Papua New Guinea Earthquake Proves the Value of Robust Pipeline Materials Selection and Construction

Author(s):  
Mario L. Macia ◽  
Justin Crapps ◽  
Fredrick F. Noecker ◽  
Nathan E. Nissley ◽  
Michael F. Cook

Abstract In 2018, the PNG LNG project sustained a Mw7.5 earthquake, and ca. 300 aftershocks, epicentered directly under key facilities. Around 150 km of high-pressure gas and condensate pipelines were affected. In anticipation of such an earthquake event and due to the challenging terrain that the pipeline traverses, two design methodologies were used in specifying the pipe and welds for the onshore pipelines: strain-based design and allowable stress design with robust materials selection. The strain-based design approach was used for segments crossing faults and was the subject of IPC2014-33550 [1]. In this paper, the robust allowable stress design that was used for the remainder of the onshore pipeline route will be discussed along with the performance of the pipeline designed with this methodology when it was subjected to the earthquake. Robust allowable stress design involved the selection of line pipe and welding procedures that would reduce the risk of failure during unanticipated ground movements. Lower grade, thicker wall pipe was selected, and enhanced weld properties were specified to increase weld strength overmatch and toughness. Additionally, enhanced testing of pipe and weld properties was performed in order to enable prediction of pipeline strain capacity and assessment of fitness for service of any portion of the pipeline that experienced longitudinal plastic strains due to ground movement. These efforts enabled the pipeline to safely sustain the ground movement experienced during the earthquake and allowed safe project operations to be rapidly restored. This paper provides details of the selection of pipe grade and wall thickness and the specification of material properties for pipe and girth welds. The property distributions achieved and the impact on strain capacity are presented along with estimates of the strain experienced by the pipeline due to the earthquake. The performance of the pipeline during the earthquake illustrate the benefits of the robust allowable stress design approach for pipelines in challenging environments.

Author(s):  
Bo Wang ◽  
Yong-Yi Wang ◽  
Brent Ayton ◽  
Mark Stephens ◽  
Steve Nanney

Pipeline construction activities and in-service interference events can frequently result in dents on the pipe. The pipelines can also experience high longitudinal strain in areas of ground movement and seismic activity. Current assessment procedures for dents were developed and validated under the assumption that the predominant loading is internal pressure and that the level of longitudinal strain is low. The behavior of dents under high longitudinal strain is not known. This paper discusses work funded by US DOT PHMSA on the assessment of dents under high longitudinal strain. Parametric numerical analyses were conducted to identify and examine key parameters and mechanisms controlling the compressive strain capacity (CSC) of pipes with dents. Selected full-scale tests were also conducted to experimentally examine the impact of dents on CSC. The focus of this work was on CSC because tensile strain capacity is known not to be significantly affected by the presence of dents. Through the parametric analyses and full-scale validation tests, guidelines on the CSC assessment of dented pipes under high longitudinal strain were developed.


Author(s):  
Andreas Liessem ◽  
Jens Schro¨der ◽  
Martin Pant ◽  
Gerhard Knauf ◽  
Steffen Zimmermann ◽  
...  

The use of high strength steels is considered as the best economical option to transport large gas volumes under high pressure from remote areas to the market. Exploration of new energy resources located in areas of complex ground and ambient climate imposes strict requirements on pipeline material and design. One of the major research issues in such areas is differential ground movement, which may be associated with large longitudinal straining in addition to plastic circumferential elongation. Hence, common design principles need thorough re-consideration, notably with respect to strain hardening properties of both base metal and girth welds. The present paper addresses several characteristics of axial and circumferential stress-strain behaviour as it is encountered in high-grade UOE line pipe. Two delivery states are taken into account, namely the “as expanded” as well as the “as coated” state. In a first experimental step, the effect of thermal cycle of the anti-corrosion coating process on stress-strain behaviour is simulated subjecting pipe material to temperatures in the range of 180° up to 250° C. In a second experimental step, stress-strain behaviour in both axial and transverse direction is mapped along the pipe production process in order to assess when and to what extent plastic strain capacity is lost during cold forming. The experimental work is complemented by instrumented ring expansion tests and instrumented burst tests. In a third future step, stress-strain information measured in both directions will be analyzed using a theoretical model based on Hill’s plasticity in order to clarify in which way circumferential stress-strain behaviour may impose constraints on strain capacity of axial direction. Within the scope of this paper, first and foremost, underlying principles are outlined and discussed and indications with respect to modelling implications given. Based upon these three sequential investigatory steps, it will be possible to draw conclusions with respect to stress-strain behaviour of parent material and the pipe forming process and to show that unfavourable effects triggered by coating do not show within the structure while they might do in material tests.


Author(s):  
Hidenori Shitamoto ◽  
Masahiko Hamada ◽  
Shuji Okaguchi ◽  
Nobuaki Takahashi ◽  
Izumi Takeuchi ◽  
...  

The expansion of supply capacity of natural gas to market is expected from the concern of environmental conservation by less CO2 emission. Transportation cost has been focused for natural gas to be competitive in the market. High-pressure gas pipelines have constructed by large diameter and high strength line pipes to improve transportation efficiency of gas transmission pipelines. High strength line pipes have been developed to cope with high-pressure operation. Strength in circumferential direction on line pipe is the prime target to hold high pressure safely. In terms of pipe size, pipe diameter has been increased to lead larger D/t. Both of higher strength and larger D/t result in less favorable to deformability of pipeline. To apply strain based design to pipeline, the evaluation of strain capacity, which is related to deformability of line pipe, is required supposing the pipeline encounters large scale ground movement such as earthquake or landslide. It is not simple to find the criteria to prevent leak or rupture of pipeline in such events, as not only pipe property but also interaction between pipe and soil are needed to consider. Gas transmission pipelines are constructed by joint girth welding. The strain capacity of pipeline with girth weld has to be investigated for strain based design. Full scale bending test of joint welded pipe was conducted and FEA model to assess strain capacity of pipeline with girth weld is developed.


Author(s):  
Bo Wang ◽  
Banglin Liu ◽  
Yong-Yi Wang ◽  
Otto Jan Huising

Abstract Being able to estimate the tensile strain capacity (TSC) of vintage girth welds is sometimes necessary for the integrity management of vintage pipelines. Assessing girth weld integrity could be a top priority after a confirmed ground movement event. Decisions may also be needed about the disposition of a girth weld when weld anomalies are found. Typical fitness-for-service (FFS) procedures, such as API 1104 Annex A and API 579/ASME FFS-1, generally target materials under nominally elastic conditions and strain demands less than 0.2%. These procedures may produce overly conservative results when the strain demand exceeds 0.2%. This paper summarizes the development and validation of a TSC estimation tool for vintage girth welds under PRCI funding. The work consisted of three components: the development of a TSC model for vintage girth welds, the implementation of the model into a software tool, and the experimental validation of the performance of the tool using curved wide plate (CWP) tests. The TSC model was developed following the procedures established through a previous PRCI-PHMSA cofounded work. Finite element analyses (FEA) were performed to obtain a crack-driving force database while considering the salient features of vintage girth welds, such as larger weld caps and weld strength mismatch levels. The TSC model was then derived from the crack-driving force database using apparent toughness values representative of vintage girth welds. A graphical user interface (GUI) and a user manual were developed to facilitate the application of the TSC model. The software tool produces TSC estimates based on geometry, material, loading, and flaw characteristics of a girth weld. For inputs that might not have readily available values, recommended values are provided. The tool allows the evaluation of the impact of various input parameters on TSC. The performance of the TSC estimation tool was evaluated against eight purposely designed CWP tests. Accompanying small-scale material characterization tests, including chemical composition, round bar tensile, microhardness, and Charpy impact tests, were performed to provide additional inputs for the evaluation of the tool. The tool is shown to provide reasonably conservative estimates for TSC. An example problem is presented to demonstrate the application of the tool. Gaps and future work to improve the tool are highlighted at the end of the paper.


Methodology ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Ramon Barrada ◽  
Julio Olea ◽  
Vicente Ponsoda

Abstract. The Sympson-Hetter (1985) method provides a means of controlling maximum exposure rate of items in Computerized Adaptive Testing. Through a series of simulations, control parameters are set that mark the probability of administration of an item on being selected. This method presents two main problems: it requires a long computation time for calculating the parameters and the maximum exposure rate is slightly above the fixed limit. Van der Linden (2003) presented two alternatives which appear to solve both of the problems. The impact of these methods in the measurement accuracy has not been tested yet. We show how these methods over-restrict the exposure of some highly discriminating items and, thus, the accuracy is decreased. It also shown that, when the desired maximum exposure rate is near the minimum possible value, these methods offer an empirical maximum exposure rate clearly above the goal. A new method, based on the initial estimation of the probability of administration and the probability of selection of the items with the restricted method ( Revuelta & Ponsoda, 1998 ), is presented in this paper. It can be used with the Sympson-Hetter method and with the two van der Linden's methods. This option, when used with Sympson-Hetter, speeds the convergence of the control parameters without decreasing the accuracy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 604-607 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark D. Lesher ◽  
Cory M. Hale ◽  
Dona S. S. Wijetunge ◽  
Matt R. England ◽  
Debra S. Myers ◽  
...  

AbstractWe characterized the impact of removal of the ESBL designation from microbiology reports on inpatient antibiotic prescribing. Definitive prescribing of carbapenems decreased from 48.4% to 16.1% (P = .01) and β-lactam–β-lactamase inhibitor combination increased from 19.4% to 61.3% (P = .002). Our findings confirm the importance of collaboration between microbiology and antimicrobial stewardship programs.


Toxins ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 158
Author(s):  
Colin Eady

For 30 years, forage ryegrass breeding has known that the germplasm may contain a maternally inherited symbiotic Epichloë endophyte. These endophytes produce a suite of secondary alkaloid compounds, dependent upon strain. Many produce ergot and other alkaloids, which are associated with both insect deterrence and livestock health issues. The levels of alkaloids and other endophyte characteristics are influenced by strain, host germplasm, and environmental conditions. Some strains in the right host germplasm can confer an advantage over biotic and abiotic stressors, thus acting as a maternally inherited desirable ‘trait’. Through seed production, these mutualistic endophytes do not transmit into 100% of the crop seed and are less vigorous than the grass seed itself. This causes stability and longevity issues for seed production and storage should the ‘trait’ be desired in the germplasm. This makes understanding the precise nature of the relationship vitally important to the plant breeder. These Epichloë endophytes cannot be ‘bred’ in the conventional sense, as they are asexual. Instead, the breeder may modulate endophyte characteristics through selection of host germplasm, a sort of breeding by proxy. This article explores, from a forage seed company perspective, the issues that endophyte characteristics and breeding them by proxy have on ryegrass breeding, and outlines the methods used to assess the ‘trait’, and the application of these through the breeding, production, and deployment processes. Finally, this article investigates opportunities for enhancing the utilisation of alkaloid-producing endophytes within pastures, with a focus on balancing alkaloid levels to further enhance pest deterrence and improving livestock outcomes.


Smart Cities ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 919-937
Author(s):  
Nikos Papadakis ◽  
Nikos Koukoulas ◽  
Ioannis Christakis ◽  
Ilias Stavrakas ◽  
Dionisis Kandris

The risk of theft of goods is certainly an important source of negative influence in human psychology. This article focuses on the development of a scheme that, despite its low cost, acts as a smart antitheft system that achieves small property detection. Specifically, an Internet of Things (IoT)-based participatory platform was developed in order to allow asset-tracking tasks to be crowd-sourced to a community. Stolen objects are traced by using a prototype Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)-based system, which sends signals, thus becoming a beacon. Once such an item (e.g., a bicycle) is stolen, the owner informs the authorities, which, in turn, broadcast an alert signal to activate the BLE sensor. To trace the asset with the antitheft tag, participants use their GPS-enabled smart phones to scan BLE tags through a specific smartphone client application and report the location of the asset to an operation center so that owners can locate their assets. A stolen item tracking simulator was created to support and optimize the aforementioned tracking process and to produce the best possible outcome, evaluating the impact of different parameters and strategies regarding the selection of how many and which users to activate when searching for a stolen item within a given area.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document