Knowledge and experience reduce risk
Condition assessment is the key bridge between investigating & understanding problems and identifying solutions. It is not the same as inspection: inspection is the acquisition of data needed for the assessment, whereas the assessment provides the understanding of the data and its implications and guides towards solutions. Condition assessment is a professional, engineering process requiring skill, knowledge and experience.
Many utilities are tempted to leap straight from inspection to the solution without a real understanding of the problem. Engineering condition assessment ensures that this is not a leap across a chasm but a series of steps to arrive at the right solution:
- Sequential approach using engineering expertise
- Minimum field intervention to minimise cost
- Investigation focused on data needs
- Risk analysis combining consequence and likelihood of an occurrence or failure
- Establish current and future serviceability levels
- Establish need for future inspections and monitoring
Estimation of remaining useful life (RUL) - Timing and prioritisation of repair, rehabilitation and replacement
- Optimum solutions to manage cost & risk while achieving performance & serviceability levels demanded by customers, regulators and government
Scope of assessment services
- Data Audit: essential first step to identify what information is already available and what remains to be acquired through inspection investigation
- System leakage & non-revenue water:
- Leak detection, localisation & quantification
- Water balance
- DMA management & analysis
- Inspection Planning & Specification:
- Pipe environment: soil & groundwater chemistry
- Operating conditions: pressure & surge, chemical & biological effects of fluids carried
- History: review of original specification & material properties, operational & failure history
- Risk Analysis:
- Establish consequence of failure
- Establish likelihood of failure
- Assess risk and focus actions to manage it
- Engineering assessment of data from audit and field inspections to establish condition and performance level of the pipeline and actions required to achieve desired levels of serviceability and risk.
- Asset Management Planning:
- Required performance & serviceability levels
- Optimum operational conditions to manage assets
- Repair, rehabilitation and renewal planning & specification
- Budget options and NPV appraisal
Deliverables
- Clear knowledge of system condition & its effect on risk and performance
- Clear understanding of risk – likelihood and consequence of failure
- Necessary solutions identified
- Asset management plans, budgets and specifications