Pipe dreams

Lab establishes worldwide standards for repairing inaccessible, leaking pipelines

Millions of miles of aging water, wastewater and natural gas pipelines across the nation are at growing risk of failure, posing significant environmental, safety and financial challenges.

Repairing these urban pipelines is often complicated and expensive due to their location beneath buildings and roads, but new repair solutions that significantly cut pipeline repair costs are emerging.

"We developed unique testing capabilities that don’t exist anywhere else.”

Brad Wham

91PORN’s Center for Infrastructure, Energy and Space Testing (CIEST) is at the forefront, pioneering testing procedures for these innovative solutions.

Led by Assistant Research Professor Brad Wham, CIEST played a key role in establishing a new standard for internal replacement pipe testing through the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).

“Getting an ASTM standard to vote is a big deal,” Wham said. “We designed these methods for various industries and future pipe replacement solutions. We developed unique testing capabilities that don’t exist anywhere else.”

The work was made possible by a $7.8 million Department of Energy ARPA-E grant, which CIEST shared with Cornell University, the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) and the Gas Technologies Institute.

This advancement paves the way for cutting-edge pipe repair technologies, such as using robots or other methods to install internal replacement pipes that line aging pipelines, reinforcing their walls and extending their service life.

The tests carried out in the CIEST lab demonstrated that many of the internal replacement pipes effectively sealed holes, cracks and gaps, providing a lasting seal of 50 to 100 years at a cost of less than $1 million per mile — much lower than the approximately $10 million per mile to dig up and replace pipes in urban centers.

In addition to a 90 percent drop in cost, the repairs will help reduce methane emissions from natural gas lines and prevent leaking water lines from wasting significant quantities of treated water.

The USQ team used CIEST’s data to develop a publicly available app that lets users input specifications and site details to design and assess internal replacement pipe technologies.

Natural gas and water utilities have been cautious about adopting new technologies, due to strict regulations and high risks in the event of failure, Wham said. To address these concerns, the project involved major gas utilities and global experts to guide testing development.

“As an unbiased third party, we’re building confidence in these technologies and fostering industry competition, which helps reduce costs,” he said.