Cost Model of the Water Pipeline Systems Used in Irrigation

Abstract

Abstract Water is the most important key to economic development. Agriculture uses the majority of the entire water resources around the world. Most of the farmed area relies on the systems of surface irrigation, which produce great losses of water, waterlogging, drop in land efficiency, and problems of salinity. Furthermore, weak agricultural methods and wrong irrigation management influence the quantity of the water supplies. Therefore, modern ways of irrigation systems must be used to improve water usage and have good management for irrigation water. The use of pressurized pipelines for the rehabilitation and improvement of irrigation water delivery systems is one of the most efficient ways for good management of irrigation water. Thus, designers and water developers will need useful cost prototypes to form these irrigation water pipelines. This study aims to assess the cost of the covered water pipeline systems (pressurized pipelines) used for farms and golf courses as described in the case study. The developed model uses a bottom-up pricing method generally used to estimate the price of various pipe materials (high-density black polyethylene and rigid polyvinyl chloride). After developing the model, a case study of a golf course in Oman has been chosen to apply our model to it. The model showed the accuracy of estimating the costs of the irrigation system that allows designers to create perfect and reliable cost estimates with limited initial knowledge. The model will be applied through most cost estimation levels, such as feasibility study, budget control, and bidding or tendering processes. Therefore, the cost estimates of the project are less possible to have extreme variations as the project schedule progresses. From another perspective, the unit price for installing the irrigation system of the cultivated area in the golf course is approximately $236.50 per square meter.