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Soil Erosion Due to Defective Pipes: A Hidden Hazard Beneath Our Feet

Author

Listed:
  • Pooya Dastpak

    (Department of Civil Environmental & Ocean Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA)

  • Rita L. Sousa

    (Department of Civil Environmental & Ocean Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA)

  • Daniel Dias

    (Laboratory 3SR, CNRS UMR 5521, Grenoble Alpes University, 38000 Grenoble, France)

Abstract

Sinkholes are a significant underground hazard that threatens infrastructure and lives and sometimes results in fatalities. The annual cost of sinkhole damages exceeds $300 million, although this estimate is likely underestimated due to the need for national tracking. Sinkholes can also alter natural drainage patterns, leading to increased flood risk. While natural sinkholes occur, those in urban areas are predominantly manmade, caused by soil erosion from defective pipes, typically due to aging. Climate change, storm surges, and urbanization have accelerated subsidence in urban environments, posing greater risks to critical infrastructure and densely populated areas. Extensive research has focused on soil erosion in dams; however, this knowledge does not necessarily apply to erosion through orifices, where gravity and other factors play significant roles. This paper presents a critical literature review on internal soil erosion due to defective pipes (SEDP). The review highlights that hydraulic loading, backfill type, and pipe conditions (defect shape, size, and depth) influence SEDP. Key findings from experiments and numerical studies are summarized, while mechanisms and knowledge gaps are identified. However, it is concluded that the current understanding in this field remains limited, underscoring the urgent need for further experimental and numerical research to expand the knowledge base on SEDP.

Suggested Citation

  • Pooya Dastpak & Rita L. Sousa & Daniel Dias, 2023. "Soil Erosion Due to Defective Pipes: A Hidden Hazard Beneath Our Feet," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-23, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:11:p:8931-:d:1161742
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Haibat Ali & Jae-ho Choi, 2019. "Risk Prediction of Sinkhole Occurrence for Different Subsurface Soil Profiles due to Leakage from Underground Sewer and Water Pipelines," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-16, December.
    2. Kiyeon Kim & Joonyoung Kim & Tae-Young Kwak & Choong-Ki Chung, 2018. "Logistic regression model for sinkhole susceptibility due to damaged sewer pipes," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 93(2), pages 765-785, September.
    3. Rita Tufano & Luigi Guerriero & Mariagiulia Annibali Corona & Giuseppe Bausilio & Diego Di Martire & Stefania Nisio & Domenico Calcaterra, 2022. "Anthropogenic sinkholes of the city of Naples, Italy: an update," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 112(3), pages 2577-2608, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Lyudmila S. Malyukova & Nikita V. Martyushev & Valeriya Valerievna Tynchenko & Viktor V. Kondratiev & Vladimir V. Bukhtoyarov & Vladimir Yu. Konyukhov & Kirill Aleksandrovich Bashmur & Tatyana Aleksan, 2023. "Circular Mining Wastes Management for Sustainable Production of Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-17, July.
    2. Gabriele Medio & Giada Varra & Çağrı Alperen İnan & Luca Cozzolino & Renata Della Morte, 2024. "Sinkhole Risk-Based Sensor Placement for Leakage Localization in Water Distribution Networks with a Data-Driven Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-20, June.

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