Steel sleeves: a new look at a widely-used repair method

摘要

Steel sleeves play a critical role in the pipeline rehabilitation programs of most pipeline operators.Steel sleeves are used to repair a wide range of anomalies, including corrosion, dents, and crack-like features.Three full-scale studies were conducted to evaluate the performance of steel sleeves used to reinforce corrosion and dent features subjected to cyclic pressure service.One study, known as the Dent Validation Collaborative Industry Program(DV-CIP), was sponsored by a group of pipeline operators, ROSEN, and six repair companies that included Allan Edwards.In this study the effects of a filler material on the performance of steel sleeves used to reinforce dents was evaluated.The other two studies evaluated the performance of Type A and B steel sleeves used to reinforce corrosion and dents subjected to static burst and cyclic pressure conditions.This paper provides valuable information regarding the importance of filler materials and also quantifying the strain reduction provided by steel sleeves used to reinforce corrosion and dent features.Of particular importance are the empirically-determined fatigue lives that can be used to provide both liquid and gas transmission pipeline operators with estimated service lives for corrosion and dent features reinforced with steel sleeves.