Marley contributes to water loss research project

The main objective of this on-going research project is to investigate pipe behaviour, particularly with regard to how pressure in the system affects leakages in pipes.

So far, the research has focussed on three main concepts, namely why leakages caused by holes or cracks are sensitive to pressure in the system, plastic deformation as a result of leakages expanding with pressure, and the interaction of leakages with surrounding soil - which deals with a relatively new phenomenon that has been discovered whereby a leakage in a pipe creates a vortex in the surrounding soil, generating a scouring action that results in the outer surface of the pipe wearing away.

Understanding pipe leaks

"The better we understand how pipes and leaks behave, the better we are able to counteract those actions and better design pipes and pipe materials as well as develop techniques and inform installation practices for the future," says Kobus van Zyl, Professor of Hydraulic Engineering in the Department of Civil Engineering in the Department of Civil Engineering at UCT.

Marley supplied PVC pipe materials to allow the students to take the theories that they have developed over the years and perform experimental tests by cutting cracks and holes into the pipes and exposing them to different pressures to see how the leakages respond, and then comparing this data with their theories.

In coming forward to provide the materials to execute these kinds of tests, Marley is able to benefit the industry by identifying the flaws and weakening factors that exist in pipe design today and thereby contribute to a more promising future for sustainable water distribution systems.