18-13: From Reactive to Proactive: A Circulating Water Pipeline System Owner’s

Abstract: Circulating water pipeline systems in power plants have a unique set of factors quite different from pipeline systems in municipalities. Typical municipalities have hundreds of miles of pipelines and focus on the inspection of this underground infrastructure has historically been a regular practice of the maintenance of this system. In contrast, a typical power plant may have less than a mile of pipelines. Since pipelines comprise only one component of many systems managed within a power plant, in many generating stations regular inspection of pipelines has historically not been a standard practice. While power plants have historically taken a reactive approach to management of their pipelines, the recent increase in leaks and failures in their large diameter circulating water pipelines is highlighting a need for proactive approach to pipeline management. This paper will help in gaining insight regarding pipeline owner’s shift in approach for management of circulating water pipelines as well as technologies being implemented for condition assessment and structural rehabilitation of circulating water pipelines.