Subject: Research Crown Corrosion of underground sewer pipe

leading on sink creation on khayaban e firdosi road at Johar Town,

Lahore

(Causes and proposed solution)

In this Document crown corrosion of RCC (Reinforced Cement Concrete) and how it can
lead to creation of sink hole in the road will be discussed.

1. REINFORCED CONCRETE CEMENT PIPES:

A concrete sewer pipe is also called a reinforced concrete cement pipe (RCC). It’s a type
of piping that’s usually used to direct the flow of liquid (like water, sewage, etc.)
underground. They typically make RCC from composite materials with an element to
strengthen it like steel. They reinforce it with steel to compensate for the concrete pipe’s
low ductility and tensile strength.

Concrete sewer pipes come in diameters ranging from 09″ to 144″. It also comes
in different shapes like standard, elliptical, and arch, depending on where they’ll use it.

1.1. Advantages of RCCs over other types of pipes

 They can handle a gigantic volume of liquid in terms of volume
 It is durable and can withstand many environmental stressors
 It is relatively cheaper
 Can operate efficiently under high-pressure conditions
 Have a long service life compared to other pipes made of different materials
 Resistant to the incursion of soil or roots
 Has high joint performance

1.2. Factors affecting RCC pipe’s life:

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The estimated material service life (EMSL), as well as the functionality of RCC (or any
buried sewer pipe), is affected by the following factors:

 Sulfate, Chloride, or acid corrosion

 Fire resistance
 pH level
 Ability to resist abrasion
 Ability to resist soil and water

Considering the above factors, a concrete sewer pipe’s life expectancy is about 75 to 100
years with good maintenance.

2. Crown Corrosion:

When sewage pipe material comes into contact with sulfuric acid, the pipe material

Figure 1: corroded RCC pipe

corrodes, ultimately causing failure this is known as crown corrosion if pipe.

2.1. Microbial-Deterioration of RCC’s:

Bio-deterioration of concrete structures is caused by organisms that grow in environments

on concrete surfaces that offer favorable conditions (e.g., available water, low pH etc.).
Conducive environments may have elevated relative humidity (i.e., between 60% and 98),

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high concentrations of sulfates and small amounts of acids (e.g., sewer pipes or residual
water treatment plants). There are enough evidences to show that a wide variety of
SULPHATE REDUCING BACTERIA (SRB’S) mainly from Acidophilicity and Thiobacillus
family can cause concrete deterioration such as Thiobacillus intermedius, Thiobacillus
neapolitanus, Thiobacillus novellus etc.

Considerable researches has examined bio-deterioration of concrete structures by living

organisms, including underground structures, sewage systems, at-sea structures and
wastewater treatment systems. The costly effect of MID on various structural systems is
often underestimated since the microorganisms often accelerate processes that would
occur in their absence at slower rates. It has been estimated that biodeterioration-related
structural problems cost billions of dollars a year in infrastructure maintenance and repair.

2.2. Process Mechanism:

The cycle begins where, under an anaerobic conditions, sulphide reducing bacteria
present in slime layers and sewage itself, reduce sulphates to form dissolved hydrogen
sulphide H2S.

Hydrogen sulphide gas released from sewage is then oxidized by bacteria in presence of
moisture to form sulphuric acid which may attack cementitious materials

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Figure 2: Hydrogen Sulphide Corrosion mechanism

H2S + 2O2 H2SO4

CaCO3 + H2SO4 = CaSO4 + CO2 + H2O

The sulfuric acid reacts first with the calcium hydroxide (CH) to precipitate gypsum
(CaSO4 2H2O) on and below the concrete surface, which can induce tensile stresses in
concrete, resulting in cracking and spalling. Acid attacks the surface of concrete pipes by
reacting with the readily available free lime in the concrete and after neutralizing all the
free lime the pH of the concrete starts to decrease rapidly. At low pH levels, calcium
silicate hydrate, which forms most of the cementing material, starts to decompose
releasing CaO which is then neutralized by reacting with the acid. As a result of this acid
– alkaline reaction, a layer of calcium sulphate hydrate is formed on the surface of the
concrete. This layer is removed in the presence of moving water and with continuous
replenishment of acid, the reaction will continue and more of the concrete surface will
corrode.

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Aggressive CO2 forms carbonic acid, H2CO3 when dissolved in water and will have the
same effect on concrete as other type of acids. Some ground waters, with reasonably
high pH values, may have high amounts of dissolved CO2 that will attack the concrete.

3. Sink Hole:

A sinkhole is a depression in the ground that has no natural external surface drainage.

Figure 3: Johartown Sink Hole

3.1. Process Mechanism of how a RCC pipe Crown Corrosion can lead to
sinkhole creation:

The root of the problem of sink hole creation is a fractured sewer line. A damaged pipe
leading to a major concrete interceptor caused heavy infiltration, which in turn resulted in
soil loss around the interceptor at the fractured location of the pipe. The soil loss
eventually works its way to the surface to create a sinkhole.

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Following image show the process of sinkhole creation mechanism

Figure 4: Sinkhole and internal erosion caused by a sewer pipe defect

4. Addressing the Issue:

The presence of sulfates in wastewater is ubiquitous and it is practically impossible to

control or remove in sewage. Sulfates are a very common mineral in soil, there are also
many foods and proteins which are good sources of sulfur. The redox chemistries of sulfur
are very complex and in some medium sulfur can exist in multiple oxidation states
simultaneously.

The presence of sulfates is not the issue, crown corrosion can only occur after the
sulfates are converted to H2S by sulfur reducing bacteria (SRBs) in concrete unlined
conveyance systems. Upon =SO4 reduction, volatile H2S escapes the liquid sewage
medium as a gas and rise to the sewer crown where it gets oxidized on the moist crown
surfaces to sulfuric acid (H2SO4) .

5. Proposed Solutions:

Biodeterioration of concrete is primarily dependent on the availability of water and

nutrients. Thus, material specific parameters, like porosity and permeability, and other
conditions, which determine exposure and environmental factors at the site, will
determine the intensity and rate of biocorrosive attacks. The control of biodeterioration
processes should start with the adoption of measures that will prevent favorable growth
conditions for the damaging microorganisms.

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Followings are the measures that can be taken against Corrosion if RCC pipe.

5.1. Sewer Ventilation:

5.1.1. Use of ventilating columns:

The ventilating shaft is provided along the sewer line at an interval of 150 m to 300 m. They are
also provided at the upper end of every branch sewer and at every point where sewer dia
changes.

Ventilating shaft helps to remove the foul and explosive gases produced in the sewer. They
provide fresh air to the workers working in the manholes. They also help to prevent the formation
of airlocks in the sewage and thereby ensure the continuous flow of sewage inside the sewer.

Figure 5: Sewer ventication column

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 5.1.2. Use of ventilating manhole covers:

The manhole covers are sometimes provided with perforations, through which the sewer gets
exposed to the atmosphere. This will help in achieving some ventilation but will cause more
nuisances.

Figure 6: Ventillation Manhole Covers

5.1.3. Proper design of sewers:

The proper design of sewers also ensures enough ventilation.

5.1.4. Artificial ventilation:

Sometimes artificial ventilation is arranged at the site before entering a sewer, by blowing fresh
air supply into the sewer through mechanical means.

5.2. Flux of H2S to the Pipe Wall:

The flux of H2S to the pipe wall increase with increase of stream velocity and stream
energy gradient. Therefore, high velocities and slopes that have been recommended to
reduce sulphide generation should be avoided in those parts of the networks where
sulphides are present. Turbulence in drops and junctions are another source of high rate
of H2S flux, and should be avoided when possible, or considered as hot spots, in the life
design of networks, pipes and structures.

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 5.3. Alkalinity of Pipe Material:

Unlike other types of acid corrosion, the sulphide corrosion process involves a limited
amount of acid available to react with the cement bonded materials

As this acid reacts, it will penetrate the wall of the pipe at a rate inversely proportional to
the acid- consuming capacity of the wall material (Alkalinity). Use of calcareous
aggregates in the concrete pipe increases the alkalinity of the concrete and thus
increases the resistance to sulphuric acid attack.

5.4. Pipe Wall Thickness:

Pipes are considered to reach the end of their design life when the corrosion of the
concrete wall reaches the reinforcement or when the pipe starts to lose its design
structural capacity. Pipe wall thicknesses where sulphide corrosion is anticipated, are
designed with an extra concrete layer (sacrificial layer) with the assumption that this layer
will corrode within the design life of the pipe.

5.5. Type of Cement:

A number of laboratory tests using mineral acid baths to simulate the performance of
concrete during the sulfide corrosion process have been carried out in New. Most test
results indicate that SCM (Supplementary Cementitious Materials) modified cement
concretes outperform those made from normal Portland cement, sulphate resistant
Portland cement, and calcium aluminates cement

THE MOST COMMON SCM’S USED IN THE READY-MIXED CONCRETE MARKET

INCLUDE

 Fly Ash
 Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag
 Silica Fume
 Calcium Carbonate
 Natural Pozzolans - such as calcined clays, shale

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 5.6. Water repellents

Protection of concrete structures from microbial degradation can be enhanced by

treatments with biocides or adding protective coatings of water repellents such as

Crystalline admixtures.

5.7. Use of Bactericide Admixtures:

Bactericide admixtures (such as antimicrobial agent copper phthalocyanine) have been

developed in recent years to prevent bacterial growth on the surface of the pipe and hence
stop the formation of sulphuric acid that attacks concrete.(Bell et al, 1999) Companies
producing such products claim that many city councils are utilizing them in their
wastewater structures. However, despite the sound theoretical basis that supports the
use of such products, there are no long term tests available and/or an acceptable
simulation test to support these claim

Prepared by: Adeel Sharif Aziz ( Director (O/M)/ Engineering WASA, LDA)

Assisted by: Syed Abdulrehman Jaffery (Msc Energy and Environmental Engineer)

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Refrences

1. Islander, R. L., Devinny, J. S., Mansfeld, F., Postyn, A., & Shih, H. (1991). Microbial ecology of
crown corrosion in sewers. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 117(6), 751-770.
2. Wei, S., Jiang, Z., Liu, H., Zhou, D., & Sanchez-Silva, M. (2013). Microbiologically induced
deterioration of concrete: a review. Brazilian Journal of Microbiology, 44, 1001-1007.
3. Davies, J. P., Clarke, B. A., Whiter, J. T., & Cunningham, R. J. (2001). Factors influencing the
structural deterioration and collapse of rigid sewer pipes. Urban water, 3(1-2), 73-89.
4. Malek Mohammadi, M., Najafi, M., Kermanshachi, S., Kaushal, V., & Serajiantehrani, R. (2020).
Factors influencing the condition of sewer pipes: State-of-the-art review. Journal of Pipeline
Systems Engineering and Practice, 11(4), 03120002.
5. https://www.corrosionpedia.com
6. https://www.researchgate.net

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