Development of Comprehensive Pressure Test Design Guidelines

Main Objective

Develop comprehensive guidelines for the design of pressure tests that could be incorporated into industry standards or regulations. The proposed work will draw heavily on industry experience and scientific knowledge from prior research. The guidelines will assure as much as possible that pressure testing is carried out safely and effectively, that testing is performed to a consistent standard of quality, and that all stakeholders can have confidence in the safety of the tested pipeline.

Public Abstract

The objective of this project is to develop comprehensive guidelines for the design of pressure tests that could be incorporated into industry standards such as ASME B31.4, ASME B31.8, ASME B31.8S, and/or API RP 1160. These standards have for many years provided valuable test guidance and requirements, but they may not reflect the most current knowledge and industry needs in this regard. It is expected that the proposed work will draw heavily on what has been learned by pipeline operators and pressure-testing contractors who have performed pressure tests on thousands of miles of pipelines. The work also will take into account the significant amount of research on pressure testing that has been carried out from the 1960s through the present by PRCI, PHMSA, and other organizations. In particular, the recent work sponsored by PHMSA on the behavior of ERW pipe and on repair/replace considerations for pre-regulation pipe will be considered with respect to implications for best testing practices. This work is being proposed by a team of pipeline integrity specialists at Kiefner and Associates, Inc., an Applus RTD Company.

Quarterly Status Reports

1st Quarterly Status Report - Public Page

0339-1502_Public_Page_QuarterlyReport_Q1.pdf (13,278 bytes) [View] [Download/Save...]

2nd Quarterly Status Report - Public Page

0339-1502_Public_Page_QuarterlyReport_Q2.pdf (15,015 bytes) [View] [Download/Save...]

3rd Quarterly Status Report - Public Page

0339-1502_Public_Page_QuarterlyReport_Q3.pdf (15,517 bytes) [View] [Download/Save...]

4th Quarterly Status Report - Public Page

0339-1502_Public_Page_QuarterlyReport_Q4.pdf (14,070 bytes) [View] [Download/Save...]