Recent developments in the field of diagnostic techniques for water
distribution and transmission systems have given water utilities new options for
inspecting and assessing the condition of their pipelines. These new techniques
include the remote field effect for inspecting both metallic and prestressed
concrete pipes, refinements to leak detection systems for inspecting plastic and
large diameter pipes, and impact echo, spectral analysis of surface wave and
acoustic emission monitoring systems for the inspection or monitoring of
prestressed concrete pipes. These techniques can provide specific information on
the condition of the pipes and may indicate the depth of corrosion pits in a cast
iron pipe, the number of wires broken in a prestressed concrete pipe or the
precise location of leaks in a plastic pipe. However, the best uses of the data
from the new techniques are not necessarily clear. While the presence of a leak
would normally call for repairs, the appropriate action to deal with a corrosion
pit of a specific depth or a particular number of broken wires depends on many
factors, including the size and type of the pipe, past break histories,
surrounding environmental conditions and the way in which the pipe is likely to
fail. This paper gives an overview of an approach to using diagnostic and other
information tools for maintaining pipeline integrity. The key components to the
approach will be presented. Some of these components include knowledge of the
failure mechanisms for the various pipe materials, the diagnostic techniques
themselves, methods for estimating the likelihood of pipe failure, and techniques
for prioritizing pipe replacements or repairs. Areas where further research is
needed will be indicated and the implications of the approach for pipeline
management will be discussed. Includes 6 references, figures.
| Edition : | Vol. - No. |
| File Size : | 1
file
, 210 KB |
| Note : | This product is unavailable in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus |
| Number of Pages : | 13 |
| Published : | 01/01/2000 |
