Development of Effective Crack Management Strategies
Asset Management of existing infrastructure has become increasingly important as ageing makes the infrastructure increasingly vulnerable to failure and associated shut downs. Managing the long term integrity of pipelines that are susceptible to cracking requires a holistic strategy supported by experts within the fields of fracture mechanics, materials, welding and inspection.
During the planning stages of the inspection, it is important to establish the type(s) of cracking that the pipeline is susceptible to and what constitutes a critical crack size. The inspection strategy then needs to be defined considering the information available for a particular pipeline system including its operational history. The combination of in-line inspection technologies selected, the incorporation of historic inspection data and the adapted data analysis strategy allow for an effective and transparent inspection process.
Ultrasonic in-line inspection has proven to be the appropriate technology to address cracking in pipelines. Additional technologies like circumferential MFL provide valuable information about non crack like features and therefore substantially increase the correct identification of cracking.
Results from field verification or pipeline repair activities contribute to increase the confidence in the reported ILI results and are the basis for an interpolation of the ILI data to the entire pipeline.
Accurate and reliable inspection data forms a critical part of an overall crack management strategy, but this must be supported by a range of other integrity management activities, both before and after the inspection, in order to ensure a successful inspection campaign. Once the inspection data is available an appropriate assessment method should be selected to assess the significance of any reported cracks and prioritize them for in-field verification and investigation.
This webinar will discuss some of the options available for assessing cracks and demonstrate the importance of having comprehensive and accurate input data to support the assessment.
This webinar will be presented live twice at:
- 9AM Berlin/ 8AM London
- 11AM Houston/ 5PM London
Please register for the most suitable time.
Presented by
Bob Andrews,
Principal Consultant, Structural Integrity
Bob Andrews is a Principal Consultant at MACAW Engineering, part of the ROSEN Group, having previously worked at BMT Fleet Technology, British Gas research and The Welding Institute. He holds BEng and PhD degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Sheffield. He has over 35 years’ experience in fracture, fatigue and structural integrity and is a Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
Thomas Beuker,
Head of Businessline Advanced Pipeline Diagnostics
Thomas Beuker started with the R&D department at ROSEN in Germany. His expertise lies in data analysis, finite element modelling and in the development of new sensor technologies. He has more than 20 years experience in developing pipeline inspection solutions. Mr. Beuker holds a MSc in Geophysics from the University of Muenster, Germany.
