Opportunistic Pipeline Condition Assessment: More Bang for Your Capital Buck!

The city of Virginia Beach made a proactive decision to evaluate the condition of existing subsurface utilities in coordination with an upcoming roadway improvements project along a well-travelled corridor within Virginia Beach. Approximately 5,111 linear feet of 20-inch cast iron water main was inspected using pipeline condition assessment (p-CAT). The collected condition assessment data was utilized to develop a risk profile for the entire length of the tested pipeline based on a comparison between the original and remaining wall thicknesses. This data ultimately allowed for DPU staff to prioritize various sections of the water main within the anticipated envelope of roadway improvements. The higher priority subsections were located outside of these limits eliminating the need for rehabilitation prior to the planned roadway construction. The opportunistic condition assessment performed allowed for the city to gain a robust understanding of specific logistics and/or lessons learned for deploying p-CAT and/or similar technologies.