A SURVEY OF PRODUCT WATER TRANSMISSION LINES IN THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA - PART-I1

Dr Anees U. Malik ABSTRACT The overall assessment of the condition of SWCC product water transmission system has been carried out on the basis of the technical information available for the pipe lines. The failed or failure-proned areas are identified and the nature of the cause(s) offailure of pipe lines is determined by the analysis of the results of field and laboratory investigations. Onset of electrochemical corrosion processes due to ingression of foreign species appearing in the form of reinforcing concrete corrosion, mechanical failure of prestressed concrete, detachment of polymer lining and dismemberment of cement/epoxy lining due to turbulence in water flow are the major causes found responsible for the failure of pipe lines. INTRODUCTION Potable water produced from seawater in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia covers roughly 70% of the total domestic requirements. The total production of desalinated water in the Kingdom is about 925 million US gallon/day. Saline Water Conversion Corporation 12 of the country. SWCC has constructed 27 plants on both coasts (Arabian Gulf and Red Sea) producing 565 million US gallons of water per day and 4079 MW of electricity. About 95 percent of the desalinated water produced by SWCC is by sea water MSF process and the rest mainly by sea water RO (SWRO) process. These plants are located at Al-Jubail, Al-Khobar and Al-Khafji in eastern region, and at Jeddah, Shoaibah, Ash-Shuqaiq and Yanbu in the western region. Table-I shows the water production capacity of the various SWCC desalination plants operating in the Kingdom. The enormous amount of water produced in the desalination plants is distributed through a network of transmission lines (main and trunk lines) to cities, towns and villages. Figure 1 illustrates the locations of the desalination plants and water transmission lines in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Following are the major transmission systems through which distribution of product water is carried out. 1. Riyadh Water Transmission System (RWTS). RWTS is one of the biggest high pressure pipe line system of the world. It comprises twin lines (A and B) each has

1 Issued as Technical Report No. SWCC (RDC)-11 in July, 1991.

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a length of 467 Km and a diameter of 60. The lines originate from desalination plant at Al-Jubail and terminate at HPT Riyadh and have the pumping capacity of 834,000 m3/day. The lines cater to the needs of Riyadh metropolis. 2. Line C (Jubail-Riyadh). It originates from desalination plant at Al-Jubail and terminating at Riyadh. It is 60 diameter, 389 km single pressure line made of steel. The water storage capacity of Riyadh terminal is 300,000 m3. 3. Riyadh Qaseem Water Transmission System (RQWTS). RQWTS carries water from Riyadh High Point Terminal to Buraydah terminal. The Riyadh terminal receives desalinated water from Al-Jubail through Line C. RQWTS is a 384 km double pressure and gravitational flow line. It comprises of 63 diameter - 205 km and 79 diameter - 165 km prestressed concrete pipe line and 48 diameter - 163 km steel pipeline, including the branch lines. 4. Al-Khobar Water Transmission System (AKWTS). It comprises 4 trunk lines of 20- 44 diameter originating from Aziziya plant. The trunk lines 1 and 2 (total length : 28 km) and 3 and 4 (total length : 85 km) terminate at Dammam and Rahima, respectively. These lines cater the water requirements of Al-Khobar, Dhahran, Dammam, Saihat, Qatif, Safwa and Rahima. 5. Makkah Taif Water Transmission System (MTWTS). This system comprises of 3 lines, namely, 56 diam. twin pipe line ( A and B) of 96 Km length each upto Makkah and 42 single pipe line (line C) of 91 Km length upto Taif 1745m above sea level. The pipe lines originate from Shoaibah desalination plant and terminating at Taif. The system supplies water to Makkah Al-Mokarmah and Taif cities. 6. Assir Water Transmission Facilities - Lot 2A (AWTF). The Assir Water Transmission Line is originated from Ash Shuqaiq desalination plant at Red Sea and terminating at Ahad Rafidah and Ukad. The facility is comprised of several trunk lines : Ash Shuqaiq to Abha, Ash Shuqaiq to Ukad, Abha to Ahad Rafidah and Albin Numan to Military area. The total length of the pipe lines is about 215 km and average diameter is 30. The pipe lines feed Abha metropolis, Khamis Mushayt, Ahad Ratidah, King Faisal Military city, Khamis air base, Ad-darb town, villages of Swadah Al Juman, Abha extra low, Al-Ghatz, Bin Numan, Higlaw Al Rohan, Itwad and Al-Aliya. 7. Yanbu Madina Water Transmission Lines (YMWTS). The YMWTS consists of Madina product water transmission line (MPL) and Yanbu product water transmission line (YPL). The 32 diam. steel pipe line (MPL) is 175.4 km long and originates from desalination plant at Yanbu located at 40 km south of Yanbu Al Bahar at Red Sea Coast and ends at SWCC terminal at Medina. The 24 diam YPL made of asbestos cement is 50 km long and originates from the same point and ends at SWCC terminal, Yanbu at the center of Yanbu Al Bahar city.
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DISCUSSION The project concerning with the survey of product water transmission systems in the Kingdom which was approved by the SWCC contain eight (8) objectives: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) (vii) (viii) To collect technical data of all SWCC product water pipe lines in western and eastern regions. To assess the condition of the constructional material in the pipe lines. To collect detailed information about the performance of the various pipe lines. To collect informations about the different cathodic protection (CP) systems installed in the pipe lines and their performance. To find out the factors causing failures in some pipe lines. To determine ways and means for predicting failures in pipe lines well in advance. To locate the sections of pipe lines which require an early attention for repairs or replacements. To assist and coordinate the SWCC O&M personnel in finding a suitable solution if a pipe line failurt: occurs.

This report contains information leading to the achievement of objectives (i) to (iv), the work is in progress to achieve the other four (v to viii) objectives. Table 2A and B provide information regarding the constructional details and dimensions of the pipe lines. Table 3 summarizes information relating to the flow rate (design and actual) and pressure at the pumping stations (Max. allowable and operating) situated at different locations in the pipe line. Table 4 contains technical information regarding the hydraulic testing of the pipe lines. The composition and specification of materials used in the construction of pipelines are given in Tables 5A and 5B. The informations about the nature of the soil in the areas surrounding the pipe line is provided in Table 6 and that of cathodic protection system in Table 7. A review of the composition of materials used in the construction of various pipe lines in the Kingdom (Table 5) indicates that almost all the lines are made of reinforced concrete. RQWTS is a prestressed concrete pipe line. Madina-Yanbu pipe lines have internal lining of epoxy and external coating of polyethylene. In other transmission systems only the sections of the pipe lines at the pump stations are internally lined with
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epoxy paints. RWTS, MTTS, AWTF, MPL and YPL are coated externally with polyethylene whereas RQWTS has an external coating of coal-tar-epoxy paint. AKWTS has perhaps no coating and cement mortar acts as an external coating. Most of the product water transmission lines are fully cathodically protected, AKWTS is partially cathodically protected and RQWTS is not protected at all (Table 6). AWTF is fully C.P. except the trunk Abha-Mushayt cement pipe line. YPL is made of asbestos-cement and is not C.P. The information regarding the nature and composition of the soil surrounding the area of the buried pipe line is very important in point of view of the efficient working of the water transmission system. Besides chemical composition of the soil, the resistivity and pipe to soil potential data are of immense importance in characterizing corrosivity or non-corrosivity of the soil. In general, SWCC product water transmission lines pass through a variety of soils which include sandy, rocky, slit, subkha, vcgetal and clay (Table 7). However, quantitative data about the soil are not available for most of the water transmission systems. Recently Ameron carried out soil survey for RQWTS and some valuable information is derived from the soil chemistry and resistivity data. The Research Center has also carried a soil survey of the area surrounding AKWTS, the survey was not exhaustive nevertheless it provides some information about the corrosivity of the soil. Table 8 contains selective data regarding soil condition around areas covered by RQWTS and AKWTS and Table 9 contains criteria regarding soil corrosivity based on chemical analysis and soil resistivity data. It appears that soil resistivity data of pipe laid area are quite formidable in explaining the corrosion failure of pipe line; it is exemplified by the occurrence of failure in the RQWTS and AKWTS pipe lines passing through the soil characterized as corrosive. Avoidance of contact between soil and pipe line, selection of coating resistance to corrosive attack of the soil and its proper application or cathodic protection (CP) arc some of the measures to prevent or at least restrict corrosion. There are instances of changes in the nature of the soil due to change in climatic pattern or industrilization or agriculturization of the area, it is therefore imperative to have periodic soil survey and corrosion monitoring of the pipe lines. The measurement of potentialof steel in concrete using Cu/CuSO4 (CSE) as a reference gives generally acceptable criteria regarding the corrosivity of the RCC pipes based data obtained for problem areas of RQWTS lines illustrating the condition of the pipes

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The information about the failure of some sections of SWCC product water transmission systems is well documented (Table 12). Four modes of failure have generally been observed in the water transmission lines: (i) (ii) (iii) Failure of upper/external casing (mortar or concrete) due to rebar corrosion. Failure of inside polymer (epoxy) lining in the form of peeling off or detachment of the epoxy followed by corrosion of underneath steel cylinder. Failure of pre-stressed concrete either due to mechanical failure (brittle fracture) of reinforcement wire or corrosion of reinforcement due to external ingression of Cl- and/or O2 followed by mechanical failure due to the compressive stresses exerted by voluminous corrosion products. Cement/epoxy lining disintegration of pipe internals especially at junction points due to turbulence in water flow. Failure of External Casing (Reinforced Concrete): This type of failure was observed in Alkhobar pipe lines where due to detachment of outer concrete coating trunk lines 3 and 4 punctured at a number of places. The most plausible explanation for the failure is the ingression of chloride from the soil and/or the moisture through the cracks or hole resulting in the formation of macrocells beneath the mortar coating; the rebar acts as an anode and gets corroded, The concentration of voluminous corrosion products around the reinforcement resulted in the bursting of the outer mortar coating. 2. Failure of Internal Epoxy Lining : Failure of inside epoxy lining and subsequent corrosion of the steel pipe has been noted in Abha section of AWTF and in MWTF more than two years back. The epoxy lining was found detached or peeled off resulting in the exposure of underneath steel pipe. The epoxy lining is detached from the wall of the pipe due to bubble formation. The bubbles are formed by the vapors of the volatile liquid (entrapped) inside the epoxy lining. The bubbles are bursted by the turbulence of water flow providing channels for H2O/O2 to form macrocells. The underneath steel (at 1ow PO2) forming anode gets corroded, the voluminous corrosion products exert compressive stresses on the overlying lining resulting in the dismemberment of the epoxy lining. Use of liquid-based epoxy paints or bad metal finishing resulting in the poor adherence of the paint are considered as the possible reasons for the failure of the paint. The use of thermally applied coating appears to be the best solution to cope with the problem of epoxy detachment.
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3.

Failure of Prestressed Concrete : Failure of the prestressed concrete occurred in RQWTS during hydraulic testing. The failure has been attributed to the ingression of chloride (from the soil) through the external cracks or the pores resulting in the corrosion of rebar followed by machanical failure (loss of strength) due to compressive stresses exerted by voluminous corrosion products. The measurements of the chloride contents of the soil, permeability of Cl- in the failed or unfailed sections/layers of the pipe, scales, soil resistivity and pipe potential tests indicate high corrosivity of the soil in the failed areas. The insufficient amount (or thickness) of the epoxy-coal tar coating on the pipes, degradation of the coating during storage, poor quality of the coating and defects introduced during manufacturing of the pipes are also the factors which could be responsible for the failure.

4.

Disintepration Of Cement/Epoxy Lining : In RWTS, the inner cement mortar lining was externally cracked at the pumping stations. The damage was largely confined near the region of T at which the high pressure water flows from the pump discharge entering the main line. High velocity aided with turbulence in water flow played a major role in the failure of cement mortar lining.

SUMMARY On the basis of the technical information available for the various SWCC product water transmission systems, the troubled areas have been identified where pipe line failures occurred. Furthermore, the nature and the cause(s) of the failures are determined by the evaluation of the laboratory and field data available for the defective pipe lines. Extensive field work and laboratory investigations are needed to evolve a pipe line monitoring program which would not only provide quantitative information regarding the conditions of all SWCC pipe lines periodically but would also predict the probable areas of failure well in advance. CONCLUDING REMARKS A study of the technical information available regarding the SWCC product water transmission lines and the analysis of field and labaoratory data of some of the failed pipe lines indicate that with a few exceptions, the over all conditions of the pipe line is satisfactory. The causes of the failures of the pipe lines can be categorized on the basis of the inception of corrosion process in the body of the pipe line due to environmental factors, deleterious mechanical process due to physical and operating parameters and use or application of improper material(s). Application of cathodic protection (C.P.), selection of suitable coating/lining and complete replacement of the failed pipe(s) are
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some of the remedies to cope with the failure problems. Applications of more stringent conditions for pipe quality control (including casting, materials, coating, lining, flaws etc.), periodic survey of the soil (chemical analysis and resistivity) and regular measurement of soil-pipe potentials are some of the important preventive measures against
failure.

Fig. 1 :

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