Fugro demos wireline pressuremeter testing

Fugro published details on May 21 of a wireline pressuremeter testing method for offshore geotechnical investigations, presenting it as a faster way to collect in-situ soil data for offshore wind and other marine infrastructure. The Dutch geo-data company said the system moves pressuremeter testing into a wireline workflow already used for some drilling and cone penetration operations, reducing manual handling during deployment and retrieval. Fugro said the change can shorten vessel time, improve data density and lower operational exposure for offshore crews. The company described the method in a technical article by Robbie McCall and Dave Thomas and promoted it in a social-media post the same day. ### What exactly did Fugro show? Fugro said the technique applies wireline deployment to pressuremeter testing, which has traditionally been run through more manual, rod-based handling offshore. In its May 21 article, the company said wireline methods had already improved deployment of cone penetration testing and drilling equipment inside a drill string, while pressuremeters had largely remained on older workflows. (fugro.com) The pressuremeter itself is an in-situ tool used to expand against the borehole wall and measure how soil responds under load. Fugro said its pressuremeter testing is used to generate geotechnical parameters needed for advanced design and analysis of offshore structures. A single test, the company said, can determine current stress level, strength before failure, maximum pressure capacity, resistance to shearing and stiffness as pressure changes. (fugro.com) ### Why is vessel time such a big part of this story? Traditional pressuremeter deployment offshore is time-consuming because each run requires significant manual handling, Fugro said. The company said that process slows operations, increases crew exposure and limits how many tests can be completed during an offshore campaign. (fugro.com) Weather windows and vessel costs add to that pressure. Fugro said slow testing can push projects over budget and schedule, especially as offshore work moves into more remote and technically demanding locations. The company also said longer campaigns increase the carbon footprint of operations. (fugro.com) ### What data does a wireline pressuremeter add for designers? Fugro said the main value is high-resolution in-situ data on stiffness and strength, two parameters that feed directly into foundation design and settlement analysis offshore. The company said that without reliable in-situ data, engineers can end up relying on conservative assumptions that produce heavier or more expensive foundations. (fugro.com) The May 21 article also framed pressuremeter testing as part of a broader package of offshore ground investigation tools. Fugro said it uses different kinds of pressuremeter to build a fuller set of geotechnical parameters for design, alongside improvements in drilling and cone penetration testing. (fugro.com) ### Where could this be used first? Offshore wind is the clearest target in Fugro’s own description. The company said demand for precise seabed data has grown with the expansion of offshore wind into more challenging environments, where developers need safe and cost-effective foundation designs. (fugro.com) Marine and coastal infrastructure are also part of the addressable market implied by the company’s description. Fugro said inefficient testing can make investigations in remote or deepwater locations technically, environmentally or economically difficult, suggesting the method is aimed at projects where vessel days and offshore access are major cost drivers. That is an inference from Fugro’s stated use cases and constraints, not a separate company forecast. (fugro.com) ### What happens next? The next step is likely field adoption rather than a regulatory decision. Fugro has already published the method in a May 21 technical long-read authored by McCall, an in situ test project engineer, and Thomas, the company’s UK land resource centre manager. The company’s public materials now point readers to that article as the main source for technical detail on the wireline pressuremeter workflow. (fugro.com)