January 2025, Ted DeCagna was tasked with documenting the robotic repair of a significant gas leak in Elizabeth NJ. Ted’s many years of being a New Jersey construction photography and evidence photographer in New Jersey with experience documenting a bridge over pass collapse in Elizabeth to Asbury Park boardwalk damage from Super Storm Sandy, Ted was selected as the ideal New Jersey construction photographer to document this gas leak using a state of the art robotic technology repair method.
In January, 2025 Elizabethtown Gas completed a gas main repair in Port Elizabeth using an innovative robotic solution. The South Jersey Industries subsidiary deployed a cast-iron sealing robot, known as CISBOT, developed by ULC Technologies, based in New York.
How the Technology Works:
CISBOT accesses live gas mains through a small entry point in the street and travels hundreds of feet within the pipe, sealing joints from the inside. For the Port Elizabeth project, the robot operated along a 1,309-foot section of a 30-inch gas main, successfully sealing 102 joints over the course of 21 workdays.
The robotic approach proved ideal for this location, which has a history of expensive repairs and excavation challenges. CISBOT’s internal operation minimizes surface disruption—causing little to no traffic delays and maintaining uninterrupted gas service to customers. “Third Avenue poses significant challenges for traditional repairs due to limited underground space and heavy traffic,” said Timothy Lynn, operations manager at Elizabethtown Gas, in a Jan. 28 press release. “By using robotic technology, we were able to extend the lifespan of the pipeline while avoiding the costs and disruptions of open excavation. We’re excited to see this technology continue expanding across New Jersey.”
Christie McMullen, President and COO of Elizabethtown Gas, emphasized the broader benefits: “At Elizabethtown Gas, we’re committed to delivering safe, sustainable, affordable, and reliable service. The Third Avenue project let us make critical upgrades with minimal community impact, while proactively reinforcing the gas main against future issues.” Following the success of the project, Elizabethtown Gas is now exploring other potential sites where this robotic technology could be implemented to support operational goals and reduce maintenance costs.
In an interview with NJBIZ, McMullen elaborated: “This particular pipe, a large-diameter cast iron main in the Elizabeth area, has a history of leaks. Every 12 feet there’s a joint—and those joints can become problem spots. Traditional repair methods require large excavations that are not only costly but also highly disruptive, especially given the area’s use by port traffic. This technology allows us to make critical repairs from within the pipe, avoiding all that.”
Ted prepared for the bitter 27 degree January day with an electric vest, hand warmers, secured inside his hat and under his hard hat, layers of clothing and special photographers gloves that enable him to avoid frost bite yet have two finger tips flex open to hit the shutter to take photos.
Ted used his wide angle lens from an apartment balcony just above the job site as he could not fly a drone that close to Newark International Airport. He recorded the quarter of a million dollar robot and workers preparing it for decent into the shaft then inside the gas line. After their decent of the robot he then shot the robotic operator’s in their trailer navigating the robot on monitors to find the leaks and repair them. This impressive Start Trek-like technology has arrived in 2025.
Ted commented, “ I take pride in being asked to document such an important repair for this Elizabeth community where hundreds of residents would have had to be relocated due to no heat in January while Elizabeth Town gas would have needed many days or weeks to tear up the street and replace the gas line the conventional way” “ This robotic repair is such an obvious tremendous benefit to the community and its great to be a small part of it.”
“I have always found being a New Jersey construction photographer and New Jersey evidence photographer to be an exciting challenging and important job. Following the success of the project, Elizabethtown Gas is now exploring other potential sites where this robotic technology could be implemented to support operational goals and reduce maintenance costs.
Ted DeCagna has been a construction photographer in New Jersey and a construction photographer in New York City shooting since 1997 and has earned 6 photography awards and has had 10 photos published in 2025 on New Jersey Monthly Magazines On-Line photography competition.
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