REINFORCEKIT® 4D SUBSEA, 2 dents – Middle-East
Subsea composite repair solution for pipe reinforcement
Overview
The objective of the repair, performed in April 2020 by 3X ENGINEERING and its local distributor, was to reinforce a 48" subsea pipe damaged by two dents located between 7 and 10 meters in depth.
Results
The subsea reinforcement was successfully completed using the REINFORCEKIT® 4D SUBSEA product. This project was a significant challenge due to the line's large diameter and the shallow water position of the defects. Additionally, the teams successfully navigated severe logistical constraints associated with the international COVID-19 pandemic, including manpower limitations, material shipment delays, and quarantine periods.
 Defect type |
2 dents |
Details |
48" oil line, max. op. temperature 35°C, operating pressure 18.2 bars |
Location |
Middle-East |
3X Product type |
REINFORCEKIT® 4D SUBSEA |
Scope of work
According to ISO 24.817 and 3X repair calculations, 32 layers of REINFORCEKiT® 4D SUBSEA (R4D-S) have been determined to reinforce the damaged pipe section (dent No. 1 measured 840mmx445 and dent No. 2 measured 770mmx482mm).
Underwater, preliminary operations (pipeline excavation, concrete removing etc ...) were performed prior to surface preparation by grit blasting to get a good surface profile (superior to 60μm).
The composite repair was then performed following 6 main stages (these steps are the same ones for the 2 dented defects):
- Before primer application, ratchet belts were installed over the pipe near the defect to ensure the good composite plate installation and tightening.
- 3X subsea primer application right on the defect to ensure a good bonding of the composite plate.
- 3X subsea filler application on rigid composite plate. The plate was then given to the diver and positioned over the dent and fastened tightly with ratchet belts (previously installed - see step 1).
- Another subsea primer layer was then applied on the whole surface of the repair to provide a good adhesion of the composite material with the surface before wrapping. No specific curing time was required.
- Kevlar® tape impregnated with 3X subsea resin and wrapped around the pipe. The tape impregnation was performed using BOBIPREG (3X specific machine allowing a quick and regular impregnation resin/fiber). Thirty-two layers were necessary to repair the defect (i.e. 16 passes of 50% overlap) for a total of 3m repair length.
- Finalization of the repair with reference plate positioning for traceability purpose and validation of the repair using hardness measurements.
