Most Pipeline Failures Can Be Prevented by Proper Inspection

A number of case studies are discussed in which pipeline failures have been the direct result of inadequate inspection or quality control at some point in the process from manufacture to installation. The resulting fixes in these cases ranged from a low of $300,000 to in excess of $12,000,000. The authors have been retained to evaluate the pipe failure causes, assist in subsequent legal actions as experts, and to design the rehabilitation, repair or replacement projects. The failures discussed include asbestos cement pipe (ACP), welded steel pipe (WSP), prestressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP), ductile iron pipe (DIP), plastic pipe (PVC and HDPE), conventional reinforced concrete pipe (RCP), and vitrified clay pipe (VCP). Some of the failures occurred after ten or fifteen years of service, others after as little as one or two years of service, and some occurred during installation. No pipe material is "bullet proof". No pipe material is exempt from failure in the absence of proper design followed by adequate inspection. A poorly informed inspector, or one who has not been properly trained in the manufacture, inspection, handling, installation, and testing of the type of pipe he or she is hired to inspect is often worse than no inspection at all.