Mechanical strength tests on metallic pipes: Immersion in the RICE mechanical test hall

The use of metal pipes in fluid transport infrastructures has a long history. The control of the various phenomena that can affect their integrity remains a matter for specialists. Structural defects, impact of different types of stress, corrosion, the challenge is to maintain the safety and integrity of the installations at a very high level, while optimizing operating costs.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWoj8EZPzBc

Within the INCA (Integrity of Metallic Pipes) laboratory of RICE, our collaborators carry out daily studies related to the integrity of metallic pipes for internal and external customers. The RICE site based in Villeneuve la Garenne, benefits from a Mechanical Test Hall, designed to carry out bursting tests.

These tests allow the characterization of mechanical phenomena on real size pipes, representative of the network of each customer, in order to :

• to evaluate the acceptability of certain defects;
• to evaluate the reparability of defects;

For this purpose, the RICE site has the following equipment:

• Pits equipped with hydraulic units with a capacity of 150 bar;
• A mechanical aggression bench for the creation of defects (denting with or without metal stripping).

The sizing of RICE equipment makes it possible to meet the specific needs of each customer and to deliver concrete results by identifying the right operating conditions for optimal network operation and defining inspection and maintenance plans in advance.

The RICE experts will accompany you through various services intended for public and private actors:

• Study of the ageing of pipelines and cathodic protection equipment (electrodes, acquisition units, etc.).
• Qualification of new materials and/or new applications:
  - measurement of potentials
  - realization of aging cycle tests
• Optimization of defect analysis criteria.
• Qualification of repair techniques.
• Elaboration of technical files of response to the administration, based on mastered models and validated by experiments

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