PipeSonic

We bring pressure-pipe condition assessment ‘down-to-the-stick’

Pipe Integrity Inspection

From boreholes and chimneys to water mains, boilers and storage tanks, non-destructive acoustic testing helps monitor vital infrastructure across the globe.

PipeSonic’s Pipe Integrity Inspection (PII) represents the most advanced implementation of these principles for small-diameter pressure pipes.  The culmination of over a decade of validated research and development, PII offers improved accuracy, resolution, economics, and ease of use.

Using a controlled sound source and externally mounted sensors connected to a laptop or tablet, together with a dynamic, machine learning based database and analysis engine,  PipeSonic’s software determines the complex-valued wavenumbers as well as the dynamic coupling of the liquid column to the pipe wall and the pipe wall to the backfill from which specific properties, such as the pipe wall’s thickness and stiffness, are characterized to ascertain if the pipe is fit for purpose, helping avoid failures and unnecessary replacement of good pipe.Â

With a proprietary computer data collection and analysis system, PipeSonic can resolve these pipe characteristics down to an individual stick of pipe with leaks and obstructions located within several feet. By comparing measured propagation speeds and the dynamic modulus of the pipe with PII’s database of validated values, the material of the pipe can also be identified.

PipeSonic - Pipe Integrity Inspection Data Gathering Process

  • Pipe geometry is measured or input into the PipeSonic database from GIS.
  • Conventional leak detection sensors are attached to external pipe fittings such as valve stems or hydrants
  • A controlled sound source is activated up and down-stream of the sensors
  • Results are collected on a laptop or tablet and trasmited to our secure cloud storage platform.
  • Leak, air pockets and obstructions are itenfitied in real time

PipeSonic - Pipe Integrity Inspection Results

After collecting and processing the acoustic and GIS data, PipeSonic uses database and visualisation systems  to provide a heatmap that identifies and differentiates between:

  • Pipe sticks in need of immediate preventative maintenance or replacement
  • Pipe sticks in good operating condition
  • Pipe sticks requiring ongoing monitoring
  • Pipe sticks with active leaks or obstructions

Thanks to PII’s high resolution, repair teams can precisely address problem areas, reducing costs and minimizing disruptions to the public. This level of detail allows managers to allocate budgets with clinical precision, delivering an increase in savings. PipeSonic can output the database results into any format specified by our clients, allowing them to digitize their asset management. Through our growing database of validated PII condition assessment results PipeSonic uses machine learning to help predict pipe failures and economic remaining service lives.