CASE C17 · NZ ·
Christchurch City Council: one-day LiDAR drone survey of about 265 m of twin stormwater pipelines
Christchurch City Council had about 265 m of twin stormwater pipelines surveyed with a LiDAR drone. Data were collected in one day without anyone entering the pipes. The drone survey was combined with CCTV rather than replacing it, and no cost figures were given.
| Owner | Christchurch City Council (with AECOM as consultant) |
| Provider | InterGroup |
| Location | Christchurch, New Zealand |
| Aircraft | Flyability Elios 3 with LiDAR payload and range extender |
| Sensors | LiDAR, 4K camera, onboard lighting |
Before
Water jetting followed by CCTV; for this length, days of work and confined-space entry.
With drones
The drone flew the 1,800 mm and 1,200 mm pipes; georeferenced point clouds and video were imported into WinCan.
Outcomes
| Metric | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| data collection | 1 day vs likely multiple days for cleaning plus CCTV | Reported |
| length surveyed | 265.69 m (also given as 260 m / 265 m) | Reported |
| cost | described as more cost-effective, no figures | Reported |
Caveats & limits
- Manufacturer case study; year not stated; length is reported inconsistently.
- AECOM asked for the drone survey to be combined with CCTV, so it did not replace conventional pipe inspection.
- No cost data support the cost-effectiveness claim.
Sources
- Inspecting 260 meters of stormwater drains with the Elios 3 in ChristchurchFlyability Full text read
Sources checked: 2026-10-22