NEESR SG – Damage Detection and Health Monitoring of Buried Pipelines after Earthquake-Induced Ground Movement Motivation and Vision

Motivation and Vision Assessment of damage to lifelines after natural disasters, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, or hurricanes, is a crucial component of emergency response and rescue efforts. Of particular importance are clean water delivery systems, as water is the single most important survival resource; failure to detect damage in water pipelines can lead to contamination and epidemic outbreaks. Eidinger (1996) ranks water systems as the most vulnerable lifeline to earthquake damage. For example, a 1991 loss estimation model predicts Seattle will be without water for up to 20 days following an 8.5 event centered 100 km from the city (Kennedy et al. 1991). A similar type estimation model predicts service outages in the East Bay Municipal Utility District's potable and raw water distribution system that services Oakland, CA, for up to several months following an M7 event on the Hayward fault (G&E Engineering 1992). A challenge in damage assessment to pipelines is the fact that most are buried in soil, with direct inspection requiring earthworks with heavy equipment; clearly this does not facilitate rapid post-disaster assessment and response. The congestion of buried pipelines and their accessibility (or inaccessibility) in an urban environment can be appreciated from the photograph in Fig. 1; things have not gotten better since 1917 (O'Rourke 2005). Figure 1. Subgrade pipelines at Wall and Williams, NYC, 1917 (O'Rourke, 2005).