[4B4] Crawler robots meet NDT on industrial chimneys: GRP, concrete, stainless steel and more
J Cornes¹, J M Henault², S Treguier², A Druet² and A Bulavinov³
¹HausBots Ltd, UK
²EDF (Électricité de France), France
³ACS-Solutions GmbH, Germany
Tall and complex vertical structures, especially reinforced concrete chimney stacks and bridge piers, present challenges for non-destructive testing (NDT) professionals, particularly where internal or subsurface imaging is required and visual inspection is not sufficient. Traditional approaches such as rope access or scaffolding pose logistical, financial and safety burdens, often limiting the feasibility of thorough inspections. In this paper, we present a collaborative project between HausBots (developers of climbing robotic platforms), ACS (creators of the MIRA ultrasonic tomography system) and EDF (end-user and asset owner), which demonstrates the viability of advanced robotic-assisted ultrasonic inspection on vertical concrete infrastructure. A field trial on a large concrete chimney stack at an EDF facility validated the successful integration of ultrasonic tomography with a wall-climbing robot using HausBots’ proprietary AEROGRIP adhesion system. The project highlights how robotic inspection platforms can deliver safe, high-resolution, subsurface data from hard-to-access areas without manual intervention or elevated work platforms. This paper offers a detailed review of the methodology, technical integration, field results and broader implications for the future of infrastructure assessment.
