Purpose and Background

Failure of water transmission and distribution pipeline systems has been the primary cause of water system collapse in earthquakes. Lack of water for fire suppression following earthquakes has resulted in conflagrations. The pipeline network has historically been the primary cause of system failure. Sewer lines are equally vulnerable; failure can result in discharge of raw sewage to rivers.  Gravity sewer lines often float in liquefied soils changing the gradient, resulting in high points in the line.

The webinar will provide background information to allow participants to identify vulnerable pipe, discuss approaches to mitigate damage in existing systems, and design new piping systems that will be resistant to earthquakes.

The webinar will review historic system failures in earthquakes focusing on the components that caused the failures. Geologic/geotechnical conditions that lead to failures will be discussed. Pipe damage mechanisms and pipe vulnerability by pipe type will be developed and pipe vulnerability to earthquakes will be ranked. And finally, preferred pipe materials including some of the new ductile iron and molecularly oriented PVC products that have recently been introduced will be discussed, as well as design layout and detailing that will help mitigate earthquake damage.

Learning Outcomes/Benefits

• Recognize past performance of water systems in earthquakes
• Determine geologic and geotechnical conditions that affect pipeline performance
• Determine pipe damage mechanisms
• Identify pipe vulnerability prioritization
• Identify approaches for earthquake mitigation of existing systems
• Identify how to plan and design new seismically resistant systems considering pipe selection, layout, and detailed design

Assessment of Learning Outcomes

Students' achievement of the learning outcomes will be assessed via a short post-assessment (true-false, multiple choice and fill in the blank questions).

Intended Audience

Civil and environmental engineers responsible for planning, design, and operation of pipelines will benefit from this webinar. Those responsible for maintaining the reliability of their water systems at a policy level to those responsible for day to day operation would also benefit from this webinar.

Webinar Outline

• Performance in past earthquakes
• Earthquake hazards impacting buried pipelines
• Commonly used pipe
• Pipe performance and damage mechanisms
• Design of new pipelines
• Recommended pipe selection for different conditions
• Other mitigation strategies for new pipelines
• Existing system mitigation strategy
• Life cycle cost analysis

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