Pipelines are some of the most critical industrial, commercial, and municipal infrastructure for maintaining modern societies. They’re responsible for fuel production and transportation, public water services and water rehabilitation, and chemical processing and manufacturing. So it’s thanks to pipelines that we can reliably fill up our cars, take a drink from the tap, and have all of our consumer goods readily available. But their vast construction and harsh operating environments create many opportunities for damage or degradation that can require frequent and expensive repairs or replacement. And even more importantly, pipeline failures can pose potentially catastrophic human and environmental health and safety risks that make their robust construction and regular maintenance of the utmost importance.