For councils and utility managers, maintaining underground pipes is a constant challenge. Ensuring new installations are installed to industry standard, identifying faults, and verifying asset quality are critical tasks, but traditional inspection methods can be slow, ambiguous and resource-intensive.
Pipes may be out of sight, but they cannot be out of mind. For civil contractors, local governments and utilities, the integrity of stormwater, sewer and water networks is a top priority.
New plastic pipes, for instance, must meet strict shape and alignment standards. Even minor squashing or misalignment during installation can compromise performance, reducing flow efficiency and increasing maintenance risks over time.
Historically, checking pipe roundness and condition has relied on ring lasers or post-installation surveys, processes that are often time-consuming and require specialist calibration. For accuracy, ring lasers have pipe diameter limitations and require a second inspection run.
For local government teams responsible for inspections, the complexity of these tasks is compounded by time pressures and the need to produce accurate, reportable data for compliance purposes.
In some jurisdictions, a detailed laser profiling report is mandatory before a council will accept an asset from a civil contractor. Yet even when required, traditional methods are cumbersome, requiring separate inspections and specialised equipment.
This is where the sewer inspection equipment experts at SECA come in.
Introducing SECA
SECA’s new RCX100 camera head has been designed to meet this niche challenge.
Compatible with the Rovion HD system, the RCX100 combines standard HD 1080p pan, tilt and zoom functionality with advanced laser profiling, pipe diameter measurement and crack measurement capabilities for pipes potentially up to two metres in diameter.
Unlike conventional ring laser systems, the RCX100 can perform laser profiling as part of a standard inspection, on the return pass, without additional setup or calibration. The high-speed motors within the camera allow it to spin rapidly on the return trip, capturing precise measurements while the operator conducts routine inspections. Where a WinCan laser module is already licensed, the system can generate fully compliant laser profiling reports immediately, reducing both time and operational complexity.
The RCX100 streamlines what used to be a separate, complicated process. Councils can now inspect a pipe and complete a laser profile in one operation, producing accurate, reportable data faster and with less disruption.
Compared to its predecessor (the RCX90X), the RCX100 allows faster pan and tilt operations while accommodating laser profiling.
The camera also benefits from upgraded optics, offering improved colour representation and autofocus speed, while maintaining the same high-definition clarity as previous Rovion HD systems.
Bringing inspections into the digital era
By integrating laser profiling with standard inspection workflows, the RCX100 allows contractors to maintain asset compliance without additional staff time or costly secondary inspections. Data collected can feed directly into WinCan reports, supporting asset management decisions and providing evidence for compliance, funding audits or contractor handovers.
For councils facing increasing pressure to deliver efficient, accountable infrastructure management, the RCX100 offers a practical solution: combining detailed measurement, faster workflows and high-definition imaging in a single tool. It reflects the growing trend of embedding digital technology in asset inspection, ensuring underground networks are better understood, monitored and maintained.
While underground pipelines may be hidden from view, their condition is critical to urban operations. Tools like SECA’s RCX100 bridge the gap between inspection needs and practical delivery, giving councils the ability to verify new installations, detect defects, and generate compliant reports with greater efficiency than ever before.
In doing so, it helps local governments safeguard assets, reduce risk and ensure communities continue to receive reliable, well-maintained services.
To learn more, visit seca.com.au
