PRCI

Newsroom

April 15, 2011

PRCI and Research Partners Receive PHMSA R&D Contract for RAM Program

PRCI recently received notification from the US Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (DOT PHMSA) on the approval of R&D funding to support PRCI’s substantial research effort on the Right of Way Automated Monitoring (RAM) Program. The RAM Program includes developing automated, integrated, and scalable sensing suites to provide safer, smarter, and more cost-effective aerial surveillance for detection, identification, and communication of machinery threats (i.e., construction machinery often associated with third party damage to pipeline infrastructure), changed conditions (erosion, subsidence), and leaks on pipeline right of ways and corridors.

In coordination with our partners NASA and Electricore, PRCI previously submitted a proposal to DOT in June 2010 under the PHMSA Broad Agency Announcement process (BAA #7 issued in November 2009). PHMSA notified PRCI of the contract award in March 2011 and a kick-off meeting was recently held with PHMSA to initiate the work under the contract. The R&D contract includes a funding commitment from PHMSA of nearly $815,000 over approximately 30 months, representing a significant financial contribution and long-term commitment to the RAM Program and further establishing Damage Prevention as a top priority for the pipeline industry and PHMSA. PHMSA’s support, both financially and technically, builds on our current research completed to date and will help to advance the development of a technology solution and automated approaches for ROW monitoring and damage prevention.

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