Objective
A report describing optimum ultrasonic and radiographic NDT procedures for PE pipes outside diameters of 125mm and 315mm has been produced.
A method for incorporating known levels of particulate contamination into a butt fusion weld in PE pipe has been developed.
A report detailing the limits of detection for the optimised ultrasonic NDT techniques has been produced.
The critical defect sizes and contamination levels for butt fusion welds in 125mm and 315mm PE100 pipes have been determined.
A prototype butt fusion welding machine, incorporating an ultrasonic NDT unit, has been designed, built and assessed in the laboratory.
There are significant advantages in the use of polyethylene (PE) pipe for the transmission of gas, water and sewerage. However, its more widespread use is being restricted by the lack of a reliable non-destructive testing (NDT) method for joints made in the material. This is particularly the case for higher specification PE pipe (e.g. PE100) which can be used for more demanding service requirements. This project will develop a reliable NDT method for the assessment of butt fusion welds in PE100 pipes and fittings. Ultrasonic and radiographic methods will be developed to provide reliable and automated detection of flaws during the cooling cycle of the welding process both under laboratory and field conditions.The development will be made on manufactured defect specimens, and on specimens made using non-standard welding parameters. The NDT data will be analysed to determine the limits of flaw detection, and to establish the links between welding process parameters and the occurrence of flaws. In parallel with the NDT developments, the significance of defect types and sizes will be established in relation to service requirements. This will be achieved by the long term mechanical testing of welds containing known flaws, and comparison with the results for welds containing no defects. Prototype equipment, combining an existing welding machine and the developed NDT system, will be designed and built, based on the results of the NDT research and the work to determine acceptance criteria. This equipment will be tested under laboratory and field conditions. The development of the NDT techniques and the associated equipment will allow PE pipe to be used with more confidence. This will lead to an increase in its usage, resulting in economic, social and environmental benefits. PE pipe has a longer predicted life than competitive materials leading to less frequent replacement. It is less expensive to install because of its flexibility and comparative light weight, and shows dramatically lower leakage rates. This is part due to the flexibility of the pipe, which allows it to bend rather than fracture when acted upon by mechanical forces such as earth movements and earthquakes. The social benefit results from the reduction in disturbance caused by less frequent replacement of pipelines, particularly in urban areas. Environmental benefits also accrue from the reduction in disturbance, and also from the lower leakage rates and the decrease in material use.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
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Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CRS - Cooperative research contractsCoordinator
93100 Caltanissetta
Italy