The possibility of up rating and changing the service of existing pipelines can prove to be both financially attractive and time saving when involved in large project developments. However the ability to validate and prove that a pipeline is safe for operation involves a variety of mechanical testing, metallography, fracture mechanics, statistical analysis and good engineering judgement. The work undertaken will either validate or restrict a pipeline's future. The paper details some of the test work that was conducted, and the findings that necessitated some difficult engineering decision-making to determine the integrity of an ageing pipeline.
展开▼
