Condition assessment trials at Sydney Water’s Strathfield test-bed 16 – 19 September 2014

Categories: News

Trials of the PCA Echologics acoustic based condition assessment tool began at the Sydney Water 600 mm cast iron pipe test-bed at Strathfield in Sydney on 16th September 2014. These trails are part of a broader effort of testing of established and emerging condition assessment technologies which has been running in the Advanced Condition Assessment and Pipe failure Prediction Project since early 2012. The results of the trials will support research in Activity 4 – Improving confidence in critical pipe failure prediction.

 Sydney testbed map

The 1.2 km long Sydney Water test-bed at Strathfield, NSW.

 

The PCA-Echologics “ePulse” acoustic technology tool is a non-invasive pipe condition assessment service which can provide water utilities with a measurement of the remaining average wall thickness of a selected length of pipe. During the trials PCA-Echologics will record field data in collaboration with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and Sydney Water. UTS and PCA-Echologics will then analyse the data to support development of a failure prediction model along a cast iron cement lined “critical” water pipe. Benefits for the water industry from this failure prediction model will include:

  1. Improved targeting of high risk critical pipe renewals
  2. Improved preventive maintenance strategies
  3. Better communication with customers

ePulse transmitter aparatus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ePulse transmitter aparatus

 

acoustic measuring device

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inserting the acoustic measuring device into the test-bed pipe.

Author: Derek