FREIGHT PIPELINES - CURRENT STATUS AND ANTICIPATED FUTURE USE

This report is issued by the Task Committee on Freight Pipelines, Pipe line Division, ASCE. Freight pipelines of various types (including slu rry pipeline, pneumatic pipeline, and capsule pipeline) have been used throughout the world for over a century for transporting solid and so metimes even package products. Recent advancements in pipeline technol ogy, aided by advanced computer control systems and trenchless technol ogies, have greatly facilitated the transportation of solids by pipeli nes. Today, in many situations, freight pipelines are not only the mos t economical and practical means for transporting solids, they are als o the most reliable, safest, and most environmentally friendly transpo rtation mode, Increased use of underground pipelines to transport frei ght is anticipated in the future, especially as the technology continu es to improve and surface transportation modes such as highways become more congested. This paper describes the state of the art and expecte d future uses of various types of freight pipelines. Obstacles hinderi ng the development and use of the most advanced freight pipeline syste ms, such as the pneumatic capsule pipeline for interstate transport of freight, are discussed.