The root cause of water pipeline failures stems from the cracking of external concrete. When this outer layer of concrete cracks, it allows water to seep through, initiating the corrosion of the prestressing steel wires wrapped around the inner steel pipeline. These wires are critical, as they maintain the pressure balance within the pipeline. As the steel wires corrode and eventually break, and the pressure exerted by the fluid inside the pipeline overwhelms the weakened structure. This catastrophic chain reaction of uncontrollable events leads to the serious pipeline leaks.

During a conversation with Jeff Bishop, the Quality Assurance Manager at Suncor Energy Services Inc., he emphasized that the most significant challenge facing the pipeline industry today is external concrete cracking. This issue is pervasive, affecting both water and energy pipeline systems, with cracking setting off a chain of events that ultimately leads to pipeline failure.

Rebar Pipelines

Currently, one of the mains solutions employed by the pipeline industry to reduce the likelihood of concrete cracking is the use of rebars (reinforcement bars) inserted into the concrete, much like how nails are hammered into a piece of material. There are many types of rebars that the industry uses.

• Fiberglass rebars are highly resistant to corrosion, providing greater longevity compared to traditional steel reinforcements.
• Epoxy-coated rebars (steel rebars coated with epoxy) prevent the corrosion of the rebars. The epoxy coating acts as a barrier that prevents soil moisture from reaching the inner steel infrastruction and causing corrosion.
• Galvanized rebars (steel rebars coated with zinc through a galvanizing process) protect the rebars from rusting. Similar to the epoxy-coated rebars, the zinc coating acts as a barrier that hinders soil moisture from corroding the inner steel contents.

The idea behind using rebars is to strengthen the structural integrity of the concrete, ensuring it remains durable in harsh environmental conditions, which would otherwise lead to cracking over time.

However, this approach has its own limitations. While rebars improve the concrete’s tensile strength and resistance to corrosion, they do not address the ROOT cause of cracking, such as environmental stresses like temperature fluctuations, ground movement, or the natural degradation of both concrete and steel.

Cathartic Protection

Cathodic protection is an electrochemical technique that is used to prevent metal surfaces from corroding by converting them into the cathode of an electrochemical cell. We’ll summarize the two main types of cathode protection:

1. Sacrificial Anode Cathode Protection

This first method involves attaching a “sacrificial anode” (a highly reactive metal) to the pipeline. The sacrificial anode “sacrifices” itself, as it corrodes rather than the steel pipeline.

1. Impressed Current Cathodic Protection

This method utilizes an external power source to integrate a protective current within the pipeline. Anodes are placed underground and connect to the pipeline to complete the protective current.

However, this method also has its limitations. The initial setup and maintenance of cathodic protection is often costly. The “sacrificial anode cathode protection” method is unsustainable, as it only replaces the metal that corrodes—yet the corrosion continues The maintenance task load is also heavy.

We propose using concretene (graphene concrete) over the original concrete that composes pipelines. By incorporating graphene into concrete, we create a stronger, more durable material that is less prone to cracking. This makes it an excellent material choice for pipelines and other infrastructure projects where longevity and reliability are critical.

Nth Order Thinking:

What is Nth order thinking? This mode of thinking is a critical applied mental model that we use to become a better thinker and problem solver. It challenges us to think big about the consequences of how the world would be impacted if by actualizing an idea. What are the immediate (1st order) effects? What about the secondary (2nd order) effects?

Nth order thinking does not consider the complexities of deploying innovative technologies. Using Nth order thinking, we create a vision for how the world would be impacted if your material innovation were to be successful. A tip is to ask “and then what?”.

How might we use concretene as a structural reinforcement for PCCP pipelines?

1st Order:

• Increases structural integrity of PCCP pipelines (durability and strength)
• Reduces the potential of micro-cracking, mitigating the potential of steel metal corrosion and hence, leading to fewer water outbursts and failures
• Strengthens resistence to environmental factors (i.e. dcreases water permeability of the external concrete case of PCCP pipelines)
• Reduced weight of PCCP pipelines, decreasing cost of transportation and installation

2nd Order:

• Reduces costs associated with maintaince (repairing or replacing wearied PCCP pipelines). Overall costs for municipalities and utility companies decrease, allowing funds to be reallocated to other infrastructure projects
• Encourage further research and development of graphene in the construction industry.
• Lead to reduced risk of accidents, leaks, and environmental contamination, improving public trust in infrastructure.

3rd Order:

• Stimulate growth in upscaled flash graphene production.
• Reduction of carbon footprint in public infrastructure and construction projects

4th Order:

• Establishment of new global standards for pipeline construction and maintenance.
• Shift in engineering curricula, as if may centralize focus on innovative materials and their applications, preparing future engineers for a changing industry.