Abstract
The purpose of this article is to show a metallographic analysis of an underground pipeline taken out of operation upon failure. The pipeline had an 8.89 cm (3.5”) diameter and a 7 mm thickness. The study was based on a 45 cm long pipe sample, visibly and entirely corroded, with a fish-mouth crack along its length. The work contributes to finding new ways to prevent structural failure, which has high-impact consequences from the point of view of production, damage to property, pollution, and risks to human live. Through this analysis the knowledge on behavior of failures in terrestrial ducts has been extended. Development of the research included metallographic, chemical, and mechanical tests on the sample in order to know the composition of the material, its strength and its physical conditions upon taking it out of operation. After the analysis of the laboratory tests, the physical and chemical features were compared to existing national and international regulations, which allowed a specific characterization of the conditions of the sample. In accordance with the regulations, the grade of the pipe was between ×65 and ×70. Tensile testing was carried out to obtain mechanical properties in order to corroborate the grade of pipeline steel and complement the metallographic analysis.
Highlights
Studies on pipeline failures have taken into account the origin of small fissures which cause collapse of the pipeline and serious damage
The purpose of this article is to show a metallographic analysis of an underground pipeline taken out of operation upon failure
The work contributes to finding new ways to prevent structural failure, which has high-impact consequences from the point of view of production, damage to property, pollution, and risks to human live
Summary
Studies on pipeline failures have taken into account the origin of small fissures which cause collapse of the pipeline and serious damage. Third-party damage and corrosion have consistently been the major cause of pipeline failures in the developed world This means that the safety of our pipeline is critically dependent on how we manage its condition during its life. It may include resistance to penetration, and leak before break criteria If this plan concludes that any fracture element of the pipeline design cannot be controlled, the design factor may need to be changed to obtain the necessary control [2]. Among the external means that may be considered when studying pipeline failure are the features of the place where the pipeline has been buried This includes the type of soil, its hydrography and moisture. Underground ducts exposed to high load conditions and degradation of the material can cause the apparition and propagation of fissures, with tragic consequences. Features of the environment surrounding an underground pipeline such as the type of soil, the limit conditions of the pipeline and working loads to which it is subject were taken into account [8]
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