Bituminous Insulations Durability of Underground Metallic Pipelines I Field investigations

Abstract

The corrosion state of an underground metallic pipeline of �161 mm and 565 m length was assessed by specific electrical and electrochemical measurements. The investigated pipe, buried in 1997, was protected against corrosion by successive layers of bituminous material with a total thickness of 1 to 1.2 mm. The pipeline crosses three electrified railway lines (50 Hz - 28 kV), and then its route is approximately parallel to these lines; thus, the induced AC voltages between line and ground were calculated obtaining values between 4.05 and 7.1 Vrms, in good agreement with the values measured in the accessible points. The measurements regarding the insulation capacity against corrosion of the bituminous insulation, performed at one month and after 19 years of burial, showed an increase of the average cathode current density needed for obtaining the protection potential in the range �1.00 � �1.28 VCu/CuSO4 of approx. three times (from 6.65 up to 19.96 mA/m2), in good agreement with the evolution of the insulation resistance measured between the steel pipe (having a contact area with the ground of 270.5 m2) and a ground socket of 4 W, which decreased from 995 to 315 kW. Following the analysis and processing of the field collected data, it is considered that, by implementing a cheap cathodic protection system (without cathodic current power supply), based on the rectification of the AC induced voltage, the safe operation period of the investigated pipeline may be extended by at least 50 years.