Condition Assessment Solutions
A high percentage of the water transmission infrastructure that serves major cities was installed 50 to over 100 years ago and concerns have been raised about how to maintain or replace these lines. In fact, it is estimated that US water utilities alone may need to spend between $150 to $450 billion over the next 20 years to replace their pipelines assets.
These figures assume, that utilities will replace their lines indiscriminately. If an advanced condition assessment approach is adopted, experience shows that the expenditure can be drastically reduced. By establishing the condition of a water transmission system and selectively rehabilitating only the individual pipes whose structural or mechanical integrity has been compromised, operators can realize significant savings by eliminating unnecessary replacement of large lengths of transmission mains. This maximizes both the safe life of the asset and the effectiveness of the budget allocation.
PPIC offers industry leading technologies for the condition assessment of pressurized, large diameter pipelines:
Remote Field Transformer Coupling (RFTC)
Remote Field Transformer Coupling (RFTC) technology accurately establishes the baseline condition of prestressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP). The system detects and quantifies the number of breaks in the prestressing wire that reinforces the concrete pipe. RFTC provides water and wastewater system operators with information on the location, distribution and number of wire breaks anywhere along the length of the pipeline.
Sahara® Leak Detection
The Sahara® pipeline inspection system is a non-destructive, in-line, condition assessment tool that can detect leaks and gas pockets in a live pipeline. Sahara® is used primarily on larger diameter water transmission mains of all materials without interruption of service, and is also effective on wastewater force mains and siphons. Once a leak has been located, its location is pinpointed in real time during the inspection.
Long-term Management Plan
By utilizing the information that these techniques provide, an operator can establish a cost-effective long-term maintenance and management plan for their pipeline assets. This type of program demands the best available information and includes the following four steps:
- Establish the asset's baseline condition
- Determine action on an individual pipe basis
- Implement necessary rehabilitation measures
- Perform preventative maintenance
Complementing Services
Along with these core services, PPIC also brings other technologies such as pressure transient monitoring, acoustic emissions testing and pipeline GIS software that provide very accurate information about the number of wire breaks in Prestressed Concrete Cylinder Pipe (PCCP) lines, or leaks as small as 0.004 gal/min in metallic pipes to help its clients better manage their water infrastructure. PPIC has a suite of technologies, alliances and partnerships that allow us to address the condition of virtually any large diameter pipeline.
Alternative condition assessment methods do not provide this level of information. Statistical methods, such as random coupons or soil potentials, do not provide information about the structural integrity of individual pipe. Visual inspection methods are only able to identify Prestressed Concrete Cylinder Pipes (PCCP) that are in advanced stages of deterioration. Acoustic methods cannot establish the baseline condition of the pipes; they can only determine which pipes are actively deteriorating.
Proactive pipeline condition assessment programs are now at the heart of many municipalities long-term maintenance programs – for new and existing lines. Utility personnel and others working to preserve their infrastructure are understanding and utilizing the benefits of advanced RFTC and Sahara® technologies to assess the condition of pipelines and take the proper precautions in repairing any flaws.
Contact Us
Contact PPIC today to find out how we can help you to assess the condition of your pipeline infrastructure.