Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/N013026/1
Environmental influences in pipe corrosion (EPiC)
Grant Award
- Principal Investigator:
- Dr AM Tye, British Geological Survey, Environmental Modelling
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor RM Lark, University of Nottingham, Sch of Biosciences
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr K Mee, British Geological Survey, Environmental Modelling
- Co-Investigator:
- Mr R Lawley, British Geological Survey, Geoscience Products & Services
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr B Rawlins, British Geological Survey, Climate & Landscape Change
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr R A Dearden, British Geological Survey, Environmental Modelling
- Grant held at:
- British Geological Survey, Environmental Modelling
- Science Area:
- Terrestrial
- Overall Classification:
- Unknown
- ENRIs:
- Environmental Risks and Hazards
- Science Topics:
- Soil chemistry & soil physics
- Soil science
- Water Pipes
- Water Engineering
- Maximum Likelihood
- Spatial Statistics
- Environmental Statistics
- Statistics & Appl. Probability
- Applied Statistics
- Abstract:
- Yorkshire Water (YW), Scottish Water and Dwr Cymru Welsh Water (WW) have extensive networks of clean/waste water pipes made of a variety of materials (ferrous, plastics). It is recognized that pipe failure occurs through a complex set of interactions including corrosion, factors such as geohazards (ground movements), environmental factors (e.g. slope) and other external factors (e.g. traffic vibration, surge demand). When these failures occur it results in loss of supply to properties, causes public highway closures and potentially long-term inconvenience to business and the general public. Changing ground moisture and thermal profiles caused by environmental change may enhance the probability of drought or flooding. In particular, this may increase the impact of ground conditions on the pipe network, exacerbating future failures (causing asset loss, exfiltration undermining of infrastructure and contamination). Increased leakages, particularly in drought years are a potential major concern to the regulator, OFWAT. This project aims to help water companies manage the repair and maintenance of their pipe networks through the development of a spatial model relating pipe failure data to a range of environmental, geohazard and external factors. The model will provide evidence about the primary factors in pipe failure which water companies can use to improve pipe network infrastructure management and resilience within a changing climate. These outputs can be used by water company engineers (i) to provide information regarding pipe failure that can be used to improve design standards for different pipe materials (e.g. plastic, ferrous, concrete) and installation, (ii) to be used as a screening tool to identify areas where additional factors not related to model covariates are causing high incidences of pipe failure and (iii) to identify areas where additional engineering solutions can be used to build climate resilience into the network, particularly in relation to those geo-hazards most influenced by climate (e.g. shrink-swell clays). The proposed work includes a scoping study and exemplar of how those outputs can be delivered to the for water companies. Advice on functionality and content will be sought from YW and WW. Options include the possible integration of outputs into existing company systems or a stand-alone web based system. The output data could be presented as maps, GIS layers or digital services and will be based on significant model covariates presented as individual factors (GIS layers) or combined maps and hazard information. If a web based system is considered preferable we will provide an exemplar service to the water companies demonstrating how their data may be accessed either on a public good basis (via a public portal such as UKSO.org) or via a secure service to commercial users (secure web map services). Keywords: pipe network, water leakage, geo-hazards, spatial model,
- NERC Reference:
- NE/N013026/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- Innovation
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Innovation - Risk
This grant award has a total value of £35,814
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Indirect - Indirect Costs | DA - Estate Costs | DI - Staff | DI - T&S |
|---|---|---|---|
| £13,314 | £3,132 | £18,158 | £1,210 |
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