Full Description

Recent developments in the field of diagnostic techniques for waterdistribution and transmission systems have given water utilities new options forinspecting and assessing the condition of their pipelines. These new techniquesinclude the remote field effect for inspecting both metallic and prestressedconcrete pipes, refinements to leak detection systems for inspecting plastic andlarge diameter pipes, and impact echo, spectral analysis of surface wave andacoustic emission monitoring systems for the inspection or monitoring ofprestressed concrete pipes. These techniques can provide specific information onthe condition of the pipes and may indicate the depth of corrosion pits in a castiron pipe, the number of wires broken in a prestressed concrete pipe or theprecise location of leaks in a plastic pipe. However, the best uses of the datafrom the new techniques are not necessarily clear. While the presence of a leakwould normally call for repairs, the appropriate action to deal with a corrosionpit of a specific depth or a particular number of broken wires depends on manyfactors, including the size and type of the pipe, past break histories,surrounding environmental conditions and the way in which the pipe is likely tofail. This paper gives an overview of an approach to using diagnostic and otherinformation tools for maintaining pipeline integrity. The key components to theapproach will be presented. Some of these components include knowledge of thefailure mechanisms for the various pipe materials, the diagnostic techniquesthemselves, methods for estimating the likelihood of pipe failure, and techniquesfor prioritizing pipe replacements or repairs. Areas where further research isneeded will be indicated and the implications of the approach for pipelinemanagement will be discussed. Includes 6 references, figures.

Product Details

Edition: Vol. - No. Published: 01/01/2000 Number of Pages: 13File Size: 1 file , 210 KB