Failure prevention of large-diameter cast iron water pipes using Leak-Before-Break concept

Aging infrastructure such as water pipelines is a growing problem that will require urgent solutions within the next few decades. These pipeline assets have been in service beyond their designed service live (50 years) and failures are inevitable. Therefore, water utilities are seeking strategic pipe replacement techniques to prioritise their limited budget and proactive failure prevention methods to avoid catastrophic, costly pipe failures. In this paper, the process of a leak initialising from such a defect, followed by a catastrophic burst within a water supply network is explained and the applicability of Leak-Before-Break (LBB) concept for proactive pipe failure prevention are discussed. Full-scale laboratory experiments and a field case study are utilised to validate the proposed research hypothesis. It is believed that this novel (within the context of water pipes) pipe failure prevention strategy would provide a robust pathway for proactive future water pipe asset management.