Review of Critical Factors Affecting the Failure of Water Pipeline Infrastructure
Publication: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 149, Issue 10
Abstract
A growing population and urbanization place increased demands on water supply and distribution networks. Pipelines are one of the most critical components of water supply systems. It is, therefore, necessary to identify the relevant factors that affect the deterioration of water distribution pipelines. This will help decision makers in future planning and prioritization of the required maintenance. In this study, a systematic review is performed to identify critical factors that affect the failure of water pipelines. A meta-analysis is conducted to determine the relative importance of each factor that contributes to pipe failure. In addition, the source of contradictory results across studies is investigated. The results show that climatic factors, such as air temperature, minimum antecedent precipitation index, and net evaporation, contribute to water pipe failure. Additionally, the results of subgroup meta-analyses show that primary sources, such as pipe material and water pipe size, can lead to high heterogeneity across studies. This study is expected to help water utility owners to collect relevant data and make timely renewal decisions.
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Data Availability Statement
All data utilized for conducting meta-analysis are depicted in Table 2 in this study, models, or software that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
This research is supported by the National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Financial support provided by McGill-UAE fellowships in Science and Engineering to the first author is highly appreciated.
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Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 149 • Issue 10 • October 2023
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Published online: Aug 3, 2023
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Discussion open until: Jan 3, 2024
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