Another pneumatic test image for the files
Another pneumatic test image for the files
(OP)
I've been having trouble finding anymore details than what were in the email I received - I embedded the comments into the PDF file to keep it all together. It looks like the yellow pipe originally came off the machine and then went down into the ground.
We've certainly had plenty of discussions regarding the pro/con of pneumatic testing. To be certain, there are situations where a pneumatic test is the correct choice and may be the only practical choice.
Still, when the choice of a pneumatic test is made, Images like this provide the engineer with good ammunition when push back comes from management regarding the extra precautions that need to be taken.
We've certainly had plenty of discussions regarding the pro/con of pneumatic testing. To be certain, there are situations where a pneumatic test is the correct choice and may be the only practical choice.
Still, when the choice of a pneumatic test is made, Images like this provide the engineer with good ammunition when push back comes from management regarding the extra precautions that need to be taken.
Edward L. Klein
Pipe Stress Engineer
Houston, Texas
"All the world is a Spring"
All opinions expressed here are my own and not my company's.





RE: Another pneumatic test image for the files
RE: Another pneumatic test image for the files
Patricia Lougheed
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RE: Another pneumatic test image for the files
In OCTG business, testing threaded conections with 5,000 -10,000 psi water, failures are still impressive.
RE: Another pneumatic test image for the files
That's a good point that I forgot to mention. Just looking at the scale of things, this was a pretty heavy pipe wall. I think people can forget about the effect that has on raising the brittle/ductile transition temperature so that a brittle failure like what the images show is that much more likely.
Edward L. Klein
Pipe Stress Engineer
Houston, Texas
"All the world is a Spring"
All opinions expressed here are my own and not my company's.
RE: Another pneumatic test image for the files
RE: Another pneumatic test image for the files
It's really hard to balance the potential risk of an event like this versus the time/money savings of a hydrotest.
RE: Another pneumatic test image for the files
I can't say what happened in China, but from the looks of the pipe it could very well have been similar to the moron I got fired that day.
I'm betting that there was an engineering operations failure at the root of this event.
David
RE: Another pneumatic test image for the files
Let your acquaintances be many, but your advisors one in a thousand' ... Book of Ecclesiasticus