Theory 61/Engineering & infrastructure/Pipe roughness
Roughness Grows on a Balance
The claim
Pipe roughness growth is set by the ratio of deposition to scour, so a pipe carrying clean water at high velocity stays smooth while a slow one tuberculates.
01Mechanism
Deposits accumulate when adhesion outpaces removal.
02Prediction
Roughness should track the ratio.
03Refutation
Roughness tracking water chemistry would remove velocity.