Pipeline Systems

Evaluation of Gate Valve Flanges: Serrated vs Non-Serrated Under External Loading

Anonymous — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 22:09:33 +0000

Evaluation of Gate Valve Flanges: Serrated vs Non-Serrated Under External Loading Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 04/30/2024 - 16:09

Project Title: Evaluation of Gate Valve Flanges: Serrated vs Non-Serrated Under External Loading

Industry Partners: Denver Water

CIEST Personnel: Cory Ihnotic and Jessica Ramos

Primary Investigator: Prof. Brad Wham

Year: 2024

The intent of this study is to investigate the difference between a serrated faced flange connection and a non-serrated faced flange connection; mainly to determine whether one would leak sooner than the other. To evaluate this, a series of four-point bending tests with applied axial load were conducted on Mueller Resilient Wedge Gate Valves. The tested specimens were commercially available 6 in. (150 mm) diameter ductile iron pipe conforming to AWWA C600 standards, which were provided by Denver Water. Each type of flange connection (serrated or non-serrated) received two tests, each with displacement applied at a rate of 1 in. (25 mm) per minute. For the conducted tests, several points of interest were located including the site of the first and second leaks, and their respective leak rates to determine which of the connections had a more substantial failure.

Appreciation is extended to John Daly and Katie Ross, along with all our pipe and coupling manufacturers, for their tremendous support.

Photo of pipe before test.

Photo of pipe with minor leak coming from the west side.

Photo of signifigant leak, coming from eastern and western sides.

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Rapid Encapsulation of Pipelines Avoiding Intensive Replacement (REPAIR)

Anonymous — Sat, 09 Mar 2024 18:54:13 +0000

Rapid Encapsulation of Pipelines Avoiding Intensive Replacement (REPAIR) Anonymous (not verified) Sat, 03/09/2024 - 11:54

Photo caption: Postdoctoral researcher sets up a digital image correlating camera to track displacement during a 4-point bending test on a steel pipe specimen

Project Title: Testing and Analysis of Pipeline Encapsulation Technologies

Funding Agency: DOE/ARPA-E: Rapid Encapsulation of Pipelines Avoiding Intensive Replacement (REPAIR)

Lead: University of ��ֱ�� Boulder

Partners: Gas Technology Institute, Cornell University, University of Southern Queensland

Industry Partners: Sanexen Environmental Services Inc.

CIEST Personnel: Dustin Quandt, Sina Senji, Patrick Dixon, William Flood, John Hindman, Cory Ihnotic, Davis Holt, Jacob Klingaman, Katherine O'Dell, Kent Polkinghorne, Yao Wang

Primary Investigator: Prof. Brad Wham, Prof. Shideh Dashti (co-PI), Prof. Mija Hubler (co-PI)

Year: 2020-2024

Project Summary: Cast iron, wrought iron, and bare steel natural gas distribution pipes—legacy pipes—make up 3% of the nearly 2 million miles of utility pipes in use, but account for a disproportionate number of gas leaks and pipe failures compared to more recently replaced infrastructure. REPAIR seeks to reduce natural gas leaks from these pipes by developing a suite of technologies to enable the automated construction of new pipe inside existing pipe. The new pipe must meet utilities’ and regulatory agencies’ requirements, have a minimum life of 50 years, and have sufficient material properties to operate throughout its service life without reliance on the exterior pipe. REPAIR will advance the state of gas distribution pipelines by incorporating smart functionality into structural coating materials and developing new integrity/inspection tools. It will also create three-dimensional (3D) maps that integrate natural gas pipelines and adjacent underground infrastructure geospatial information with integrity, leak, and coating deposition data. The cost target is $0.5-1 million per mile, including gas service disruption costs.

The CIEST lab at the University of ��ֱ�� Boulder is leading a multi-institutional team, including Cornell University, Gas Technology Institute, and University of Southern Queensland, to develop a data-driven framework of laboratory testing and modeling. This framework will enable the gas industry to better evaluate products to rehabilitate cast iron and steel natural gas pipes and enhance their performance and longevity. The objective is to validate a 50-year design life for innovative pipe-in-pipe (PIP) systems by developing numerical, analytical, and physical testing protocols. The process will merge attributes of each approach to deliver a comprehensive framework for PIP technologies composed of a variety of materials and deposition methods. ��ֱ�� Boulder’s framework characterizes failure modes and establishes performance criteria for PIP rehabilitation technologies to support recommendations for PIP material properties suitable for acceptable design-life performance.

View ARPA-E's program description here.

Cast iron, wrought iron, and bare steel natural gas distribution pipes—legacy pipes—make up 3% of the nearly 2 million miles of utility pipes in use, but account for a disproportionate number of gas leaks and pipe failures compared to more recently replaced infrastructure. REPAIR seeks to reduce natural gas leaks from these pipes by developing a suite of technologies to enable the automated construction of new pipe inside existing pipe.

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Performance Assessment of iPVC Pipe and Coupling for Large Ground Movement

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Performance Assessment of iPVC Pipe and Coupling for Large Ground Movement Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 11/15/2022 - 00:00

Project Title: Performance Assessment of iPVC Pipe and Coupling for Large Ground Movement

Industry Partners: East Bay Municipal Utility District, Denver Water

CIEST Personnel: Nicholas Berty, Cory Ihnotic, Katherine O’Dell, Jessica Ramos

Primary Investigator: Prof. Brad Wham

Year: 2022

Project Summary: The intent of this study is to define the seismic response of iPVC pipeline systems with couplings and to illustrate procedures for interpreting laboratory results to seismically classify pipeline system performance following developing ASCE seismic guidelines. Twenty large-scale tests were performed on 6-in. diameter DR14 (PC305) iPVC pipe (C900) with five different commercially available reinforced connections. Test specimens were subjected to tension, compression, cyclic, and four point bending tests, determining the ultimate load capacity for each system in both axial and transverse directions. This study provides the first seismic classification for plastic pipe systems with reinforced connections.

Appreciation is extended to David Katzev and Katie Ross, along with all our pipe and coupling manufacturers, for their tremendous support.

Link to Report

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Hoop Tensile Test

Anonymous — Sat, 02 Apr 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Hoop Tensile Test Anonymous (not verified) Sat, 04/02/2022 - 00:00

Project Title: Hoop Tensile Test

Industry Partner: PSI Lab

CIEST Personnel Participants: John Hindman

Year: 2022

Project Summary:

The CIEST Laboratory successfully completed testing pipe liner samples for “apparent hoop tensile strength” as described in ASTM D2290. The method uses a split disk to apply tensile forces to a hoop or ring specimen cut from a pipe. Like a standard tensile test specimen, the hoop specimen also has an area of reduced width so that the failure should occur in a desired location. Load is applied at a constant rate of travel until a break occurs. The strength of the specimen is calculated based on the force at break and the cross-sectional area of the reduced area.

The test was performed on one of the CIEST Laboratory’s hydraulic-actuated test frames. We were glad to be able to perform these tests for an independent commercial laboratory. The size and strength of the particular samples tested required the use of a larger test machine, which we were able to provide.

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Axial Capacity of Reinforced Gasketed Joints

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Axial Capacity of Reinforced Gasketed Joints Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 09/30/2020 - 00:00

Full Project Title: Axial Capacity of C900 PVC Pipe with Reinforced Gasketed Joints

Year: 2019-20

Industry Partner: Denver Water

CIEST Personnel: Jessica Ramos, John Hindman, Brice Lucero, David Ballcells, Hayley Parnell, and Porter Hawkins

Primary Investigator: Prof. Brad Wham

Summary: The objective of this study was to impose externally applied axial loading to reinforced gasketed water pipeline joints to establish upper bound performance under worst case conditions of ground movement. Test protocols included axial tension and cyclic (progressive tension and compression) loading on bell-spigot style C900 PVC pipe to simulate deformations possible during natural hazards such as earthquakes and landslides . The test specimens consisted of either RieberLok Gasketed or Diamond Lok-21 pipe with a restraining ring. Tests provided measures of axial displacement capacity, pipeline connection strength, and failure mechanism. The results indicated these systems as potentially viable solutions for regions prone to persistent soil movement and settlement. Tests were conducted in partnership with Denver Water.

View the full report here.

[video:https://youtu.be/qUB-YhOMdtc]

Failed sepcimen after testing in tension.

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Tension Testing of Flexible Expansion Joints

Anonymous — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 18:26:52 +0000

Tension Testing of Flexible Expansion Joints Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 07/19/2020 - 12:26

Project Title: Tension Testing of Flexible Expansion Joints

Industry Partners: EBAA Iron, Inc.

CIEST Personnel: Hailey Parnell, Lindsay Guerrero, Bruce Lucero

Primary Investigator: Prof. Brad Wham

Year: 2020

Project Summary: The intent of the test program is to investigate the axial performance of a Flex-Tend Flexible Expansion Joint (FEJ) and a Force-Balanced FlexTend Flexible Expansion Joint (FBFEJ), each nominally 6-in. diameter. Externally applied axial tension load test results are compared to data obtained from internal pressure burst tests and demonstrate that, while similar levels of axial force are required to initiate component failure, the failure mechanisms differ and and influenced by the circumfrencial stress supplied during burst testing. The work was undertaken in the Center for Infrastructure, Energy, and Space Testing (CIEST) which is affiliated with the Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering Department at the University of ��ֱ�� Boulder.

Follow this link for the Report by H.L. Parnell, L. Guerrero, B.A. Lucero, and B.P. Wham.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMiMGiOqKZI]

Report by H.L. Parnell, L. Guerrero, B.A. Lucero, and B.P. Wham.

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Evaluation of Hazard-Resistant Pipelines

Anonymous — Fri, 27 Sep 2019 06:00:00 +0000

Evaluation of Hazard-Resistant Pipelines Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 09/27/2019 - 00:00

Full Project Title: Seismic Evaluation of Hazard-Resistant Pipelines: Axial Testing of PVC, PVCO, and iPVC Pipe with Coupling
Year: 2019
Industry Partners: East Bay Municipal Utility Department (EBMUD)
CIEST Personnel: Cory Ihnotic, David Kyle Anderson, Jessica Ramos, David Balcells, Brice Lucero, John Hindman, and co.
Primary Investigator: Prof. Brad Wham
Summary: The first in a series of testing programs at ��ֱ�� Boulder CIEST investigating performance of critical lifeline systems under extreme loading conditions. This study focuses on the response of various thermoplastic pipe materials and a coupling connection under externally applied axial and lateral loading. Internally pressurized, 6 in. (150 mm) diameter specimens were tested to failure under various loading scenarios including axial tension, compression, and cyclic loading as well as transverse 4-pt bending. This project initiated the development of self-reacting test frame capable of applying dynamic tension and/or compressive loading in excess of 100,000 lbs (445 kN) to linear structures up to 12 ft (3.66 m) long. CIEST’s 1,000,000 lb (4450 kN) four-post load frame was employed to apply lateral loading.
View the full report here.

Appreciation is extended to collaborators David Katzev and Timothy Harris of EBMUD for their intellectual and practical contributions to the project.

[video:https://youtu.be/CSmie9je52A]

[video:https://youtu.be/2WdeWlrHH-E]

[video:https://youtu.be/-SHb-60S5CA]

The first in a series of testing programs at ��ֱ�� Boulder CIEST investigating performance of critical lifeline systems under extreme loading conditions.

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