Integrity management over the entire lifecycle of pipelines requires a variety of pipeline data obtained from planning, construction and the operational history of the pipeline. Therefore, in-depth quality management and correct data is key for educated decision making in the future.

GASCADE operates a transmission pipeline grid for natural gas in Germany built from 1992 onwards. The construction of the EUGAL pipeline started in 2018.

For the construction of the EUGAL pipeline GASCADE developed quality assurance processes supported by a software framework to streamline the collection of digital material data. It is then digitized as construction documentation of the EUGAL pipeline without any discontinuity of the documentation media (e.g. no transfers from paper to digital documentation needed, all data is available digitally).

The framework consists of two major applications:

i) a database of pipeline components called Pipe Warehouse and

ii) a real-time pipe tally data management tool which is accessible by desktop and mobile in-field applications

The system enables real-time traceability of each spool from pipe manufacturer, intermediate storage locations to the lots and pipe trenches. Pipeline components and associated data are uploaded by suppliers to the pipe warehouse and checked out during construction.

The digital pipe tally is built in the course of the project from stored components and in-field construction data. After commissioning, digital pipeline data is available for the management of the asset. This software framework will also be used for managing the existing GASCADE pipeline system.

The documentation of the entire pipeline grid was digitized in a parallel effort. Digitized pipe tallies, material and non-destructive testing data were cross checked with existing GIS data for example and imported into the pipe tally data management tool. Thereby planning and decision-making processes are now based on actual instead of nominal pipe data.