For energy pipeline systems, the focus of integrity management is evolving beyond safety limits, towards tolerable risk. Ultimately, inspection and maintenance are linked to the overall reliability of product conveyance. James and his team support these trends with engineering and advisory services, as well as state-of-the-art digital tools.
A potential release of product from a pipeline exposes people, property, and the environment to harm. Landslides, for example, can potentially damage or break open a pipeline. To manage this risk, James led the client release of our Active Strain Analytics, a Stantec solution that looks for characteristic pipeline bending strains at locations of potential ground movement. Anywhere the threat is found, James’s team provides an assessment of safe remaining life and designs remedial measures such as strain-relief or pipeline relocation. While the remediation is being put into place, geotechnical monitoring tracks the advancing threat.
With a focus on bringing integrity into asset management, James is passionate about unravelling challenges to safe pipeline operation and developing processes and practices that reduce risk.