Differing Repair Methods – the Options and Benefits

By Mark Hewing, Repair Manager - PII Kershaw Ltd.

Second Latin American Pipeline Integrity Conference

Hotel Maremares, Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela

8th – 11th August 1999

INTRODUCTION

Unfortunately, it is a fact that pipelines are susceptible to problems and in many

cases these problems take the form of defects. PII Kershaw, as well as being the
world renowned centre for the solving of pipeline pigging problems, now also
houses the PII Repair facility. As part of PII’s overall philosophy of integrated
maintenance, PII Repair are able to offer solutions to most pipeline defect
problems in varying forms ranging from advice and consultancy, to the provision
of a full repair service.

This paper will focus upon the most common ‘repairable’ types of defects and the
methods used to repair them. The differing repair methods are addressed in
some detail, together with their relative merits and disadvantages.

THE DEFECTS

Defects take many forms and it is generally the accepted industry pipeline codes
and/or operator’s own codes that dictate which should be repaired and which can
be safely left alone. The defects shown below are those that usually require a
repair. The repair methods used to repair such defects are shown in the following
section. Non-repairable defects are not addressed.

Corrosion - Pitting Corrosion (fig. 1)

Corrosion that only affects a small area on the pipeline surface.
Corrosion is considered to be ‘pitting’ when its maximum surface
dimension is not greater than 3 times the wall-thickness.

- General Corrosion
Corrosion that affects a large area of the pipeline surface area
(greater than pitting corrosion as defined above).

Gouging - Mechanically induced damage that causes localised reduction in

wall thickness.
Smooth Dent - Localised distortion in the geometry of the pipe, caused by
external point loads, but not resulting in wall thickness loss. (figs. 2
& 3)

Kinked Dent - A dent containing rapid changes of contour. (fig. 4)

Cracks - A planar, two-dimensional defect with displacement of the fracture

surfaces that can be detected or measured with the appropriate
equipment.

Lamination - A manufacturing defect that is caused by inconsistencies in the

(Laps/Slivers) material used to manufacture the pipe. It may or may not be
surface breaking.

Spalling - Severe abrasion of the pipe surface, causing smears, laps and
hard spots.

SCC - Stress Corrosion Cracking is colonies of intergranular and

transangular cracks caused by the simultaneous activity of
corrosive media and tensile stresses.

Girth Weld - Any girth weld that contains an anomaly that does not meet the
necessary standards and requires repair (inclusions, incomplete
welds, misalignment, cracking etc).

Leaks - Defects that have perforated the pipe wall, allowing product to
escape.

The Repairs

Dressing

Dressing is probably the most common form of repair that does not involve the
application of a fitting of any description and can be performed where damage is
superficial. It is a procedure that involves the careful removal of metal from
around the defect – with a low-powered angle grinder (fig. 6) – to produce a
smooth profile thereby eliminating any stress points. It is a highly skilled
operation that must be carried out in accordance with strict guidelines, to avoid
the removal of too much metal.

Careful continuous measurement of the defect during this process, followed by

the full reinstatement of the pipeline coating and/or cathodic protection measures
on completion, constitutes an acceptable permanent defect repair method.
Typical defects repaired by dressing are gouges, corrosion, spalling, some
cracks and some laps.
Weld Deposition

A highly specialised application that deposits replacement weld metal into a

defect area (fig.7). Generally used for low level defects including general
corrosion, pitting corrosion and limited mechanical damage or cracking.

This method has strict limitations relating to the weldability of the pipe material,
the remaining wall thickness of the pipeline and the need for highly qualified
welders to perform the operation.

Welded Patch Repairs

Normally circular in shape and made from the same material as the pipeline,
these repairs are used to repair non-leaking defects of relatively low severity
(gouges or low-level corrosion).

These repairs provide only protection and containment – they do not provide
support. Their limitations are much the same as for other welded repairs and they
are not allowed on gas pipelines in the UK.

Snug Fitting Shell (or close fitting shell)

The snug fitting shell is a full encirclement split sleeve whose main function is to
provide support for the defect area (Fig. 8). It is constructed to form a close fit
around the defective area, leaving little or no annular gap. The longitudinal
seams are welded and if total containment is required, fillet welded directly to the
pipeline are performed at each end.

The need to carry out this ‘live’ welding, is the main drawback to this repair.
There are obvious inherent dangers in the performance of this operation and
highly skilled operatives experienced and coded.

The welding process itself is not simple. There are many occasions when the
temperatures required to ensure hydrogen induced cracking does not occur are
not attainable. This can be for a number of reasons including product flow
conditions, product temperatures and ambient conditions. This point can be
made for all repair systems involving welding to the live pipeline.

There are also potential problems with the fillet welds if they are subjected to
significant cyclic pressures – there may formation of fatigue cracks at the toe of
the weld. Furthermore if the defect were to fail due to lack of support, there is no
guarantee that that the fillet weld would contain or arrest the failure.
Badly fitting snug-fit sleeves or sleeves that have been fitted using external force
to achieve contact can also create ‘pinch points’ (isolated areas where the sleeve
touches the pipe), causing indeterminate stresses in the pinched areas.

Stand Off Shell (pressure containing)

Where snug-fitting sleeves cannot be used because of pipeline distortion or the

pipeline is not straight, an alternative form of repair is the stand off shell. This
form of repair is far more complex in the installation process, as each repair is
made up in stages and can require up to ten pieces (see Fig *)

If the defects are extreme, the pipeline in the defect area can be drilled thereby
pressurising the annulus between the pipe and sleeve and removing the hoop
stress from the damaged area. This requires that the top half of the repair sleeve
be fitted with a connection that is able to take a standard drilling machine and
plugging device. After fitment of the sleeve the drill is passed through the fitting
and the pipe wall, withdrawn and the fitting plugged off using proprietary drilling
and plugging equipment.

This method, whilst perfectly valid, has the usual limitations with regard to the live
welding, but also the requirement when necessary to perform the drilling
procedure – which is another highly specialised operation.

Hot Tapping

Hot Tap fittings are proprietary products that serve exactly the same function and
have the same limitations as the modified stand-off shell described above. They
allow the defective area to be drilled, pressurising the annulus and removing the
hoop stress from the defect area.

Snug fitting, Stand off, and Hot Tap fittings can be used (with differing designs) to
repair most severe and extreme defects in both the axial and circumferencial
planes.

Epoxy Sleeve Repairs

It has long been acknowledged that to fill an annular space between the pipe and
steel sleeve with a highly stiff material provides excellent support to a defective
area. This fact, together with the inherent problems occurring with the more
traditional methods (some of which are described in this paper), prompted the
development – by British Gas – of this alternative method of repair.
The repair comprises two over-sized steel half shells which are joined together to
encircle the damaged area leaving an annular gap. This annulus is sealed at
each end of the sleeve using a simply applied fast-setting material and then filled
at very low pressure with a high stiffness epoxy based compound. (Fig. 10)

The epoxy grout compound forms an excellent bond at both steel interfaces,
providing both axial and circumferencial support. The combination of the steel
outer shell and the epoxy grout provides very significant bulging restraint thus
removing or significantly reducing the failure mechanism of many defects.

There is no requirement at any time for welding to the pipeline, and the process
can be carried out without product interruption – both of which are seen to be
major advantages. This method is probably the most technically validated
method, having undergone numerous tests to simulate full pipeline life scenarios
in terms of internal pressure loading and fatigue cycles. The ESR has been in
use on major pipeline networks for over 15 years.

The two sleeve halves are joined together by one of two methods. Welding (to
normal pipeline welding and welding inspection codes (Fig. 11a & 11b)) or Bolted
Flange (Fig. 12). Both types can be used to repair all types of non-leaking defect
(with differing designs) and bring the pipeline back to its full working parameters.
In most cases the repaired area is stronger than the adjacent ‘good’ pipe (Fig
11c).

Recent development with the Epoxy Sleeve Repair has proven that internal
corrosion and small leaking defects can also be repaired.

Aggressive internal corrosion will eventually perforate the pipe wall, but if there is
an ESR over the defect when this happens, the excellent bond between the steel
and the Epoxy will not allow migration of the product along the interfaces.

Small pin-hole leaks can also be repaired using the ESR. However, there must
be no leakage of product during the cure period of the Epoxy (24 Hours). To
ensure this, there is a patented method of ‘stopping’ the leak whilst the ESR is
installed.

Both of these methods are considered to be specialist applications and are

available only with PII-Repair guidance.

Temporary/Leak Repairs

Probably the most common form of temporary containment for severe non-
leaking and small leaking defects are the proprietary bolted clamps. (Fig 13)

The pressure containment relies upon the installer achieving a good seal by
tightening the bolts joining the two halves together. If the product is leaking, the
top half of the repair will be fitted with an offtake, allowing the product to be
routed away and removing any pressure build-up during the sealing process.

When used to repair non-leaking defects, the repair only provides containment.
Movement is still allowed in the defect area, and susceptible defects may still be
prone to subsequent failure. At which point the repair again relies upon its quality
of seal.

Some pipeline codes ask that temporary repairs as described above be removed
from the pipeline and replaced with a more permanent alternative as soon, as is
practicable.

Replacement pipe pups (Cut Outs)

For many pipeline operators this is the preferred method of repair. It removes the
defective section, replacing it with new problem free pipeline. It is however, one
of the most expensive options – especially when considering environmental
issues and lost product. The major drawback with this alternative is that it is often
impossible to achieve. Many pipelines are strategically uninterruptable and
continuity of flow, essential, leaving the operator with few choices.

Stopple & Bypass

One way to achieve continued flow whilst replacing a section of defective pipe is
to perform a Stopple & Bypass operation. This involves the attachment of
numerous Hot Tap fittings (as described earlier), to the pipeline and is extremely
expensive. For a simple two-position Stopple operation, some 9 (nine) fittings are
required – all of which have to be welded to the live pipeline. In addition, the
Bypass has to be fabricated, all the fittings have to be drilled using specialist
equipment and personnel and finally removal and replacement of the defective
area and associated product loss. The pipeline is renewed, but the welded
fittings remain in place.

Composite Repairs

There are a great number of so-called composite repairs on the market, all of
which are relatively recent innovations. They all make their claims and they all
have their applications.

This paper will not enter into detail on all of the differing methods, but
concentrate on those most widely used.
Epoxy Sleeve Repair (ESR)

It can be argued that the ESR is a composite repair as it consists of a

combination of more than one material. This method is described in greater detail
elsewhere in this paper.

Clock Spring 

The Clock Spring  system is a coil of high-strength composite material, whose

configuration allows it to wrap tightly around pipe of almost any size. The layers
of wrap – usually about eight – are sealed together using a strong adhesive. (Fig
13 and 14)

Adhesive filler is used to fill up the defect (corrosion, mechanical damage or

dents etc) to assist with support and load transfer prior to the Clock Spring 
installation which is a two man operation lasting around 1 hour.

This method of repair is ideal for blunt type defects as described above. It is not
recommended for internal defects, sharp crack-like defects or – because of its
unidirectional structure – girth weld/circumferential defects.

StrongBack

This product is a resin-impregnated tape wrap that is applied directly to the

prepared damaged pipeline area. The wrap is water activated by immersion or
external application and thus has the advantage of being applicable to wet lines.
This method is considered to be a good reinforcement application and would be
used on relatively low levels of corrosion and/or mechanical damage.

Armor Plate  Pipe Wrap Repair (Fig 15)

Very similar to the previously described method, except that the hardening agent
is chemical rather than water. Again, this method is considered to be a good
reinforcement application and would be used on relatively low levels of corrosion
and/or mechanical damage

COST COMPARISON

Based upon UK prices and disregarding the cost of excavations and other civil
works, the following table shows the approximate material costs and required
labour costs for the installation of a standard repair on 50mm long corrosion on a
24” pipeline.

REPAIR METHOD COST (US$)

Clockspring 4650
Epoxy Sleeve Repair 5800
Hot Tap & Stopple (two position operation) 100000+
Plidco Clamp (temporary leak/containment) 16200
Snug-fit Sleeve 7200
Stand-off Sleeve 8950
Repair methods shown in alphabetical order.

CONCLUSIONS

There are safe Dressing methods available for minor pipeline damage and many
alternatives for more major pipeline damage. The advent of the new generation
of composite repairs, together with the tried and tested Epoxy Sleeve Repair,
gives the pipeline operator an excellent choice of cost-effective methods.

The tendency is now for pipeline operators to choose methods that are non-
intrusive, do not require welding to the live pipeline, are quick, safe and
permanent.

Cut-outs will be rarely needed for non-leaking pipeline damage as there are
permanent repairs such as the Epoxy Sleeve Repair and Clock Spring  methods
that will assure the long-term integrity of a pipeline system.

PII-Repair at PII Kershaw Ltd., is able to offer solutions to almost all pipeline
defect problems by utilising both the Epoxy Sleeve Repair and the Clock Spring 
system. Training is available in the installation techniques of both methods
together with a full repair service if required. Clock Spring 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author would like to thank Pipeline Integrity International for the permission
to publish this paper and colleagues for their help in its preparation.
BIBLIOGRAPHY

I. Corder. REPAIR METHODS FOR PIPELINES WITH CORROSION AND

OTHER DAMAGE; 2nd European and Middle Eastern Pipeline
Rehabilitation Seminar 23 – 24 April 1991, Brussels

GERG EUROPEAN PIPELINE REPAIR TECHNIQUES, 1 st April 1996

Anon BG PROCEDURE FOR INSPECTION AND REPAIR OF

DAMAGED STEEL PIPELINES, 1996

Anon PROCEEDINGS OF PIPELINE RISK ASSESSMENT,

REHABILITATION AND REPAIR CONFERENCE 1994

J.F. Kiefner REPAIR OF LINEPIPE DEFECTS BY FULL ENCIRCLEMENT

SLEEVES, June 1977
FIGURES

Fig.1 Pitting Corrosion

Fig. 2 Dent Defect

Fig 3 Serious Dent defects caused by falling tree

Fig. 4 Pipeline Kink

Fig. 5 Girth weld defect

Fig. 6 Schematic of Dressing Technique

Fig. 7 Example of Weld Deposition Technique

Fig. 8 Snug fitting Sleeve

Fig. 9 Stand off sleeve

Fig. 10 Schematic representation of Epoxy Filled Sleeve

Fig. 11a Long Welded Epoxy Sleeve Repair

Fig. 11b Welded Epoxy Sleeve Repair (Sectioned)

Fig 11c Test Vessel after Failure Outside an Epoxy Sleeve Repair

Fig. 12 Flanged Epoxy Sleeve Repair

Fig 13 Plidco Clamp

Fig 13 Application of a Clock Spring Repair

Fig 14 Completed Clock Spring Repair

Fig. 15 Armor Plate Pipe Wrap