Investigations into the effectiveness of improved ventilation strategies for mitigating concrete corrosion in sewers

The Project will investigate optimised ventilation strategies for industry partner Melbourne Water. La Trobe University will develop a new bioreactor that emulates the environment in a wastewater network and responds to controlled changes in parameters such as ventilation, relative humidity, H2S and temperature. La Trobe researchers will identify potential ventilation strategies that could lead to the deactivation of SOB in a wastewater pipe. Those ventilation strategies will then be tested in a Melbourne Water’s South East Trunk Sewer (SETS). The resulting conditions will be monitored via a series of test stations that leverage existing and emerging sensor technology developed by Macquarie University researchers. The outcome of the ventilation strategies will be validated by analysing SOB samples taken from the test stations to confirm their active / de-active status. The Project will deliver an optimised ventilation framework that substantially reduces concrete corrosion, extends asset life and minimises Melbourne Water’s ongoing maintenance and repair overheads.