Grant: Alliance Grants

In Canada, aging pipes and culverts mean that the availability of fresh drinking water, a UN sustainability goal, is increasingly difficult to maintain. The number of cast iron and asbestos cement watermain breaks increased by 40% from 2012 to 2018. Budget shortfalls mean that municipalities must consider more cost-effective options like pipe rehabilitation rather than replacement. However, there is limited guidance about the strength and performance of these rehabilitation techniques (e.g. their ability to withstand ground movement across a break) and their long-term durability (e.g. their capacity to withstand internal pressure may decrease over time). The Deterioration, Rehabilitation, Assessment, and Improved desigN of Pipes (DRAIN Pipes) project will provide municipalities and consultants with the tools through critical research in four theme areas: (i) Damage / deterioration of pressure pipes, (ii) Repair / rehabilitation of pressure pipes, (iii) Damage / deterioration of drainage pipes, and (iv) Repair / rehabilitation of drainage systems. The project will involve small- and large-scale experiments on deteriorated and rehabilitated pipe and culvert specimens. The experiments will be undertaken using unique testing facilities that enable pipes to be tested under realistic burial including the simulation of vehicle loads, erosion, and different ground movement. The specimens will be instrumented with conventional and novel sensors, such as distributed fibre optic strain sensors, and the data from these sensors will be used to develop models and guidance documents for use by the project partners. To ensure the research has the maximum impact on Canadian engineering practice, three leading engineering consultants in this area (AECOM, Robinson, and WSP) will serve as industry partners providing both expertise to the students and leveraging the outcomes for future projects. Additionally, four partners from small (Kingston), medium (Hamilton and Peel), and large (Toronto) municipalities, will advise the research team and use the results to enhance the outcomes and reduce the cost of future projects. This three-year research project will train 4 master's students and 6 PhDs in an area that is critical to the safety and future well-being of all Canadians.