Smokestack Inspections for State of Wisconsin Heating Plants

The Wisconsin Department of Administration contracted with Ayres to complete drone inspections of the inside and outside of state-owned heating plant smokestacks throughout Wisconsin between 2018 and 2020, with the potential for renewal for further inspections in 2021 and 2022. Unmanned aerial systems are flown by licensed drone operators, and a licensed structural engineer reviews the gathered data and generates hard copy and digital copy reports of the findings, including the full stack inspection videos and photos.

External drone inspections examine cracks, mortar joints, bricks, exterior tension bands, lightning protection systems, stack cap/rainhood, breeching duct exterior plate, water tables at extended faces or transition walls, platforms, ladders, antennas, gas sampling ports, cleanout doors, and exposed concrete foundation or pedestal.

Internal drone inspections examine mortar joints, bricks, baffle walls, ash/residue buildup, breeching duct, flow straightening plates, gas sampling ports, interior openings, interior floor, and coatings.

Stacks at the following locations are included in the contract:

• University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2018

• Mendota Mental Health Institute, 2018

• Ethan Allen School for Boys, 2018

• Green Bay Correctional Institution, 2018

• Taycheedah Correctional Institution, 2018

• Wisconsin Veterans Home, 2019

• Prairie du Chein Correctional Institution, 2019

• University of Wisconsin-Platteville, 2019

• Wisconsin School for the Deaf, 2020

• Wisconsin School for the Visually Handicapped, 2020

• University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 2020

• University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, 2020

• University of Wisconsin-Stout, 2020

• Dan Sydow, Manager - Structural Engineering
• Cory Thomson, Project Manager - Structural Inspection