Data-Based Management Strategies: A Case Study to Improve Performance of PCCP

Managing deteriorating water infrastructure requires that asset owners shift towards a data-based management approach that uses various data types for decision making and long-term capital planning projects. This paper presents how leveraging different data sources for a prestressed concrete cylinder (PCCP) pipeline was used by the city of Baltimore to make short- and long-term, data-driven rehabilitation decisions. The pipeline had undergone multiple repairs in successive years, and Baltimore needed better definition of long-term capital needs. For this work, various analyses were performed using different data sources, such as current condition data, future projected state leveraging a statistical degradation model and a finite element analysis, and information from soil sample data. These data have been integrated to provide a better overview of areas with higher levels of distress along the pipeline using spatial analytics. The results were presented in an interactive dashboard, allowing for a better visualization of the results.