New PipeDiver Technology Overcomes Major Water Pipeline Inspection Challenges And Drastically Reduces Inspection Costs
The Pressure Pipe Inspection Company Ltd. (PPIC) announced recently that it has expanded its family of pipeline condition assessment services with the introduction of PipeDiver, which builds on more than a decade of experience.
PipeDiver offers a unique solution to the ever-widening water infrastructure-funding gap faced by municipalities in the United States – estimated to be $263B by the EPA – and many other regions of the world. The system provides critical information about the condition of prestressed concrete cylinder pipelines (PCCP). Compared to alternative methods of large diameter pipeline inspection, PipeDiver offers a significant cost savings as the pipeline remains in service, eliminating the need for de-watering and service shutdown.
An industry first, PipeDiver has been specially designed to operate in live pipelines which significantly reduces ongoing inspection costs. The system is also ideal for water transmission lines that can't be taken out of service due operational constraints or a lack of redundancy. PipeDiver provides accurate condition assessments by detecting prestressing wires breaks that could lead to pipe ruptures.
"Just because a water pipeline asset has reached its operating life on paper, it doesn't mean that it automatically needs to be replaced," said Dr. Brian Mergelas, President and CEO, PPIC. "PipeDiver is our latest tool to help municipalities determine the true condition of their underground assets and prioritize infrastructure spending."
On average, rehabilitation of individual lengths of pipe can be accomplished for a fraction of cost of a full line replacement, helping to reverse the trend of the growing infrastructure gap. PPIC inspections of over 175,000 lengths of PCCP pipe have shown an average distress level below 4%.
"Cities around the world are discovering that pipeline repair and replacement budgets can be manageable and by understanding the condition of their underground assets, critical budget dollars can be allocated to other resources such as manpower and equipment," added Mergelas.
PipeDiver is a free-swimming tool that is inserted into the pipeline and can travel long distances collecting critical data about the integrity of the pipeline. The system uses Remote Field Transformer Coupling (RFTC) technology, which is the recognized standard for PCP condition assessment.
Key Features of PipeDiver include:
- Inspection is performed without dewatering, which greatly reduces overall inspection costs.
- Pipelines can remain in service during inspections – no service interruption.
- Accurate results pinpoint areas of wire distress in PCCP lines to help optimize repair and replace investments.
- Minimizes the risk of pipeline ruptures.
About PPIC
A world leader in large diameter water and wastewater pipeline condition assessment,
the Pressure Pipe Inspection Company (PPIC) offers forward looking solutions to help
customers address aging infrastructure challenges in a reliable and cost effective
manner. Our innovative services pinpoint damaged sections of a pipeline to help
optimize infrastructure investments, stop leaks, reduce risk and ensure compliance.
PPIC has inspected over 6,000 miles of critical pipeline assets over the past decade.
For more information, visit http://www.ppic.com.
SOURCE: Pressure Pipe Inspection Company Ltd.