Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore (BV) of France has completed its first survey of a ship by drone. The intermediate survey was carried out in the holds of a bulk carrier in an Italian port and consisted of close-up inspections and ultrasonic thickness measurements (UTM) that were conducted by the drone in two cargo holds.
The drone operator was certified by Bureau Veritas for both UTM and Remote Inspection Techniques (RIT) which were incorporated in BV’s rules last year.
Compared to traditional survey practice the benefits of using a drone include a reduction in overall time, safer conditions for the surveyor, and a reduction in costs normally associated with staging needed for UTMs such as the hiring of raft and/or rope access specialists.
Bureau Veritas confirms that the use of aerial drones for survey work is now “mature” and is offering them on a world-wide basis.
