An Asset Management Definition of Pipe Rehabilitation Success or Failure

Abstract

For more than 30 years, pipeliners have been extensively utilized to extend the performance life of our aging pipe systems. As pipe rehabilitation projects are planned and implemented within the scope of maturing asset management strategy, those same asset management principles must become an integral part of the definition of the success or failure of a pipe rehabilitation project. Our experiences with the asset management of aging pipes should be leveraged to guide the asset management planning for our rehabilitated pipes. The following aspects are closely examined: 1) Similarities and differences between direct burial pipes and trenchless rehabilitation pipeliners; 2) The influences of such similarities and differences on the long-term asset management of rehabilitated systems; 3) Foreseeable asset management difficulties that will be encountered with aging rehabilitated systems, as demonstrated by existing applications and research; 4) Design phase controls to overcome such difficulties and improve the long-term asset manageability of rehabilitated pipes. The authors provide additional pipeliner design considerations, quality assurance requirements, and improved performance life and maintenance prediction methods uniquely applicable to pipeliners which will assist in achieving successful and sustainable asset management through pipe rehabilitation. The authors encourage adoption of such practices in the technology selection and design phases of pipe rehabilitation projects so as to permit feasible long-term asset management of rehabilitated systems. For a pipe rehabilitation project to be defined as a success, mere specification of a minimum design-life requirement is insufficient; the long-term asset management needs of the owner also need to be planned for and achieved.