Citation

Hasan F, Iqbal J, Ahmed F. Eng. Failure Anal. 2007; 14(5): 801-809.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, European Structural Integrity Society, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.engfailanal.2006.11.002

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Incidents of failure due to corrosion/stress corrosion cracking of high-pressure gas pipelines in Pakistan have been observed to occur after about 15-20 years of service. The present paper constitutes the failure analysis of an 18-inch diameter electric resistance-welded gas pipeline. The failure was characterized, on the basis of all the available evidence and the metallurgical examination carried out on the ruptured pipe, as a stress corrosion failure that had initiated at a longitudinal `stress raiser'. This stress raiser, which was essentially a manufacturing defect, constituted a longitudinal `step' on the pipe surface that had resulted from the faulty trimming/shaving of the weld flash. The findings of this study, thus, emphasize the need for the care that must be taken during the shaving-off of the weld flash.

Keywords: Pipeline transportation