CAST (Condition Assessment Selection Tool) Development

4.1 Introduction

The main objective of this thesis was development of a framework for decision support tool, CAST (Condition Assessment Selection Tool). Once the data was collected on condition assessment technologies a means of comparing them was needed. Several different formats and programs were considered including MS Access, MS Excel and MS Visio method. After careful review of all methods, MS Excel based method was selected because of the following features:

Wide usage is possible due to universal acceptance and availability of MS Excel

The revision and addition of new technologies is much easier

It doesn’t require any special training

Both MS Excel and MS Access based tools have the capability of comparing the technologies and storing the data within themselves. Excel was chosen over Access because of the ease at which the new information can be input allowing the databases to be expanded as new technologies are added. This along with the ability to copy formulas used to compare the multiple technologies in the database to produce the graphs as part of the results was deemed a perfect fit for developing the CAST.

4.2 Assumptions

In order to develop CAST, there is a basic assumption that has to be made, which is as follows:

4.2.1 Identification of assets to be inspected

It is assumed that the step 5 of the 10 step condition assessment program as discussed in section 1.3 has already been completed before using the tool. The use of CAST requires the users to have basic information about the pipelines assets and surrounding parameters they need to inspect. The basic information about the assets and surrounding characteristics that are required by the users of CAST are explained in section 4.4.

4.3 Framework

As me...

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...ment technologies on the X-axis; the Y-axis illustrates the percentage values the bars are colored in accordance to the DRI value of the technologies. The legend on the right side illustrates the color coding for the bars.

Figure 31: Usability Index

Figure 32: Detectability Index

Figure 33: Total Performance Index

4.4.8 Economical Indices

The economical indices of various technologies are displayed in this worksheet in form of graphs. Figure 34 and Figure 35 illustrates the tangible cost index and intangible cost index respectively. The tangible cost index gives the $/ft value of implementing a condition assessment technology. The intangible cost index gives a comparative value of combined impacts on user and traffic due to implementation of a condition assessment technology.

Figure 34: Tangible Cost Index

Figure 35: Intangible Cost Index