Are Your Pipes Everything You Thought They Were?

Pinellas County (along with many other municipalities) has struggled for years trying to find a reliable method to adequately test force mains with regards to the wall thickness of the pipes. There have been advancements over the past 10 years or so which include ultrasonic testing, magnetic flux leakage (MFL), and remote field technology (RFT) such as the See Snake. Recently, Pinellas County suffered a ductile iron pipe failure. A consultant was hired to investigate the condition of the pipe while the pipe was being repaired.The County contracted with Reiss Engineering, Inc., Pure Technologies, and Southeastern Surveying and Mapping Corporation (Reiss Team) to investigate the Alderman Road force mains using different technologies, compare the results from the different technologies, and make recommendations for repair or replacement. The technologies included SmartBall interior pipeline assessment by Pure Technologies, ground penetrating radar (GPR) to locate high points for gas accumulation, and exterior ultrasonic testing of pipe thickness at high corrosion risk locations.