Effective management of large‐diameter pressure pipes

The management of large‐diameter pressurized pipe assets poses a challenge for many water utilities. Condition assessments can be done as part of the management effort, but such an undertaking may prove an expensive endeavor that does not always provide the desired information. The research described here used an approach based on case studies to investigate condition assessment practices in Australia and New Zealand. The article provides an overview of the research and a synthesis of the case studies. Most of the condition assessments reviewed involved discrete inspections of short sections of pipe or used inference techniques such as measurement of soil corrosivity. Drawing on the results of the case studies, the authors propose a riskbased management framework, which provides insights into the development of an appropriate management strategy for these assets.