Most Dutch drinking water utilities have a blueprint of their water distribution network. This is the design of the network which is future-proof, taking into account future demands and design principles. It assists in sizing pipes in reconstruction projects. Making a blueprint is a time consuming modelling exercise, where some utilities request support from engineering consultancies. The fact that these calculations are time consuming and expensive, makes utilities reluctant to renew the blueprint. Therefore, the risk of over- or undersizing pipe diameters increases in time.
Approach and solution
The crucial part in the automation of this process is the data preparation. WML is using an Asset Data Integrator (ADI), a database where all asset data is stored, checked, historicised and standardised. We have defined multiple data preparation rules that create an hydraulic model fully automatically. The hydraulic model is used to run an immense number of iterative calculations that lead to the optimal pipe diameter for each pipe in the network. SI Blueprint was developed for and in close cooperation with WML, who allowed Spatial Insight to use the data in ADI.
Contribution to the organisation’s strategy
With SI-Blueprint, WML has always access to an up-to-date blueprint of the network, meaning that every pipe that will be replaced by WML has the smallest possible diameter while meeting all design principles. Also, the software replaces an expensive and time consuming project with an engineering consultancy. WML has embedded the knowledge in the organisation by the installation of SI-Blueprint.
Customer review
Henk Vogelaar, advisor drinking water supply of WML: “It’s a great development to convert the way human thinking into a mathematical process that can be executed by computers. A distribution network is very complex due to its network structure, and a change in one part of the line can affect the entire network. The distribution network has grown and evolved over the years with changing principles to become what it is today. In the human way of thinking, you change one or several parts of the line and then calculate the consequences. SI-Blueprint rebuilds the complete pipeline network from scratch and calculates what is most logical. This provides surprising and useful insights. Additionally, you have the option to ‘freeze’ pipelines that you do not want to change, either because they were recently installed or are necessary for providing support in case of (partial) failure of a production location. As a result, SI-Blueprint can be adapted to the principles of any company.”
"We can apply SI-Blueprint on your network as well, let's be in touch"