The use of automated ultrasonic testing (AUT) to test pipeline girth welds during pipeline construction has increased substantially around the world since equipment first became available in the 1980s. There has been a gradual improvement in the ultrasonic technology since then and this has led to a re-appraisal of the equipments' effectiveness, in part driven by the safety and environmental benefits of avoiding the use of ionising radiation for radiography. This paper describes work conducted by Advantica Technologies to support a Transco pipeline construction programme. An earlier study had considered the effectiveness of the equipment for two types of mechanised weld. Samples were prepared containing a range of defects and seven AUT companies then tested them in blind trials. Since the AUT results were comparable to radiography, an evaluation was conducted on a length of pipeline being constructed for Transco. Radiography was used as well as AUT and a statistical comparison was made of the two methods' results along with destructive investigation of repair areas. This paper reviews the results of these investigations, discusses how they contribute to the most effective use of the technology and proposes some areas still needing attention by the industry.
