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Updated: Mar 29, 2026

Measurements of Local Instantaneous Convective Heat Transfer in a Pipe - Single and Two-phase Flow
Published on: April 30, 2018
Nondestructive Inspection of Water Pipes: A Review
Rileigh Nowroski1, Piervincenzo Rizzo1, Liam Byrne1
1Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, 3700 O'Hara Street, 742 Benedum Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
Abstract:
Pipe networks assure the transportation of primary commodities such as water, oil, and natural gas. Quantitative and early detection of defects avoids costly consequences. Due to low cost of water, high-profile accidents, and economic downturns, the research and development of nondestructive evaluation (NDE) and structural health monitoring (SHM) technologies for freshwater mains and urban water networks have received less attention with respect to the gas and oil industries. Moreover, the technical challenges associated with the practical deployment of monitoring systems and the fact that most water pipelines are buried underground demand synergistic interaction across several disciplines, which may limit the transition from laboratory to real structures. This paper reviews the most prominent NDE/SHM technologies for freshwater pipes. The challenges that said infrastructures pose, as well as the methodologies that can be translated into SHM approaches, are highlighted. The scope of this review is to provide a holistic view of the physical principles, the success, and the technological challenges associated with the inspection and monitoring of freshwater pipelines.
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