Investigation of the Defect Width Effect on the Burst Capacity of Composite-Repaired Pipelines With Corrosion Defects Using Finite Element Analysis

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of the defect width on the burst capacity of corroded pipelines repaired with fiber reinforced polymer composite. Parametric finite element analyses are carried out to evaluate the burst capacities of composite-repaired pipes containing localized and full-circumferential corrosion defects. The analysis results indicate that burst capacities of composite-repaired pipes containing localized defects can be markedly lower than those of composite-repaired pipes with full-circumferential defects. The burst capacity model derived from the design equation recommended in the ASME PCC-2 code is found to be nonconservative for composite-repaired pipes with localized defects based on the parametric finite element analyses. An empirical equation for the defect width correction factor is then developed and shown to be highly effective in improving the predictive accuracy of the PCC-2 burst capacity model.