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Recent Results
Evaluation of the Interaction of Mechanical Damage on Welds
The United States Department of Transportation has indicated that 20 to 40 percent of the serious pipeline incidents in any given year are related to mechanical damage. This damage is due to third party activities, mishandling during construction, pipeline bedding material consolidation, or ground movement.
This project focused on three forms of mechanical damage and the potential for interaction with girth welds or long seam welds that may negatively impact the long-term integrity of a pipeline with a reduction in fatigue performance when subjected to internal pressure fluctuations. The three forms of mechanical damage investigated were: restrained rock dents that occur during initial construction, pipe ovality, and wrinkles.
Key Results
The project provides recommendations for a consistent analytical approach to assess interaction of a weld seam to the three mechanical damage features investigated.