ECA Fitness for service
A subsea pipeline was plastically deformed due to accidents. The outcome was the validation of the engineering ciritcal assessment (ECA) with maximum defect size.
Cathodic disbondment
A manufacturer asked to perform cathodic disbondment tests on blasted steel panels coated with a multi-layer polymer system. Delamination distance was determined and a relative coating performance rating was obtained, clearly identifying the best solution for the application.
Pipeline life assessment
The owner of an onshore X52 pipeline (diameter 12 inch) wanted to assess the safety risk of the pipeline over time. In all test samples, failure occurred at a number of cycles larger than the expected number of cycles in service. For the considered metal loss reduction and crack depth, the pipes can be considered as safe over its fifty year service life.
Alternative material shows interesting potential for customer
The customer asked MSC to investigate the possibility of replacing currently used cast steel brackets welded to spud pillars by high strength steel brackets. The survey revealed that the use of high strength steel instead of the current cast steel would be an interesting option for new projects.
Offshore pipe reeling modelling and testing
Reeled pipelines are submitted to cyclic deformation during reeling and unreeling operations. The behaviour of the plastic deformed pipe needed assessment. The ultra-low cycle fatigue characteristics of the pipe were determined as well as the feasibility of the pipe to multiple bending cycles.