Managing the Integrity of Early Pipelines

Main Objective

This contract covers two separate projects. This project will develop a quantitative basis for evaluating the significance of specific time-dependent threats, as the basis to determine the effectiveness of mitigative measures proposed in a given IMP. The objective of the second project is to add soils data to the previously developed external corrosion direct assessment (ECDA) datasets and methodology. (See Project 118, "Improvements to the External Corrosion Direct Assessment Methodology by Incorporating Soils Data")

Public Abstract

• The first "Managing the Integrity of Early Pipelines" will develop a quantitative basis for evaluating the significance of specific time-dependent threats, as the basis to determine the effectiveness of mitigative measures proposed in a given IMP. This study will consider time-dependent material and construction threats including defects in pipe seams, pipe bodies, pipe-to-pipe girth welds and other fabrication welds, and defects that result from pipe making or pipeline construction. Time-dependent threats will include: external corrosion, internal corrosion, and stress-corrosion cracking. The extent operating history influences the behavior of these threats will be addressed over the range typical of historical gas transmission pipeline operation. Follow-on work, not included in this proposal, could address historical liquid pipeline operation. Defects involving environmental concerns will be evaluated with respect to anomalies present in the pipe steel and/or coating, not with respect to problems with corrosion protection/avoidance systems.
• The objective of the second project "Improvements to the External Corrosion Direct Assessment Methodology by Incorporating Soils Data" is to add soils data to the previously developed external corrosion direct assessment (ECDA) datasets and methodology. Adding soils data should improve and expand the ECDA methodology to provide more accurate and reliable predictions of corrosion damage to pipelines. By providing more accurate and reliable predictions, pipeline companies will be able to better manage the integrity of their systems. The proposed project is planned to complement ongoing ECDA work throughout the pipeline industry. Ongoing projects are improving the performance of individual aboveground inspection methodologies, collecting additional data, and establishing benchmarks (metrics) for demonstrating the performance of ECDA in the short and long term. The proposed project will build on these efforts by helping volunteer operators prepare and submit additional soils-related field records and observer opinions.
• Total project proposal = $594,000.00 ($297,000 this project and Project No 118: "Improvements to the External Corrosion Direct Assessment Methodology by Incorporating Soils Data")

Final Report

RSPA-CrackGrowthAnalysis-FinalReport

RSPA-CrackGrowthAnalysis-FinalReport.pdf (1,904,784 bytes) [View] [Download/Save...]