Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC)
Condition assessment and leak detection of 5.7 miles (9.17 km) of 42-inch steel, ductile iron (DI), and cast iron (CI) water main.
Project Overview
KenWave collaborated with HSA, HDR, and WSSC to perform a detailed condition assessment and leak detection on 5.7 miles of multi-material water mains using Dynamic Response Imaging™ (DRI) technology. The scope included evaluating 42-inch steel, ductile iron, and cast iron pipelines in Maryland, USA.
The inspection was completed over several days, utilizing KenWave’s external, non-invasive approach to assess pipeline conditions. Temporary external sensors were connected via existing access points, enabling the team to complete the assessment without disrupting service. DRI’s advanced vibroacoustic technology provided WSSC with actionable, high-resolution data to understand the pipeline’s condition and prioritize maintenance efforts.
Challenges
- Extensive Logistics and Manpower: Segment-to-segment transitions required careful planning and resource allocation to ensure seamless operations.
- Long Segment Lengths: Inspecting extended stretches of water main presented logistical challenges for data collection and equipment management.
- Background Noise: External environmental noise added complexity to capturing and analyzing vibroacoustic signals.
Results
KenWave’s DRI technology offered WSSC a non-invasive, efficient solution for assessing multi-material water mains, enabling the utility to maintain service throughout the project. The high-resolution data provided detailed insights into pipeline condition, allowing WSSC to identify and prioritize areas requiring attention.
The delivery of color-coded degradation profiles helped simplify complex data, ensuring that key findings were easily understood and actionable. By combining condition assessment with simultaneous leak detection, KenWave delivered a holistic view of pipeline health, empowering WSSC to make proactive, data-driven decisions.
This project underscores the effectiveness of DRI technology in addressing the challenges of long segment lengths and multi-material pipelines while ensuring minimal disruption to operations.
- Generated residual wall thickness profiles for 5.7 miles of water main with a resolution of 15 to 20 feet.
- Delivered color-coded graphs illustrating the severity of degradation along the pipeline, providing WSSC with an intuitive visual representation of pipeline health.
- Highlighted areas of interest with significant wall degradation, enabling WSSC to prioritize maintenance and repair efforts.
- Simultaneously performed leak detection during the condition assessment, delivering comprehensive insights into the steel, ductile iron, and cast iron pipelines.
