Until now, the in-place repair methods available for transportation and distribution pipelines have left a lot to be desired in terms of measurable long-term rehabilitation. EMS offers thinking about a more advanced technology – Fiber-Reinforced Polymer wrap – that delivers significant strength advantages, along with reduced labor costs and risks.

Maybe you remember (or someone told you about) the 1970s’ TV series, “Six Million Dollar Man.” Its world-famous opening line was: “We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better than he was. Better, stronger, faster.”

The future catches up with just about every industry, including pipeline MRO. New technologies are bringing major advantages and benefits to the rehabilitation of transportation and distribution pipelines both outside and inside the fence.

Let’s list the facts as we know them. Pipeline networks exist everywhere. Some of them are as big as a continent. Some are as compact as the utility plant across town. Pipelines contain high-pressure liquid or gas and are covered with special coatings to resist corrosion. Nevertheless, weathering and other damage to pipeline coatings can expose the pipeline walls to moist air or to the ground and the result is a weakened pipe. A leaking pipe. A dangerous pipe.

We know a lot about the effects of corrosion, just as we know that repairing pipelines is expensive and time-consuming. Now, though, we have technologies to help. We suggest that the best of the remediation technologies is the smart use of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) wraps to repair pipelines. When applied by experts, it’s a high-quality, engineered opportunity to fully restore or upgrade both buried and above-ground pipelines.

First Difference: Carbon Fiber Technology
The FRP version we use (called “I-WRAP”) is a high-strength epoxy matrix, a fully tested combination of epoxy and selected carbon fiber-reinforced fabric. The carbon fiber fabric is oriented to provide reinforcement in a two-plane direction: it is considered one of the strongest wraps on the market today. The high strength of the carbon fibers adds additional structural capacity to the repaired pipe. The epoxy delivers a superior adhesive bond.

We believe it offers the latest technological solution for the in-place repair of piping.

It’s a solution that’s growing in popularity because of its superior advantages. Many MRO people have been using fiberglass compounds such as E-glass or S-glass, or Kevlar*, or combinations of these two. Unfortunately, the tensile strength of fiberglass averages just 20,000-50,000 psi.

Carbon fiber-based I-WRAP is, we believe, superior in performance for the high-risk, high-pressure applications of the pipeline industry. Its tensile strength averages 80,000 psi up to 150,000 psi – and could be as high as 500,000 psi. This very high tensile strength prevents catastrophic failure whether it’s used inside or outside the fence, cutting risks in both HCAs and plant environments.

Fiberglass and its combinations are subject to weathering and degradation. I-WRAP is not. And unlike fiberglass, I-WRAP-based repairs can be tested ultrasonically. There’s less labor involved in the FRP application and, as we’ve said, its higher tensile strength lowers risk. When completed, it also offers a lower profile – no big, unsightly bulges.

Compared to the actual replacement of pipe, using I-WRAP means no down time and no welding. It eliminates line evacuation and involves far less installation time.

Second Difference: Applicator and Technology Qualification
Because FRP is an engineered solution, there is a well-developed quality control manual that has to be followed in applying it. Trained, qualified applicators are required to install I-WRAP. A certified technician is required for the installation of the I-WRAP product, in accordance with the recently issued ASME standard PCC-2. At the same time, proper operator qualification (OQ) is also required by US DOT standard CFR 49, Parts 192 and 195. (In fact, I-WRAP applications meet five difference standards for application and repair.)

Why? Because verifiable training gives customers the high standard of installation that delivers the benefits of its technological features; and proper surface preparation makes sure of the warranty.

From the EMS point of view, this means that we undertake the evaluation of the prospective rehabilitation assignment; then our FRP supplier’s specialized engineers create a remediation “kit” for us, so that each solution is customized to the project.

One of our own OQ guidelines demands the application of magnetic strips to the pipeline (where appropriate), so that smart pigs can determine where the repairs have been made. It also helps identify corrosion that has occurred beyond the points of the wrap.

Using I-WRAP constitutes structural rehabilitation to bring back the original wall thickness – in effect, a brand new pipe with a major cost saving, because the repair can be made in place.

Realistically, Not Every Situation is a Wrap
Despite all the features, advantages and benefits of using carbon-based FRP wraps, understanding your system is critical to determining if the application is appropriate. Temperature, pressure and chemistry have an impact on the type of installation, for example.

It’s just as valuable to the customer to recognize the technology’s limitations. But we have found that a qualified engineering evaluation leads to the correct wrap approach.

Smarter, Better, Faster Rehabilitation

• Based on our applied experience with I-WRAP, we can be even more precise:
  
• On the job site, there’s no cutting out pipe: a considerable savings
  
• There’s no welding and the process demands minimal labor
  
• There are no volatiles - I-WRAP is 100% solvent-free
  
• I-WRAP wraps outlast welded sleeves or clamps
  
• They reinforce the exterior wall of the pipe to as-new or better condition
  
• There is a wide variety of wrap configurations, to improve on-the-scene flexibility
  
• I-WRAP wrapping stop corrosion, stops leakage and improves safety
  
• The process eliminates line isolation or plant shutdown

Rehabilitation using I-WRAP or its other versions is not only economically smarter, it extends service life, reduces maintenance without having to shut down the line and remove it from service, and reduces risks to site and personnel. And it’s nowhere close to what the original “Bionic Man” cost.