Modelling the impact on infrastructure resilience of local vegetation-influenced ground movement with multi-scale spatio-temporal environmental data
Lead Research Organisation:
Cranfield University
Department Name: School of Water, Energy and Environment
Abstract
Brief definition of research project: The UK water network includes pipes of different materials, diameters and ages. These pipes are buried in different soils and have different external factors influencing their resilience. We know that ground movement breaks pipes, but due to the complexity of the environment and pipe network, predicting the number of bursts, and particularly where they are most likely to occur, remains very challenging.
Based on the location, height and canopy of the 28 million trees within our study area, you will calculate areas of 'tree influence' on soil moisture, and use these to predict highly local ground movements. It is expected that the incorporation of the new tree datasets into infrastructure-environmental models will enhance our ability to predict the location of burst pipes. Taking a large, historic 10 year, case study in the Anglian Water region, this will be the first time environmental-water infrastructure models based on soil, weather and tree variables will have been developed and tested on this scale.
You will test the relationships hypothesised using a range of statistical methods to assess the relative contributions of the infrastructure and environmental variables to each infrastructure failure. The changing impact of trees on local soil moisture under future climates will also be modelled.
Due to the age and variable integrity of the UK water network, this work will be of national importance in as it will help to focus the limited resources available for repair and replacement in the areas which will deliver the maximum benefit in reducing leakage and associated energy costs, collateral damage to nearby infrastructure, and minimising the potential impact of failures to both humans and the environment.
Based on the location, height and canopy of the 28 million trees within our study area, you will calculate areas of 'tree influence' on soil moisture, and use these to predict highly local ground movements. It is expected that the incorporation of the new tree datasets into infrastructure-environmental models will enhance our ability to predict the location of burst pipes. Taking a large, historic 10 year, case study in the Anglian Water region, this will be the first time environmental-water infrastructure models based on soil, weather and tree variables will have been developed and tested on this scale.
You will test the relationships hypothesised using a range of statistical methods to assess the relative contributions of the infrastructure and environmental variables to each infrastructure failure. The changing impact of trees on local soil moisture under future climates will also be modelled.
Due to the age and variable integrity of the UK water network, this work will be of national importance in as it will help to focus the limited resources available for repair and replacement in the areas which will deliver the maximum benefit in reducing leakage and associated energy costs, collateral damage to nearby infrastructure, and minimising the potential impact of failures to both humans and the environment.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Timothy Farewell (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Matthew North (Student) |
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NE/M009009/1 | 05/10/2015 | 31/12/2022 | |||
| 1653265 | Studentship | NE/M009009/1 | 05/10/2015 | 04/10/2018 | Matthew North |
| Description | 1) How satellites can be used to measure soil-related subsidence and heave of infrastructure. 2) Better understood the environmental (soil, weather and climate) related factors which lead to water infrastructure failure within the UK. A special set of predictive models have been built to forecast pipeline failure for Anglian Water. 3) Increased dramatically the understanding upon how trees interact with buried infrastructure (water pipes), and how this interaction leads to higher rates of failure |
| Exploitation Route | Creation of a set of predictive models used by Anglian Water to forecast pipeline failure. These predictions will be held against Anglian Water by OFWAT (government regulator) for target setting and management practices. |
| Sectors | Environment,Transport |
| Description | 1) Development of a predictive model used for the forecasting of pipe failures across the Anglian Water network. The project is called Water Infrastructure Serviceability Performance Assessment (WISPA). 2) ARUP environmental consultancy have been in contact regarding the use of SAR and Persistent Scatterers Interferometry for their potential use in monitoring dam stability. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2016 |
| Sector | Environment |
| Impact Types | Policy & public services |