📚 Table of Contents

• Introduction

• One Unit. One Scaffold. $250K+ in Spend

• Breaking Down the Cost of Traditional Access

• Why Gulf Coast Refineries Spend Even More

• The ROI of Robotic Inspection

• Let’s Do the Math

• Conclusion: Time to Rethink Access

• FAQs

Introduction

Temporary scaffolding is still the go-to access solution for industrial inspection and maintenance. But for many refineries, it’s also an overlooked drain on operating budgets—with costs ranging from $250,000 to $500,000 per year, sometimes just to support a single unit.

Let’s explore why those numbers are so common (and often underestimated), what drives costs higher on the Gulf Coast, and how robotic inspection technologies are helping operators streamline asset maintenance and reduce unnecessary spend.

One Unit. One Project. $250K+ in Spend.

In one real-world example from a refinery pipe rack project in the UAE, Al Hassan Engineering's contracted scaffolding services for:

• 15,000 cubic meters of tower scaffold

• Erection/dismantling cost: AED 390,750 (~$106K USD)

• 10-month rental cost: AED 541,687 (~$147K USD)

• Total: AED 932,437.50 (~$254K USD)

And that’s for one scaffold—on one section of pipe. Whether in the Middle East or the U.S., the underlying cost structure is similar: volume-based rental, high hourly labor rates, long dwell times, and limited reusability.

Breaking Down the Cost of Traditional Access

Refineries typically pay for scaffolding in four ways:

• Setup/teardown labor, often billed hourly at $65–$75 on the U.S. Gulf Coast

• Monthly rental of scaffold materials, often priced per cubic meter

• Recurring inspections and safety modifications

• Production delays due to scaffold access scheduling

Industry sources like BIC Magazine report that scaffold rental and labor can comprise hundreds of thousands of dollars per unit annually, and up to 20% of total field labor on large projects.

Why Gulf Coast Refineries Spend Even More

In the U.S. Gulf Coast, refineries regularly spend $250K–$500K per year per unit on scaffolding, especially where:

• Piping is insulated and requires access through multiple layers

• Dense vertical structures like towers or pipe racks complicate access

• Scaffold rebuilds are frequent due to shifting inspection scopes

In these environments, traditional access methods actively work against the goal to reduce turnaround time or optimize workflows. Costs build, delays mount, and risk exposure increases.

The ROI of Robotic Inspection

This is where robotic inspection delivers immediate value.

ARIX Technologies robotic systems allow inspectors to safely access above-ground piping—no scaffolding, no insulation removal, no elevated work permits. This unlocks a fast-track path to:

• Reduce cost of CUI detection

• Capture inspection data 15x faster

• Lower total inspection costs by up to 70%

• Reduce risk and free up skilled labor

• Optimize inspection workflows across your facility

In short: Robotic inspection ROI is clear when scaffold spend is even partially replaced by faster, smarter, autonomous access.

Let’s Do the Math

If you're spending $300K on scaffolding annually for a single unit, imagine:

• Eliminating that for even two or three units

• Saving $1M+ over 3–5 years

• Applying that budget toward proactive planning, digital inspection records, or AI-driven corrosion modeling

• Drastically reducing worker exposure and job site congestion

That’s not just a tech investment. That’s an operational unlock.