New technologies are continuously being enhanced in pipeline integrity management to ensure critical gas transmission assets' safe and reliable operation. More reliable data for predicting material behavior under various loading conditions, such as corrosion and linear anomalies, is now being collected through pipe cutouts and new non-invasive in-ditch testing technologies. While many material properties are evaluated at the time of construction, including the pipe grade or minimum yield strength, material testing records for vintage assets were not always retained, and, in most cases, those records do not include pipe toughness because it was not required by the manufacturing specifications at the time. Further, the introduction of hydrogen or other blends into existing pipelines requires additional due diligence. While many operators have made an internal push to fill material record gaps, some regulatory bodies have specified criteria for record completion and a timeline for compliance. Increasingly, non-destructive evaluation (NDE) techniques play a pivotal role in completing material test records. This presentation will discuss NDE testing methodologies for evaluating the mechanical properties including yield strength and fracture toughness of in-situ assets, and routes operators have leveraged NDE to fill gaps in material records across sample populations. In addition to presenting the fundamentals of the test methods, key considerations related to technology validation of the frictional sliding method for ERW seam toughness and the planing-induced microfracture for pipe body toughness will be addressed, and implementation will be provided through case studies.
To view the video or download the paper please register here for free
You already have access? Sign in now.