Overview
This case study gives an overview of an inspection of a 36inch Force Main in the USA
Technical Details
- Diameter: 16 inch
- Length: ~6,360 ft
- Type: Raw water transmission main
- Region: North America
Challenge
Client faced severe flow restrictions in its 70-year-old raw water main due to heavy sediment
buildup, reducing internal diameter from approximately 16 inches to 12 inches.
With growing municipal and industrial demand, the city needed a non-invasive, cost-effective
method to restore flow and verify pipeline condition without full replacement.
i2i Solution
i2i Pipelines deployed its Smart Foam Pig, a flexible in-line inspection tool equipped with high sensitivity eddy-current sensors designed for unpiggable or complex pipelines. Following the
cleaning phase, the tool was run through the entire line to collect detailed information on wall
thickness, corrosion, and internal features.
Results
Four anomalies were detected, including minor wall loss (less than 10%) and localized joint
deflection. All findings were verified through targeted visual inspections, confirming both the
accuracy of the tool and the overall pipeline integrity.
Following cleaning and inspection, the flow capacity was fully restored, and no leaks were
identified.
The pipeline was assessed to be in good overall condition and suitable for continued operation,
with an estimated remaining service life of 30 to 50 years.
By adopting a condition-based maintenance approach, the operator avoided the need for a full
replacement, achieving significant cost savings of approximately $40 million while ensuring long-term reliability and performance
Results
Four anomalies were detected, including minor wall loss (less than 10%) and localized joint
deflection. All findings were verified through targeted visual inspections, confirming both the
accuracy of the tool and the overall pipeline integrity.
Following cleaning and inspection, the flow capacity was fully restored, and no leaks were
identified.
The pipeline was assessed to be in good overall condition and suitable for continued operation,
with an estimated remaining service life of 30 to 50 years.
By adopting a condition-based maintenance approach, the operator avoided the need for a full
replacement, achieving significant cost savings of approximately $40 million while ensuring longterm reliability and performance.