Full Text Available

Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.

Implementation of the DER rating system within a power generation environment

The main purpose of this research study is to test the applicability of the DER (Degree of defect, Extent and Relevancy of defect) rating system, used for road network infrastructures, to the support structures of a dry cooling tower in a power generation environment. The DER is a defect-based ratin...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Gombele, Bokosa
Other Authors: Moyo, Pilate
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Department of Civil Engineering 2018
Subjects:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1867613400205361152
access_status_str Open Access
author Gombele, Bokosa
author2 Moyo, Pilate
author_browse Gombele, Bokosa
Moyo, Pilate
author_facet Moyo, Pilate
Gombele, Bokosa
author_sort Gombele, Bokosa
collection Thesis
description The main purpose of this research study is to test the applicability of the DER (Degree of defect, Extent and Relevancy of defect) rating system, used for road network infrastructures, to the support structures of a dry cooling tower in a power generation environment. The DER is a defect-based rating system developed locally by the Built Environment Division of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Pretoria, South Africa. This study involved a visual inspection and the rating and analysis of defects of reinforced concrete (RC) structures in an Eskom power generation plant located in Grootvlei in Mpumalanga Province. Visual inspection and condition rating systems form part of an Asset Management System (AMS) that is used to ensure a safe operation and the economic benefit of the structure throughout its life cycle. For that reason, various organisations and roads authorities have developed condition-rating systems similar to the DER for visual assessment of their road network structures using a Bridge Management System (BMS) as a vehicle to achieve their operation and maintenance objectives. Other condition-rating systems have been identified and their applicability to structures in a power generation environment as compared to that of the DER was also tested. These condition-rating systems are: 1) The Overall Structural Condition Index (OSCI) - proposed by the Australasian Transport Research Forum (ATRF) for bridge condition assessment and prioritisation of maintenance activities and budget allocation. 2) The National Bridge Inspection Standard (NBIS) which establishes a uniform program for all state departments of transportation in the USA to regulate the minimum requirements for inspection types and procedures, inspection intervals, inspector qualifications, and inventory reporting, and 3) The Ontario Structure Inspection Manual (OSIM) which sets standards and provides uniform approaches for visual and detailed inspections and condition evaluation for all types of bridge structures in Ontario, Canada. Comparative rating analyses of the defects of the same RC structure in a power generation environment was conducted in order to establish the applicability of the DER in comparison with the other rating systems. The use of the DER, amongst other selected condition rating systems, was recommended with the suggestion that further improvement be undertaken so as to extend its usage within a power generation environment.
format Thesis
id oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/27875
institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:35:32.752Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2018
publishDateRange 2018
publishDateSort 2018
publisher Department of Civil Engineering
publisherStr Department of Civil Engineering
record_format dspace
source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/27875 Implementation of the DER rating system within a power generation environment Gombele, Bokosa Moyo, Pilate Civil Infrastructure Management and Maintenance The main purpose of this research study is to test the applicability of the DER (Degree of defect, Extent and Relevancy of defect) rating system, used for road network infrastructures, to the support structures of a dry cooling tower in a power generation environment. The DER is a defect-based rating system developed locally by the Built Environment Division of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Pretoria, South Africa. This study involved a visual inspection and the rating and analysis of defects of reinforced concrete (RC) structures in an Eskom power generation plant located in Grootvlei in Mpumalanga Province. Visual inspection and condition rating systems form part of an Asset Management System (AMS) that is used to ensure a safe operation and the economic benefit of the structure throughout its life cycle. For that reason, various organisations and roads authorities have developed condition-rating systems similar to the DER for visual assessment of their road network structures using a Bridge Management System (BMS) as a vehicle to achieve their operation and maintenance objectives. Other condition-rating systems have been identified and their applicability to structures in a power generation environment as compared to that of the DER was also tested. These condition-rating systems are: 1) The Overall Structural Condition Index (OSCI) - proposed by the Australasian Transport Research Forum (ATRF) for bridge condition assessment and prioritisation of maintenance activities and budget allocation. 2) The National Bridge Inspection Standard (NBIS) which establishes a uniform program for all state departments of transportation in the USA to regulate the minimum requirements for inspection types and procedures, inspection intervals, inspector qualifications, and inventory reporting, and 3) The Ontario Structure Inspection Manual (OSIM) which sets standards and provides uniform approaches for visual and detailed inspections and condition evaluation for all types of bridge structures in Ontario, Canada. Comparative rating analyses of the defects of the same RC structure in a power generation environment was conducted in order to establish the applicability of the DER in comparison with the other rating systems. The use of the DER, amongst other selected condition rating systems, was recommended with the suggestion that further improvement be undertaken so as to extend its usage within a power generation environment. 2018-05-03T12:18:53Z 2018-05-03T12:18:53Z 2018 Master Thesis Masters MSc (Eng) http://hdl.handle.net/11427/27875 eng application/pdf Department of Civil Engineering Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment University of Cape Town
spellingShingle Civil Infrastructure Management and Maintenance
Gombele, Bokosa
Implementation of the DER rating system within a power generation environment
thesis_degree_str Master's
title Implementation of the DER rating system within a power generation environment
title_full Implementation of the DER rating system within a power generation environment
title_fullStr Implementation of the DER rating system within a power generation environment
title_full_unstemmed Implementation of the DER rating system within a power generation environment
title_short Implementation of the DER rating system within a power generation environment
title_sort implementation of the der rating system within a power generation environment
topic Civil Infrastructure Management and Maintenance
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/27875
work_keys_str_mv AT gombelebokosa implementationofthederratingsystemwithinapowergenerationenvironment