Software Plans Piping Renewal According To Socio-Economic Factors

A new software system from VCS Denmark and Alectia enables municipalities to calculate the condition on underground water pipes. In this way, it will be easier to plan renovation projects according to both pipe condition and socio-economic factors.

”Usually, renovation of pipes is based on a technician’s gut feeling – a method that is not very transparent and at the same time hard to make final decisions upon. This is not desirable because seventy percent of a utility’s assets are underground, which makes renovation processes complicated and expensive. Therefore, utilities have to spend their money the best way possible,” Henrik Juul, Project Manager in VCS Denmark, says.

Calculate wear on pipes
A group of large Danish utilities with VCS Denmark in front, have developed a software system, WaterRehab, which calculates when pipe renewal is needed and what the costs will be.

“The system consists of several advanced algorithms that among others use statistical data and the aging curve of materials to calculate when pipes need renovation. Furthermore, the system takes socio-economic factors such as traffic into consideration. This means that the system takes into account that pipes in areas with heavy traffic are subject to more wear whereas pipes underneath sidewalks and in the country are less prone to high load,” Henrik Juul explains.

Plans projects
Besides calculating wear on pipes, the new system from VCS Denmark, helps municipalities and utilities plan future projects. 

“When adding data to the system the user can make long term plans of coming projects, and the system calculates the costs and the duration of the project. This is important for project planning, loans, budget planning, political decisions etc. A project manager may, for example, make better decisions on where limited budgets are best spent, because he has a tool that will tell him in which areas renovation is needed the most,” Henrik Juul says.

VCS Denmark will be exhibiting at the Danish Pavilion at AquaTech in Amsterdam on November 3-6. Meet them in Hall 7, booth 245.

Facts
The project is a part of ‘FutureWater’ that consists of several work packages with pilot projects. The projects develop state-of-the-art technologies and are a range of tools, software and equipment designed to accommodate future challenges in the operations of water utilities. VCS Denmark manages the project and implements it in cooperation with several Danish water utilities and companies. For more information, visit www.futurewatercity.com.