NATURE OF DEFECT
The 14” line had suffered from internal corrosion. This resulted in a cracked slip-on flange joint. Upon inspection of the leak location, an additional leak was found 2-inches below the original leak. The client required a composite solution to seal the leaks and bring the line back up to it’s original design specification.
SOLUTION
Metalyte Pipeworks produced a repair method using a specialised injectable system to seal the leaks. Epoxy pastes and compounds were used before applying the engineered overwrap. The valve and gearbox assembly on top of the valve was also removed to allow for a full encapsulation of the repair area.
REPAIR METHOD
A high strength high tensile composite collar was injected to fully arrest the leak. The substrate surface was prepared using an MBX machine to gain a surface profile to SSP.SP11. Once the repair area was dry, the flange was profiled accordingly to allow for a smooth composite transition. Herculyte LV was used as a bonding coat before applying 8 layers of our Engineered Dragon-Q- UHT composite and cured until a minimum of 74.5 Shore D hardness was achieved.
CONCLUSION
This live leak sealing was successfully completed on a complex geometry, restoring the line back to its original design while preventing any downtime.
