Detecting pipe corrosion

Scientists at Monash University have devised a new way of measuring water pipes that can help detect corrosion without damaging the pipe.

Geophysicists Professor Jim Cull and Dr Duncan Massie have developed a technology that provides high definition images of a pipe's thickness without disturbing it. The system can also identify mineral deposits or salinity from five metres to three kilometres underground.

Previously, pipe corrosion could only be measured accurately with ultrasonics. This required the pipes' cladding or protective paint to be removed. The new technology, applied with a device called the Testau, emits magnetic radiation that reveals variations in conductivity in the pipe that indicates the presence of corrosion, and can be done without damaging the pipes' surface.

Yarra Valley Water is using the Testau to help determine the lifespan of its pipe system.

The technology has also been applied to another device, the terraTEM, which can detect underground water, soil salinity and buried metals close to the Earth's surface. It's also used in the detection of traditional mineral exploration targets deep underground.

Data unearthed by the terraTEM could help farmers by detecting salinity hotspots as well as hidden supplies of groundwater.