Researchers: Peter Hubbard, Linqing Luo, James Wang, Andrew Yeskoo, Kenichi Soga (UC Berkeley), Krista Aracia, Gus Cicala and Marshal Mcleod (EBMUD)
Client/Owner: East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD)
Technologies: Distributed Strain and Temperature Sensing
Publications: Hubbard, P.G., Luo, L., Yeskoo, A., Soga, K. Araica, K. M., Cicala, G., Mcleod, M. (2021) “Design of a Distributed Strain Monitoring System for HDPE Water Pipelines Crossing An Earthquake Fault”, XXth International Plastic Pipes Conference and Exhibition, Amsterdam.
The Soga Research Group has been working with the East Bay Municipal Utility District to develop a cutting-edge system for monitoring HDPE pipelines that cross active earthquake faults. Specifically, EBMUD plans to replace a large section of critical water pipelines that crosses the Hayward Fault in Oakland, CA. The UC Berkeley researchers developed a system from conceptualization through installations that EBMUD will deploy at full-scale. The installation of the instrumented pipeline is scheduled for early December 2021 and monitoring will continue for at least 10 years through a contract between UC Berkeley and EMBUD. This work helped pave the way for the brand-new Center for Smart Infrastructure located at UC Berkeley’s Richmond Field Station that will serve as a testing facility for innovative technologies in the civil infrastructure space.