
When clients come knocking, ASI hits the road (or air). Sometimes that means our field technicians travel the world. Once they return, we “office dwellers” await the scenic photos and descriptive anecdotes of the local cuisine. Of course, these stories come with a few twists and turns along the way. On one of our repeat inspection projects, ASI’s crew traveled to Peru to conduct a review of a power plant’s tunnel condition. Our lead technician and engineer, Dan Cousineau, familiar with this job site, shared a written paper on his experience. In this posting, we will share an insider’s view of our crew’s latest Peru trip.
Dan and his team arrived in Lima and stopped for a bite to eat, introducing the less familiar technicians to a taste of Peru. Dan wrote, “First, ceviche, followed by a pisco sour and then cuy asado (roasted guinea pig) for dinner. This meal in Lima was a good start before a true welcome to land without some basic bathroom amenities (like toilet seats and toilet paper) that are expected in the northern hemisphere.”

The crew continued to the remote work site for the inspection where the flooded tunnel could be accessed. This first access was the surge shaft, “built on the crest of a range in the Andes that placed our staging area on the brink of a very scenic view,” Dan explained. ASI transported the inspection equipment to site, including a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), an array of sensors for data collection, and our proprietary umbilical cable that transfers information instantly from the ROV to the topside control station.

As smooth as this project was, it couldn’t happen without a hiccup or two. Despite the ample supply of drinking water and freshly cooked meals, the entire crew caught the “stomach bug.” And then, the ROV system caught the bug too. “Fortunately, with a few Band-Aid tweaks on the 3000-volt system, capabilities were restored, and our project was completed without further delay,” Dan stated.
With the project complete, there was just enough time for an extra adventure – a 12 km hike passed Incan ruins and agricultural terraces, followed by train rides and shuttle buses back through winding roads – before a few flights home.

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