Inspection and Condition Assessment

Our scientists provide a wide range of services related to civil engineering and pipeline construction.

Specialization and service areas

Pipe laboratory

The IAB pipe laboratory makes it possible to determine the remaining service life of pipes made from metallic materials and reinforced concrete. Important parameters include the type, area and depth of corrosion that has formed over time under in-service conditions. The residual wall thickness is measured and fed into an algorithm to calculate the remaining service life of the pipe.

Inspection technology

Another example is our unique inspection technology, which primarily includes inspection devices designed for district heating lines that cannot be accessed. These devices move on the surface of the insulation of the pipes to survey the condition inside the duct as well as the pipe insulation and bedding.

Hydraulic and berst tests

Additional test rigs are used for hydraulic and burst tests. An endless sewer was installed to replicate the hydraulic and biochemical conditions in an actual sewer in order to assess the disintegration kinetics of wet wipes.

Investigation of the decomposition kinetics of nonwovens in liquids

The Slosh box test is one of the 7 core tests and provides information about the decomposability of certain substances (eg fleece). This decay test is offered by the IAB Weimar gGmbH as a service. If required, the Slosh box tester can be converted to the Darmstead dump body to determine the abrasion resistance of bulk materials. Alternatively, the IAB Weimar has developed a disintegration test that is based much more on the hydraulic and biochemical conditions in sewers than the described Slosh Box test. This test is performed with the test device ENDLESS SEWER.

• Assessment of the material condition in pipelines
• Testing of the disintegration kinetics of materials and substances contained in wastewater
• Testing of pipe sinter formation in a test rig
• Hydraulic tests of pressure pipelines and gravity sewers
• Pressure loss measurements
• Tests of textured pipes and channels
• Burst pressure tests
• Fatigue tests
• Inspection of district heating lines inaccessible to people
• Inspection of pipelines and cavities
• Pipeline localisation
• Investigation of heat potentials using a mobile measuring and heat pump container
• WBM-Weimarer Bodenmörtel® (Weimar soil mortar): mix design as well as internal and third-party quality control
• Measurement of material characteristics