Bechtel has been awarded the prestigious 2018 Digital Edge 50 Award in recognition of its new Pipeline Integrity Management (PIM) tool. With support from Bechtel’s Future Fund, an internal incubator which finances development of disruptive technologies, innovators from the Bechtel pipeline business designed the tool to help customers prioritize critical pipeline integrity work and improve overall safety. The tool integrates pipeline data, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and data-science modelling to help customers improve their forecast maintenance and replacement of pipeline systems.
Bechtel began development of the PIM tool after it was recognized that customers needed support in establishing new standards of pipeline safety across the world. The tool utilizes massive geospatial data sets and proprietary algorithms, creating detailed risk assessments based on over 100 parameters and relationships known to contribute to pipeline failures. This data is then used to assess the impact of incremental changes in material, construction and geospatial characteristics along the length of the pipeline. Utilizing Bechtel’s Big Data & Analytics Center, the PIM tool can analyze hundreds of thousands of welds and pipe joints in a matter of minutes, providing valuable assessments of a customer’s pipeline system in record time.
