Municipal > Water > Air And Pressure Control Valves > ARI Air Valves
Published: Thu, Aug 25, 2022
Contributor: Glenn Votkin | Profile | Articles
Design engineers acknowledge the problems associated with accumulating air within pipelines. (a) Air allowed to accumulate at high spots will increase energy costs, decrease flow, and elevate the risk of cross connection. (b) A function of an air valve is to prevent air from accumulating at high points.
However, many air valves are failing today and in many cases, we are simply accepting the consequences and blaming the operators for allowing them to fail. Why are the air valves failing? Is it poor air valve design, lack of maintenance or poor design practices? Let’s explore the infraStruct[1] Air Valve Design Scorecard for answers.
Through ARIavCAD[2] steady state analysis and hydraulic modeling we can understand the “Pipeline Mechanics.” Air valves are then selected based on “Material Mechanics” meeting pipeline performance requirements. Finally installed addressing the “Installation Mechanics”. However now as an “Owned Asset,” operators cannot safely, confidently access and maintain the valve due to the chamber being deemed as a moderate to high-risk entry.
It is the responsibility for the owner to provide a safe work environment for their operators. It is the responsibility of the designer to understand the needs of their client in all mechanics and owned asset. It is the responsibility for the operator to maintain the asset providing it falls within the brackets of safe work procedures.
In many cases today we failed the operators through poor past and future design practices. The good news, the technology to resolve the “Owned Asset” challenges has been available for almost two decades in North America.
ARI has a full line of “Self Contained Air Valves” for both Water and Sewer that eliminate confined space entry for maintenance.
I have enclosed a simple matrix below to assist in selection and we offer technical support reviewing our scorecard ensuring the correct valve is identified for both post design repair and future design consideration.
Water Pipelines up to 300mm Diameter.
Water Pipelines >300mm Diameter.
Sewer Pipelines >300mm Diameter.
In summary
Moving forward we have choice; we can’t change past design practices however we can choose to “set the operator up for success.”
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11571-149 Street
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T5M 1W9
780-454-2006
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Municipal Services Division
Unit 10, 32929 Mission Way
Mission, BC
V2V 6E4
604-424-9999
Head Office/Products
11571-149 Street
Edmonton, AB
T5M 1W9
780-454-2006
Municipal Services Division
22420 Dewdney Trunk Road, Suite 300
Maple Ridge, BC
V2X 3J5
604-424-9999
