Fracture Assessments of Marine

Pipelines and Subsea Components

in Hostile Environments:
Critical Concerns and Recent
Developments


Claudio Ruggieri
Fracture Mechanics and Structural Integrity Research Group
University of So Paulo - Brazil
claudio.ruggieri@usp.br
Outline
Challenges in Pipeline Safety Standards:
Linking Design and Operation
Increased Use of SE(T) Fracture Specimens
in ECA / FFS Procedures

J -R Test Procedure Based on the Unloading
Compliance Technique
Some Key Critical Concerns Driving Further
Research and Development
Going Farther and Deeper......
Increasing Demand for Fossil Fuels, Including Natural Gas, is Pushing Oil
and Gas Exploitation and Production to Farther and Deeper Reservois in
Difficult and Hostile Environments
Technological Challenges in Pipeline and Riser Design,
Installation, Operation, Inspection and Repair
World Energy Scenario
The Brazilian Pre-Salt Reservoir
The Brazilian Pre-Salt Reservoir
Key Characteristics

More than 2500 m Water Depth.
2000 m Thickness Salt Layer.
Gas Pipeline Larger than 18
Long Distance to Shore (300 km)
High CO
2
Content (8 ~ 20%)

Some Technological Challenges
Impact on FFS / ECA Procedures and How Does It Affect
Tolerable Defect Sizes?

Higher Stresses / Strains
During Installation
Larger Thickness
Including Weldments
Sour Conditions
The Mysterious Design Factor....
High Design Stresses Do Not Cause Failure. Damage Does!

The 0.72 Design Factor is a
Historical Factor Set More
than 50 Years Ago !

There is No Rational and
Convincing Basis Against
Increasing It.
Fracture is Always a Concern ....
Failure of Brazilian Pressure Vessel (2000)
(Fracture Initiated at Weld Defect)
Fracture is Always a Concern ....
Failure of Blast Furnace in Brazilian Steel Mill (2002)
(Overload Fracture due to Stress Corrosion Cracking)
Fracture is Always a Concern ....
Failure of Blast Furnace in Brazilian Steel Mill (2002)
(Overload Fracture due to Stress Corrosion Cracking)
Fracture is Always a Concern ....
Failure of Blast Furnace in Brazilian Steel Mill (2002)
(Overload Fracture due to Stress Corrosion Cracking)
Fracture is Always a Concern ....
Failure of Blast Furnace in Brazilian Steel Mill (2002)
(Overload Fracture due to Stress Corrosion Cracking)
Conventional Defect Assessments
FFS or ECA Analysis Required

Fundamental Procedure is Based on the Good
Workmanship Philosophy To Ensure That the
Pipeline/Riser is Free of Fabrication Defects
However, Larger and Often Severe Defects Will
Invariably Occur During the Pipeline and Riser
Service Life.
Conventional ECA / FFS Procedures

Key Assumption is that Failure Line
Does not Depend on Specimen
Geometry and Strain Hardening:
High Constraint Conditions
Low-to-Moderate Ductile Materials
Often Highly Conservative
Stress-Based Approach
How to Increase Tolerable Defect Sizes While
Ensuring Acceptable Levels of Safety?
Current Scenario
Improved FFS Methods Are Required

There is Growing Concern Supported by Strong Field
Evidences that Conventional FFS Procedures are not
Necessarily Applicable to Newer Materials and
Complex Conditions:
X100 Grade Steel
Ultra Deep Waters
Heavy Thickness Pipes
Sour Environment

Strain-Based Analysis Defines a Limit State
Condition in Which Structural Behavior is
Controlled by Imposed Displacements
Strain-Based Analysis

The Collapse Analysis Built Into FAD Procedures
Relies on Determining Net Section Yielding in the
Crack Ligament

For Higher Grade Steels or Overmatched Girth Welds the
Applied Strain Can Be Much Higher than the Yield Strain
When the Material is in the Plastic Range, Small Changes in
Stress Cause Large Changes in Strain
Strain-Based Analysis

Post-Yield Behavior Does Affect the Tolerable
Defect Size in a Structural Component
After Yielding, the Evolving Near-Tip Stresses
and Crack Driving Forces (J , CTOD) Strongly
Depend on the Plastic Straining Capacity

Pipe Steels with Lower YT-Ratios (X60) May Allow Larger
Defects than Higher YT-Ratios (X100)
Strain-Based Analysis
Laboratory to Field Conditions

Geometry and Actual Physical Size Much Different
Imposed Global Loading May Vary Significantly
Through-Crack Notch vs. Surface Shallow Flaw (Girth Weld)
Effects of Combined Loading (e.g., Bending and Internal Pressure)
Constraint Effects in ECA Procedures
Mechanical Similitude of SE(T) Specimen
Mechanical Similitude of SE(T) Specimen
Key Applications of SE(T) Specimen
Riser Installation by Reeling
Key Applications of SE(T) Specimen
Riser Installation by Reeling
Key Applications of SE(T) Specimen
Riser Installation by Reeling
Key Applications of SE(T) Specimen
Riser Installation by Reeling
Observations
Clamped SE(T) Specimens Effectively Utilized in
Fracture Testing of Pipeline Girth Welds

Difficulties Associated with SE(T) Test Procedure
Raise Concerns About Significance and Qualification
of Measured (and Valid) J -R Curves
Shallow-Crack Bend Specimens May Become a
Potential (and Atractive) Alternative
Transferability of J -R Curves Still an Open Issue
Common J Estimation Procedures
Load
Separation
Plastic Work
(h Method)
Multispecimen
Technique

Based on Macroscopic Measurements of Load and
Displacement (LLD and CMOD are Used)
Emphasis Has Been on Fracture Testing of Deeply
Cracked Conventional Specimens: C(T) and SE(B)
J Estimation Based on P-CMOD:
h Method
Plastic Contribution
to the Strain Energy
Unloading Compliance Procedure (I)
Unloading Compliance Procedure (II)
Unloading Compliance Procedure (III)
J -R Testing of Pipeline Girth Weld

API X80 Pipe
20 in. O.D. / t = 19 mm
Single V-Groove
FCAW 1G Position
B = 14 mm
Mechanical Properties
Load-Displacement Response
Crack Growth Correction (I)
Crack Growth Correction (II)
Effect of Clamp Distance
Crack Growth
Crack Growth
J -R Curves for SE(B)s and SE(T)s
Plane Strain vs. 3-D h Factors
Weld Strength Overmatch
Crack Growth Predictions
Crack Front Profiles: SE(T)
Crack Front Profiles: SE(B)
Observations
Small Effects of Clamp Distance, H

Small Effect of Weld Strength Overmatch for
Levels of ~25%
Shallow Crack SE(B) and Clamped SE(T)
Specimens Provide Comparable J -R Curves
Crack Growth UC Estimates in Shallow Crack
SE(B) Specimens Still a Big Issue!
Current Procedures Advocate that Precracking
is NOT Necessary

FFS Procedures for Reeled Risers
FFS Procedures for Reeled Risers

Full Compendium of h
1
Factors Generated by
Chiodo & Ruggieri in Polynomial Form
for Easy Manipulation and Codification

Proportionality Between J (CTOD) and Applied
Loading is Very Good for High and Moderate
Hardening (All Crack Configurations) and
Low Hardening (Shallow Cracks)

Robust Procedure for Most Applications
Application to Pipe Reeling

Estimation of J Based Upon Applied Strain
(e.g., DNV-OS-F101)
API Grade 5L X60
J vs. Global Response
Estimation of Maximum Crack
Driving Forces in Pipe Reeling
Mechanically Lined Pipes
Lined pipes consist of a C-Mn pipe which has a layer of CRA in
contact with the production fluid and hence, its corrosive
environment. The layer of Corrosion Resistant Alloy (CRA) is applied
through a mechanical bond between the CRA and the C-Mn pipe.
Key Issues

Wrinkle Formation

Fatigue and Fracture Behavior of Dissimilar Girth Welds
Including H
2
Assisted Cracking
X65
Inconel 625
Key Issues

Fatigue and Fracture Behavior of Dissimilar Girth Welds
Including H
2
Assisted Cracking
Key Issues
X65
Inconel 625
Key Issues

J and CTOD Estimations in Dissimilar Girth Welds
Particularly for Undermatched Condition
On-Going Work
Further Standardization Efforts to Develop
Test Procedures for SE(T) and SE(B) Specimens
Crack Growth Estimation Issues in Toughness
Testing Protocols for Shallow Crack SE(B)s
Additional J -R Tests for X65 Pipelines Steel
Including Dissimilar Girth Welds:
X65 / Inconel 625
X65 / AISI 316 L
Robust J and CTOD Estimation Procedures for
Surface Cracked Pipes
Thank You!

Claudio Ruggieri
University of So Paulo - Brazil
claudio.ruggieri@usp.br