Performance-based Monitoring and Risk Assessment Tool for Gas Pipelines under Natural Forces
The University of California, Berkeley will demonstrate the coupling of remote and embedded sensing technologies with an open-source seismic risk assessment tool. The project will increase gas system safety and reliability by enabling more accurate
The Regents of the University of California, on behalf of the Berkeley Campus
Recipient
Berkeley, CA
Recipient Location
9th
Senate District
14th
Assembly District
$122,310
Amount Spent
Active
Project Status
Project Update
The project team has finalized three demonstration sites: Gilroy landslide, Berkeley Hills landslide, and a split-basin test performed at the Center for Smart Infrastructure. The team has started deployments at both the Gilroy and Berkeley Hills landslide locations including drones, LiDAR, and InSAR data processing. The split-basin test is expected to complete by Q4 2025.
The Issue
The project team has finalized three demonstration sites: Gilroy landslide, Berkeley Hills landslide, and a split-basin test performed at the Center for Smart Infrastructure. The team has started deployments at both the Gilroy and Berkeley Hills landslide locations including drones, LiDAR, and InSAR data processing. The split-basin test is expected to complete by Q4 2025.
Project Innovation
This project will build on the previous version of OpenSRA, demonstrating the use of remote and embedded sensing technologies to monitor and gain insights into the performance of gas infrastructure assets and manage risk in near "real-time". Sensing technologies will be deployed at two field sites and a large-scale experimental site. Data collected will be coupled with an open-source seismic risk assessment tool in predictive modeling and data analytics. The project will increase gas system safety and reliability by enabling more accurate identification of at-risk infrastructure.
Project Benefits
This project will build on the state-of-the-art program, OpenSRA to provide utility owners and operators with real time information of their infrastructure. This data can be fed through OpenSRA to help in the seismic risk assessment (such as site data and strain measurements) and will also give real time data to when a failure has occurred. This will substantially increase the safety of California utility users, as well as aid utility owners in mitigation efforts prior to failures.
Safety
When areas of high risk are identified, IOUs can prioritize mitigation measures for existing infrastructure and better plan to reduce the risk of failures in future infrastructure. Remediation and risk-based construction can increase safety by reducing the risk in the highest risk areas and the system as a whole.
Reliability
System-wide fragilities and prioritization of mitigation will provide greater reliability of the overall natural gas system in the State of California.
Energy Security
When areas of high risk are identified, IOUs can prioritize mitigation measures for existing infrastructure and better plan to reduce the risk of failures in future infrastructure. Remediation and risk-based construction can increase safety by reducing the risk in the highest risk areas and the system as a whole.
Environmental Sustainability
Risk-based identification of high-risk infrastructure and early adoption of preventative engineering measures will reduce the rate of failures and help minimize natural gas leaks, avoiding adverse environmental impacts and protecting public health.
Economic Development
The quantitative risk methodology developed by the proposed project will enable early preventative engineering measures to be taken to prevent failure, thus lowering mitigation costs. Identification and remediation of high-risk existing infrastructure will reduce the cost of replacing and repairing infrastructure that fails.
Key Project Members
Kenichi Soga
Subrecipients
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Slate Geotechnical Consultants Inc.
Match Partners
The Regents of the University of California on behalf of the Berkeley campus
Slate Geotechnical Consultants Inc.
