ESTIMATION OF FAILURE RATE OF WATER DISTRIBUTION PIPELINE BASED ON QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY DATA OF ACTUAL PIPELINE LEAKAGE ACCIDENT

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to estimate a failure rate of water distribution pipeline by the reliability theory, analyzing the questionnaire survey data of the actual pipeline leakage accident. We focused on a relationship between time [year] to failure and pipeline materials. This paper proposed an improved unreliability function, taking into consideration the difference of pipeline constructed length [km]. As a result of analysis, we described the curves of failure rate for ductile iron pipe, steel pipe and rigid polyvinyl chloride pipe. It was revealed that the failure rate increased with extending the laid period of the pipeline.