Research on pipe burst in water distribution systems: knowledge structure and emerging trends

Pipe bursts in water distribution systems (WDSs) lead to large water losses, pollution risks, and public discontent, attracting widespread attention from researchers and water utilities around the world. This study provides insights into the knowledge structure and emerging trends of pipe burst research from a bibliometrics perspective. We used 845 original research and review articles on pipe bursts in the period of January 1991 − June 2022 that cited 16,813 references in the CiteSpace® software for reference co-citation analysis. The results indicate that the knowledge structure of pipe burst research is classified into four categories including pipe burst mechanism, pipe burst detection, pipe burst prediction, and use of sensors. The entire research on pipe bursts advances remarkably. First, pipe burst prediction is the core research category with continuous efforts to improve prediction performance. Second, pipe burst detection is likely to define new research focus to extend existing research focus on pipe burst prediction. Third, computer science and technology are widely and increasingly applied in burst process simulation and data pattern analysis to increase accuracy and effectiveness. This study grasps a full view of current achievements in pipe burst research and provides guidance for future research directions and technological development.