Pipe Failure Analysis and Impact of Dynamic Hydraulic Conditions in Water Supply Networks

Water pipe failures are associated with pipe characteristics, material properties, environmental and loading conditions. Understanding the impact of individual factors, their dynamics and interactions is extremely complex. The steady and unsteady state hydraulic conditions may impose excessive loading on assets. The resulting cyclic loadings when acting upon degraded (e.g. corroded) pipes could contribute to the development and acceleration of failures. This paper investigates the impact of the dynamic hydraulic conditions on pipe failures by analysing historical burst records, designing and implementing an extensive experimental programme and investigating case studies by correlating dynamic pressure and pipe failures.