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During the construction of the Fryslân Wind Farm, international hydraulic contractor Van Oord called on the multifaceted expertise of the Inspecto Visio Group. The reason was the suspicion that structural damage had occurred during the installation of one of the 89 foundation piles for the wind turbines. The Sneek-based company clarified the matter following a three-part damage investigation and a comprehensive report.
Within the Zuiderzeewind contractor consortium formed with Siemens Gamesa Reneweable Energy, Van Oord is responsible for the design, fabrication and installation of the wind farm's foundations and cables. In addition, the company is providing the equipment to install the wind turbines. "After placing one of the 89 foundation piles, Van Oord suspected that damage might have been caused," owner and also QA/QC engineer Wolter van der Zee looks back on the work performed by Inspecto Visio Group. "In order to gain further insight into this and to be able to take possible follow-up steps, we were asked by Van Oord to conduct damage surveys and to report on them."
Inspecto Visio Group, a global provider of technical assurance through project management, quality assurance, quality control, non-destructive testing and inspection for a variety of industries, began by writing an inspection plan that included three survey methodologies: visual, magnetic and ultrasonic. "We took an approach specific to offshore activities that was ultimately approved by Van Oord and the end user," Van der Zee said. "Following that, we started the physical inspection. While during the visual inspection we checked for deformations of the foundation, the magnetic inspection served to rule out any damage in and just ónder the surface of the structure. The ultrasonic examination aimed to detect internal damage in the steel."
The inspection conducted by Inspecto Visio Group showed that there was no structural or internal damage to or below the foundation's surface. "As a result of our investigation, the structure was only re-coated," said Van der Zee, who characterized the work as commonplace for his company. "We usually perform such inspections around offshore-related projects. Especially regarding fabrication. When that is the case, we literally feel like a fish in the water and can provide a complete technical solution. In terms of research and reporting, but also when it comes to coordinating damage repair. We are at home in many markets."
