On the effect of corrosion defects on the collapse pressure of pipelines

The loss of metal in a pipeline due to corrosion usually results in localized pits with various depths and irregular shapes on its external and internal surfaces. The effect of corrosion defects on the collapse pressure of offshore pipelines was studied through the combination of small-scale experiments with nonlinear numerical analyses based on the finite element method. After calibrated based on the experimental results, the model was used to determine the collapse pressure as a function of material and geometric parameters of different pipes and defects. An extensive parametric study using 2-D and 3-D numerical models was carried out encompassing different defect geometries and their interaction with pipe ovalization. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.