Research on buried pipe corrosion assessment using corrosion sensors

This research aims to establish a water pipeline replacement plan that employs soil-corrosion evaluation technology and utilizes easy-to-use corrosion sensors by assessing the performances and validating operation methods based on verification experiments. Since 2005, we have assessed the performances of two different types of sensor, and have confirmed that bar-type sensors can detect soil corrosion effects, including macrocell corrosion. To verify the sensors' practicality, beginning in 2007 we have performed tests on corrosion sensors buried underground for two pipelines with nominal diameters 400 mm or more. In 2008, we collected and analysed the data from some of the sensors, which were buried for about a year. This paper discusses the results of the corrosion sensor performance assessment to date and the practicality of sensors based on data analyses of the test sensors collected in 2008.