Port Road condition monitoring 

Five Port of Tyne vehicles have had a 5G smart device with an integrated camera installed which will enable continual scanning of the roads, using app and camera-based AI technology to provide auditable reports of port infrastructure.

port

What is the problem to be solved?

Currently the monitoring of the condition of roads on the Port estate is done by manually by the Estates Maintenance team. The results of the inspec on are documented on a plan of the Port and defects noted are graded. This plan is then scanned and added into the Maintenance system. The key challenge is to automate this process, improving accuracy and productivity for road condition monitoring across the Port of Tyne estate. Specifically, there is a need to

 • Reduce manual inspec on me

 • Reduce damage to vehicles

 • Improve opera onal efficiency ultimately, it is about Port of Tyne being able to efficiently audit their estate and ensure that at all mes infrastructure remains opmally maintained.

port


 

What is the solution to the problem?

5G Network Expansion: The network expansion was to provide private 5G coverage across International Passenger Terminal operating areas and connection back to existing 5G network, to enable Port assets to move between sites and con nuously be connected to Port systems. This will also enable future location and operational specific use cases.

This infrastructure was delivered in partnership with Ericsson and has a backhaul connec on to the Port’s existing private 5G network on the South side of the river. N77 radios and baseband provide the network coverage and there is a 10gbps backhaul link to connect the new kit to the existing core. In the short term, the new network will enable the infrastructure scanning use case which is based on AI and cloud processing of the images. Longer term, the North side network will support further use cases and development related to ferry and cruise operations which includes passengers, vehicles and RoRo freight.

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Road condition monitoring 

5G smart devices with an integrated camera were fitted to five on-site vehicles and continuously monitored the road infrastructure, with connectivity via an expanded 5G private network across the entire port estate. Images were processed in the cloud, passing through AI soware to iden fy the condi on of the roads, missing white lining and signage.   

The cameras record video and stream it to the cloud where AI will process it to allow an auditable record of road surface condition, missing and existing signage condition, lighting and line markings to be indexed. 
Changes and anomalies in the condition will be automatically flagged in the soware for remediation.

port

Outputs from this system will be integrated with the Port’s digital twin application using available APIs. This use case was delivered in partnership with Vaisala.

Commercial model (Business Case)

The business case for automated road condition monitoring rests on improving operational efficiency of the port and reducing damage to port vehicles. It is anticipated that the smart devices and software platform will provide continuous monitoring and highlight any serious defects and over time, more timely repairs will be carried out when defects are minor (and therefore cheaper). If the internal road infrastructure is maintained to a high standard, this will reduce wear and tear on vehicles, improve operational efficiency if vehicles have less damage or don’t need to slow down for potholes and promote safety for vehicles and pedestrians whilst on-site.

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We require the use case to be operating longer so we can better understand the data and use it to inform the new process for monitoring and undertaking road repairs. This will in turn enable us to develop a robust RoI model.

Port of Tyne HSEQC department have also expressed an interest in using this data set to understand the condition of road signage across the estate. The use case is capable of doing this, which would otherwise have been a manual exercise.

The project supports the continued investment in advanced technology in maritime and related activites at the Port. The investment in 5G on the North side of the river will support future investment to upgrade passenger facilities at the International Passenger Terminal, delivering a better experience for visitors to the area, both UK and International.

The use cases have supported confidence to invest in related technology projects, using the benefits of 5G technology to support planning of automation projects, the use of autonomous vehicles, and improved service for customers. 

These projects will come forward for assessment over the next 12 – 24 months. We are expecting that investment in these projects will be in the region of £2m - £5m over the coming two years. Future capital will probably be funded from the Port’s borrowing facilities.

Benefits

Productivity & operational efficiency: Currently the Port carries out a manual inspection of the Port estate quarterly. This takes 2 Engineers 2 full days and totals 32hrs. They carry out minor repairs but anything that is of significant size (>0.5m) is passed to the Infrastructure team who arrange a contractor to carry out an annual repair. The key benefit of this use case is the saving of 32hrs quarterly on this inspection by automa>ng it and having AI flag the problem areas. The Port will then undertake more regular minor repairs to maintain the condition of the road. As minor pot holes won't be left to deteriorate, the Port expects the overall repair cost to reduce, as well as having good quality surfaces which are less likely to damage vehicles. There may be an addi>onal benefit in plant moving across the site quicker if the roads are in good condition.

 

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The Port are now able to audit their estate and ensure that at all times infrastructure remains optimally maintained. The solution has also given the Operations team the ability to audit contractors on site who for example paint the white lines on the road network. The system gives an instant report as to the works completed and allows managers to see the before and after. The data is available via an API that can be integrated with the Port’s digital twin. All outcomes were achieved with this use case.

Lessons Learnt 

  • Do: Where procurement of subcontractors and contractors is involved, pre-emptive drafting of procurement specifications is beneficial to mely project progression
  • Do: Early discussions around resource requirements would have improved processes and shorten timescales
  • Do: Commence process of supplier induc on early to ensure approvals are in place in me to carry out onsite work
  • Do: 5G network planning - review proposed locations of radio masts alongside ducting maps to ensure appropriate connectivity to utilities
  • Do: All parties needed to work together and build in additional me to work through the interoperability issues, as there have been challenges connecting agreed devices to the private network.
  • Do: Explore opportuni es to collaborate with wider sectors and other companies within the supply chain i.e. Plant & equipment OEMs looking to innovate on 5G networks
  • Don’t: Underestimate the me and complexity to installing or upgrading a 5G network. 5G network upgrade can take longer than initially anticipated
  • Don’t: Underestimate the complexity of matching device technology to appropriate vehicles, which has presented problems requiring vehicle subs tu on/modifica on and network upgrade
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