The Evaluation of Failure Pressure for Corrosion Defects Within Girth or Seam Weld in Transmission Pipelines

The failure assessment for corroded pipeline has been considered with the burst test and the finite element analysis. The burst tests were conducted on 762mm diameter, 17.5mm wall thickness and API 5L X65 pipe that contained specially manufactured rectangular corrosion defect. The failure pressures for corroded pipeline have been measured by burst testing and classified with respect to corrosion sizes and corroded regions — the body, the girth weld and the seam weld of pipe. Finite element analysis was carried out to derive failure criteria of corrosion defect within the body, the girth weld and the seam weld of the pipe. A series of finite element analyses were performed to obtain a limit load solution for corrosion defects on the basis of burst test. As a result, the criteria for failure assessment of corrosion defect within the body, the girth weld and the seam weld of API 5L X65 gas pipeline were proposed.Copyright © 2004 by ASME