In an external steel sleeve for reinforcing or for providing a seal to prevent leakage in a pipe, the sleeve consists of steel plate material that is shaped and sized to encircle a portion of the length of the pipe. The top and bottom halves of the sleeve each consist of steel shaped plate, and the bottom half in addition has zippers welded on either side. The sleeve may be installed while the carrier pipe is under operating pressure and temperature. Following cleaning of the pipe and sleeve surfaces, if necessary, including cleaning of any external anomalies on the section of pipe to be reinforced, an epoxy filler material is applied to the pipe over the area to be covered by the sleeve. The top and bottom halves of the sleeve are then placed around the pipe and initially tightened using hydraulic jacking devices. The sleeve halves are then heated uniformly to a predetermined temperature and are maintained at that temperature while welding the zippers, which are located 180 degrees to each other, to the top half of the sleeve. Upon allowing the sleeve to cool, the sleeve shrinks, thus applying compressive forces onto the pipe. The epoxy acts both as a filler agent and sealant, filling all voids between the pipe and the sleeve. The pipe and sleeve therefore act as one unit, expanding and contracting with fluctuations in the pipe's pressure and temperature. The sleeve prevents the anomaly from rupturing and prevents product leakage should corrosion eat through the pipe wall from within.
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