From 2020 through 2024, the United States averaged 23 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters each year, nearly three times the historical rate, according to NOAA. For water systems, the significant increase in geohazard events, such as earthquakes, landslides, floods and wildfires, points to a growing challenge: ensuring water service during a disaster.
Water industry experts Kyle Couture and Michael Britch recently spoke on the topic at the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Pipelines Conference.
“For utilities, engineers who design water pipeline systems, and the manufacturers who make the pipe and joints, the stakes are high,” said Couture, marketing manager for AMERICAN Ductile Iron Pipe and AMERICAN SpiralWeld Pipe. “As most of us have experienced, even short-term loss of water service can be consequential; long-term, it is devastating.”
The good news — for utilities, engineers and residents alike — is new technologies and joint designs are improving how water pipelines respond under extreme forces of ground shaking and soil displacement. For example, some joint designs allow pipe to deflect or extend as the ground moves, while others help resist pullout, so sections remain connected under stress. “There’s not a one-size-fits-all solution,” Couture said. “Each technology has its strengths and limitations based on the application, soil conditions and expected ground movement.”
Couture noted evolving technologies mean more options and proprietary joint designs, underscoring the importance of collaboration — utilities, engineers and manufacturers working together from the outset to determine how best to fortify the pipeline from potential threats.
Britch pointed to the importance of independent testing. “As new products and joint configurations come to market, utilities and engineers need reliable ways to compare the performance requirements of the pipe against the expected demands from seismic or other geohazard loading,” said Britch, engineering and construction manager with Tualatin Valley Water District in Beaverton, Oregon. “Testing programs, along with evolving seismic design standards, are giving project teams more information to make these decisions with confidence.”
Britch is also beginning the development of seismic design procedures for ductile iron pipe sponsored by the Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association (DIPRA). The goal of this work is to demystify seismic design for owners, engineers and pipeline design practitioners with practical procedures that can be implemented cost effectively.
As threats to water systems become more complex, the message is clear: resilient infrastructure starts well before a disaster strikes. “It starts with asking the right questions, choosing the right materials and getting the right people to the table early,” Britch said.
For questions or for more information, Ask AMERICAN at www.american-usa.com or 800-442-2347.
