Investigating in-service failures of water pipes from a multiaxial notch fatigue point of view: A conceptual study

Abstract

In ve s tigatin g in -sFinally, by taking as reference information the number of years for a blowout hole to form, the proposed approach is used to show how the lifetime of grey cast iron pipes can be remarkably shortened by fatigue. Ke yw o rd s :Water pipes, Multiaxial Notch Fatigue, Pitting, In-service lifetime IN TROD U CTIONThe secure supply of safe potable water is fundamental to society, for public health andwellbeing. Yet we distribute this vital product through an ageing, undervalued, buried infrastructure. Failures of water distribution systems do occur, including both catastrophic

Investigating an alternative to exhumed grey cast iron water pipes for small-scale fatigue tests

“…Developing a fundamental understanding of how GCI pipes develop through-wall cracks in response to these loads must be done experimentally so that the loading can be controlled, tests can be repeated, and the failure mode can be observed. For example, the formation of fatigue cracks in GCI pipes has been proposed as a potential leak initiation mechanism [8], [9], but physical tests are needed to confirm this and validate a suitable fatigue failure criterion. These tests must include cyclic, biaxial stress conditions to investigate the effect of this loading type on the time it takes for a leaking crack to form.…”