An Evaluation Of Large Diameter Steel Water Pipelines

Abstract

Steel water pipelines, as a part of America's underground infrastructure, play a key role in maintaining the quality of life and well-being of communities. Thousands of miles of steel water pipelines make up a huge and complex water transmission system. This complexity generates the necessity for research on underground infrastructure in general and steel pipelines in particular. The objective of this research is to evaluate performance of large diameter (24 in. and larger) steel water pipelines. This research objective was achieved by use of a survey of various North American water utilities to provide details about their inventory. This data is processed graphically and statistically in order to arrive at useful results and sensible conclusions and also makes some recommendations for future researchers. The research is limited only to large diameter (24 in. and larger) steel water pipelines in the North America. This research highlights causes and modes of failures which affect performance of steel water pipelines.