A Comprehensive Look at Composite Repair for C-SCC and Girth Weld Defects
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Grzegorz Major
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Aaron Crowder, Grzegorz Major, Tim Mally, Casey Whalen, Josh Duell
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Abstract

Authors: Grzegorz Major, Tim Mally, Casey Whalen, Josh Duell The vintage legacy of girth welding practices found in the European ageing pipeline infrastructure have contributed to elevated integrity risks, especially in geohazard-prone regions. Additionally, residual stress from construction practices, coating failures, and high operational axial and bending stresses can lead to Circumferential Stress Corrosion Cracking (C-SCC) in the pipe body. With the advent of new In-Line Inspection (ILI) technology, circumferentially oriented manufacturing defects and cracking, in both the pipe body and the girth weld, are being discovered with higher frequency. As a result, these two pipeline integrity threats, while not new, are becoming an increasing concern for pipeline operators to address and mitigate in an expediate, non-disruptive fashion. Many of these threats tend to occur on bends or odd geometries, making it important to be able to have properly vetted repair tools in the toolbox that are versatile enough to deal with unique scenarios. This paper will review the testing of a carbon fiber and epoxy composite reinforcement system that has been completed on both girth weld defects and C-SCC. The primary testing covers essential variables in girth weld anomalies exposed to bending (cycles and bend to failure) and axial tension (cycles and tension to failure). Furthermore, these tests explore the effect of installation pressure on overall repair performance. A separate test program examines how a composite repair solution can handle circumferentially oriented through-wall defects simulating a defected girth weld. These test results allow for relevant engineering designs to be further calibrated for these anomalies increasing the use-case for composite repairs in a safe, repeatable way. Lastly, case studies are shared on how composite repairs have been used to reinforce girth welds and circumferential cracking in European Pipeline Network and globally, and the safety outcomes achieved by pipeline operators as

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