Leak Location and Repair Cost for Underground Heat Distribution Systems
Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 117, Issue 3
Abstract
The expected cost of leak location and repair is estimated for shallow trench and directly buried underground heat distribution systems. Leaks in shallow trench systems can be found during a visual search using a bisection method to determine the sequence of slabs to be lifted, while directly buried systems generally require sensors and often extensive excavation. The cost advantage for shallow trench systems is estimated to be $4,863 per mile per year (expressed in year 1985 dollars) for the baseline scenario, taking into account observed (historical) differences in average failure rates. If directly buried systems could somehow be guaranteed to have the same failure rate as shallow trench systems, the cost advantage would become negligible. Several scenarios regarding sensor effectiveness were entertained, with the cost advantage changing by less than 20%. Differences in capital costs and operating costs reported in other studies are offered for purposes of comparison. Since operating costs due to heat loss increase dramatically when there is a leak in a directly buried system, it is imperative that regular inspections be carried out to discover leaks and permit timely location and repair.
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References
1.
Cooper, K., Marsh, C., and Segan, E. (1986). “Evaluation of techniques for locating leaks in underground heat distribution systems.” Technical Report M‐86/16, U.S. Army Constr. Engrg. Res. Lab., Champaign, Ill.
2.
“Facilities engineering annual summary of operations.” (1984). Army‐wide commands/installations performance, fiscal year 1983, II, Office of the Chief of Engrs., Dept. of the Army, Ft. Belvoir, Va.
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“Facilities engineering and housing annual summary of operations.” (1987). Installations performance, fiscal year 1986, III, Office of the Chief of Engrs., Dept. of the Army, Ft. Belvoir, Va.
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Segan, E., and Chen, C. (1984). “Investigation of tri‐service heat distribution systems.” U.S. Army Construction Res. Lab. Tech. Report M‐347, Champaign, Ill.
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Copyright © 1991 ASCE.
History
Published online: May 1, 1991
Published in print: May 1991
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