Strain Capacity of X100 High-Strain Linepipe for Strain-Based Design Application

In recent years, several natural gas pipeline projects have been planned for permafrost regions. Pipelines laid in such areas are subjected to large plastic deformation as a result of ground movement due to repeated thawing and freezing of the frozen ground. Likewise, in pipeline design methods, research on application of strain-based design as an alternative to the conventional stress-based design method has begun. Much effort has been devoted to the application of strain-based design to high strength linepipe materials. In order to verify the applicability of high-strain X100 linepipe to long distance transmission, a large-scale X100 pipeline was constructed using linepipe with an OD of 42^″ and wall thickness of 14.3mm. This paper presents the results of experiments and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) focusing on the strain capacity of high-strain X100 linepipes. The critical compressive strain of X100 high-strain linepipes is discussed based on the results of FEA taking into account geometric imperfections. The critical tensile strain for high-strain X100 pipelines is obtained based on a curved wide plate (CWP) tensile test using specimens taken from girth welded joints. Specifically, the effect of external coating treatment on the strain capacity of X100 high-strain linepipe is investigated. The strain capacity of the 42^″ X100 pipeline is considered by comparing the tensile strain limit obtained from girth weld fracture and critical compressive strain which occurs in local buckling under pure bending deformation.