assessments
  • Corona assessments
  • Radio Frequency assessments
  • Aerial photography for network construction planning
  • Assessment and scoping – Ground and Aerial
  • Aerial video capture and back-office assessment
  • Asset inspection plan development
  • Auditing services – HS&E quality of works
  • Stakeholder management
  • QA policy and procedure development
  • Strategy review and development

Our programmes on offer include:

  • Routine cyclic inspections
  • Aerial disaster patrols
  • Pre/post bushfire patrols
  • Reliability patrols.

In 2014 we undertook inspection of:

  • 160,000 distribution poles using ground based methods
  • 50,000 poles by Aerial Inspection
  • 60,000 poles by Pole Top inspection
  • 850,000 photos by Technical Assessment.
  • 16,000 field validation of capital works
  • More than 450km of feeder by Patrol

UAV/Drone

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), also known as a drone, is a small aircraft that is flown remotely. Drones are designed to provide a live feed of images back to a ground control station, allowing operators to aerially inspect electricity assets for defects at height. This is a safe method that offers ‘real-time’ data.

Our drones are battery operated with up to a 1km range, utilise GPS-stabilised control and are ideal for conductor and asset assessments thanks to their ability to access semi-urban and difficult approach sites. Ground based inspections can only identify a few elements, such as pole integrity, age assessment and a far off visual inspection. Aerial controls allow a cross arm assessment, vegetation easement patrol, bush fire/pre-storm season patrols, steel conductor assessments and tower and structure assessments.

We currently use drones to inspect and identify defects in AusNet Services’ transmission and electricity distribution networks and Jemena’s electricity distribution network.

Features of using our drones include:

  • Remote controlled operation using GPS waypoint navigation
  • Vertical take-off and landing
  • High resolution geo-referenced images
  • Up to 45 minutes flight time (model & payload dependant)
  • Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) range of operation (model dependant)
  • Multiple camera options available (still, IR, etc)
  • Safe, non-invasive inspection tool.

HiMast

Our HiMast vehicle is a specialised mobile pole-top assessment tool, developed to improve efficiency and effectiveness for cross arm and aerial asset inspection. The vehicle features a hydraulically assisted telescopic mast, reaching heights of up to 20 meters. Affixed to the telescopic mast is a remote controlled, digital camera capable of capturing both still and video images in high resolution.

Helicopter

Our aerial asset inspection team is complemented by local contractors who understand the regional environment and how to collaborate with people in their community.

One advantage of the service we provide is that it ordinarily minimises disruption to operations.  Detailed helicopter inspections will allow us to inspect hundreds of poles a day. This method allows malfunctioning equipment to be identified, which can be difficult to discover through regular ground-based asset inspection methods. In turn, this reduces costs associated with unexpected asset failures and allows our clients to perform maintenance and replacement work in a more efficient, scheduled manner.

Pole Cam Inspection

Pole Cam Inspection provides a relatively safe, efficient method of inspecting pole top and cross arm hardware and is an optimal inspection method for semi-urban and hard to access sites, where traditional methods have previously been unable to reach.

The solution captures high resolution images to allow assessors to inspect every external detail of the asset. GPS co-ordinates are tagged in the EXIF data of each image, providing the ability to geo-locate assets within the mapping software of your choice.

Features include:

  • Economical, efficient method of pole top inspection
  • Safe, non-invasive inspection tool
  • High resolution images capture the smallest of details
  • GPS details captured, enabling integration with mapping software
  • Remote zoom, point and shoot functionality, with live stream from the camera, enabling a perfectly framed image every time.

Pole Condition Testing

Through our experience, we have streamlined and refined our ground inspection practices across all pole and construction types including the incorporation of Field Mobility solutions, new technology developments for Pole Top data capture and safety innovations for reduction of manual handling risks where possible.

Choose us for your ground inspection to benefit from our innovative approach that ensures minimal disruption to your network and optimal results.