Embarking on a journey to ensure the longevity and reliability of buried pipelines involves critically examining their electrical continuity. Understanding a pipeline's electrical continuity is paramount, especially when considering implementing cathodic protection systems to safeguard against corrosion. In this blog article, we dive into the complexities of determining electrical continuity by exploring corrosion experts' methods to test for continuity along existing pipeline alignments.
In the ever-evolving landscape of water and wastewater infrastructure management, the reliance on time-tested tactics remains paramount. As we navigate the complexities of maintaining and operating our built infrastructure assets, combining qualitative and quantitative data collection methods emerges as a steadfast approach to understanding and evaluating infrastructure condition. This blog article delves into the foundational principles that have stood the test of time, exploring the blend of qualitative insights and quantitative precision in condition assessment. Join us on a journey through the tried and true methods that have proven instrumental in ensuring the longevity, safety, and efficiency of our critical water and wastewater infrastructure assets.
Water and wastewater utilities face the challenge of maintaining infrastructure that has served for decades. Buried pipeline infrastructure poses accessibility challenges from physical limitations and operational constraints. Consequently, utilities must strategize effectively to plan for potential rehabilitation or replacement initiatives. The optimal approach involves conducting a comprehensive field-based condition assessment, ensuring the availability of up-to-date and precise data for informed decision-making. However, the logistics of gathering condition data can be challenging, impacting the pipeline condition assessment cost.
Corrosion in infrastructure systems, such as steel pipes, significantly threatens their structural integrity and longevity. Detecting and monitoring corrosion promptly is crucial to ensure the safe operation of these infrastructure assets. In the case of mortar-coated steel pipes, corrosion can occur underneath the protective mortar layer, making it challenging to identify without invasive investigative techniques. Cell-to-cell surveys assess the likelihood of active corrosion on mortar-coated pipe materials due to the loss of intimate contact between the steel cylinder and the mortar coating.
Metallic surfaces and structures commonly found in the water and wastewater industry include pipelines, gates, treatment plant basins, reinforcing steel embedded in concrete structures, access lids, and steel tanks. Metallic assets are critical components of water and wastewater systems; however, these assets are susceptible to corrosion which can be detrimental to system operations.
Engineers employ various methods to prevent electrochemical reactions from causing corrosion damage to metallic surfaces. Regular intervals of condition assessment are critical to evaluating metallic structure assets to identify and counteract corrosion before it becomes a costly and devastating problem.
As wastewater treatment facilities age, it is critical that the concrete structures are assessed at regular intervals to identify and locate areas of degradation early, while a repair is still a cost-effective solution. To many in the wastewater industry, Condition Assessment is defined as the engineering analysis of structures and facilities to determine the remaining service life. Condition Assessment includes the use of appropriate and established tools and techniques to measure the current condition of a structure or facility against industry standards. For V&A’s engineers, Condition Assessment is performed by collecting quantitative data in the field to complement visual investigations.
Reinforced concrete is one of the most common construction materials, especially in the wastewater industry. Concrete, in its most basic form, is a mixture of water, aggregates, cement and reinforcing steel. Concrete is strong in compression and very weak in tension which is the reason reinforcing steel is added to form a composite structure.
While concrete used in wastewater applications can be quite resilient, proper design and corrosion protection are necessary to ensure the structure lasts through its intended service life.
