Polyurethane Foam Field Joint Infill Systems - PIH - Pipeline ...

Pipeline Induction Heat Limited (PIH)
The Pipeline Centre
Farrington Road
Rossendale Road Industrial Estate
Burnley
Lancashire
BB11 5SW
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 1282 415 323
Fax: +44 (0) 1282 415 326
E-mail: sales@pih.co.uk
Web: www.pih.co.uk Certificate No.25389
Polyurethane
Foam Field Joint
Infill Systems
For Concrete Weight Coated Submarine Pipelines

Services to the Pipeline Industry
P ipeline Induction Heat Ltd (PIH), a CRC
Evans Company is a contracting company
specialising in the onsite application of
anti-corrosion coatings, heat treatment and
other support services during construction
of onshore and offshore oil, gas and product
pipelines.
The pipeline industry is characterised by
rapid advances in automatic welding and
factory-applied linepipe coating technologies.
Anticipating these trends requires PIH to
undertake innovative research and
development to provide practical solutions,
which satisfy these stringent new standards. This has resulted in an expansion from PIH's
traditional induction heating business, into diverse activities involving the site application of
sophisticated pipeline joint anti-corrosion, thermal insulation and infill coating systems.
As the most experienced independent field joint coating contractor, PIH fully understands the
necessity for working alongside both main contractors and owners to provide a total project
service for field joint coating of their pipelines. On time, on budget and to specification are key
parameters in the PIH business philosophy. However, this is never allowed to overshadow the
primarily important factor of health and safety on construction worksites. Operating a fully BSI
accredited health and safety
management system, PIH
places primary focus on
achieving zero accidents both
in the field and throughout the
business operation.
"PIH aims to provide the best
specialist pipeline 'field joint'
service worldwide, offering a
complete end-to-end package
of total in-house design, build
and supervisory control to
today's onshore and offshore
pipelay contractor.”
As concern within the pipeline industry becomes
ever more focussed on environmental issues, PIH
has worked hard to develop new technologies and
application systems, which are more efficient,
reduce waste and pose less of a threat to the
environment. Collaborating with the main
contractors, PIH has developed automatic coating
machines that reduce over spray and coating
material losses during application hence reducing
if not eliminating any environmental impact.
Similarly, PIH automatic tape wrap systems
reduce the use of powder technology so greatly
reducing wastage and enhancing operator safety.
For more than two decades PIH has worked with more main contractors than any other independent
field joint coating contractor. PIH has successfully completed millions of pipeline field joints on every
continent working in every environment. Using skills and experience now gained by the UK workforce
and its partners, PIH intends to face the future confident in their ability to drive the industry forward with
new and innovative technology in a technology driven sector. Safer and more efficient field joint coating
systems being constantly developed and implemented on projects worldwide with the aim of providing
clients with fully compliant solutions while maintaining PIH as the world's pre-eminent field joint coating
specialist.
“We strive to provide the
most reliable, cost effective
solutions within the rigorous
time scales demanded of the
industry, whilst maintaining
the highest quality results.”

The Polyurethane Foam Infill System
I nfilling the field joint void on concrete weight coated pipe has traditionally been affected by
pouring hot marine mastic into a mould around the joint. The mould is usually left in place when
over-boarded by the laybarge. Since this mastic is poured hot and is hazardous to handle PIH has
adapted an alternative PU based infill system offering improved HSE security as well as the
following beneficial features :
• No heat sources are necessary
(process at ambient temperatures)
• Commercially attractive
• Rapid cycle times
• Re-usable or expendable / disposable
(metallic or plastic) mould systems
• Compact, reliable application
equipment
Polyurethane foam infill advantages include :
• Compatibility with all conventional
anti-corrosion field joint coating systems
• ODP – zero category formulation
(no ozone damaging CFC solvents)
• Water blown
• No solvents required - all equipment
is air-purged
• A range of foam densitys are available
(6-10 lb / cu ft) typically
The material most commonly used by PIH is ‘Cellafoam-150’. It is a custom-designed high density
polyurethane foam (HDPF) with a typical moulded density between 90 kgs per cubic metre
(Cellafoam – 150/6) and 160 kgs per cubic metre (Cellafoam – 150/10) un-saturated.
Formulated specifically for pipeline field joint applications, the Cellafoam-150 system develops a
rigid, open cell structure. Upon immersion, the open cells will absorb water, thereby increasing in
overall density to approximately 1025 kgs/m 3 (similar to seawater itself).
The low-viscosity product formulation of the
‘Cellafoam 150’ system allows ‘free-flow’ of
chemicals, to assure quick and complete
filling of the mould, within the cycle times
demanded by today’s laybarge operators.
The infilling system can incorporate
reusable or disposable moulds. Reusable
moulding is used in conjunction with a
cardboard fibre liner, to create a superior
high strength composite skin. This system
will allow the demoulded field joint to pass
over the laybarge rollers and stinger without
damage due to the fibre liner becoming
embedded in the surface of the foam
creating a resilient outer skin to the joint.
Disposable plastic or metal moulds can be used as required by environmental and operational
demands.
The application equipment is neat and compact consisting of little more than 2 holding tanks, small
pumping equipment and dispensing hoses and nozzles.
The basic application for all systems can be summarised as follows :
• Fibre liner is applied
to the joint and secured
in place
• The mould is centralised
over the field joint and
secured in place using
temporary or permanent
strapping (depending on
whether re-usable or
disposable moulds are
being used).
• The infilling nozzle is
applied to an opening
in the mould and a fixed
volume of material is
metered from the
pumping system into
the void.
• The PU foam material is
allowed to expand to fill
the void and cure prior to
mould removal (in a
re-usable moulding
system) or prior to pipe
movement over the
rollers (in a disposable
system).

Test Results
CELLAFOAM 150/10
Property Method Typical Requirement TYPICAL RESULT
Moulded Density Weighing scales + Calculation 150 - 170 kg/m 3
Saturated
Moulded Density
Following Immersion
under pressure in Sea 1025 kg/m 3
water to constant weight
165.5 kg/m 3
1025 kg/m 3
Open Cell Content ASTM D2856 Min 80% 83 %
Compressive Strength ASTM D-1621 2.45 MPa With Skins 5 – 7 MPa
CELLAFOAM 150/9
Property Method Typical Requirement TYPICAL RESULT
Moulded Density Weighing scales + Calculation 130 - 160 kg/m 3
Saturated
Moulded Density
Following Immersion
under pressure in Sea 1025 kg/m 3
water to constant weight
150 kg/m 3
1025kg/m 3
Open Cell Content ASTM D2856 Min 80% >90 %
Compressive Strength ASTM D-1621 2.07 MPa With Skins 4 – 6 MPa
CELLAFOAM 150/6
Property Method Typical Requirement TYPICAL RESULT
Moulded Density Weighing scales + Calculation 80 - 112 kg/m 3
Saturated
Moulded Density
Following Immersion
under pressure in Sea 1025 kg/m 3
water to constant weight
100 kg/m 3
1025kg/m 3
Open Cell Content ASTM D2856 Min 80% >90 %
Compressive Strength ASTM D-1621 0.865 MPa With Skins 0.89 – 1.44 MPa
PIH Directory of Services
Surface Preparation = Pipeline Field Joints
• Closed Cycle Abrasive Blasting system (CCAB)
• Manual / Expendable Abrasive Blasting
Fusion Bonded Epoxy “FBE” External Anti-Corrosion
Coating for Pipeline Field Joints
• FBE onshore / offshore
Multi Layer Polyethlene / Polypropylene External
Anti-Corrosion Coating for Pipeline Field Joints
• Heat shrink sleeve: using induction pre / post heat)
• Multi-Component Liquid "MCL" automatic spray
(i.e. Tar Urethane / Liquid Epoxy etc.)
• Polypropylene “PP” systems: Dual powder “FBE / CMPP”
/ PP tape / Co-extruded PP sheet etc.
Thermal Insulation Coating for Pipeline Field Joints
• Solid Injection Moulded IMPU elastomer systems
• Syntactic polyurethane “SPU” systems
Heat Treatment Services: for Pipeline Welding
• Pre-weld heating
• Interpass heating / Re-heat
• Post-weld heat treatment
• Lay barge induction heating installations
High Density Polyurethane Foam “HDPF” Field Joint Infill:
for Concrete Weight-Coated Pipelines, as an alternative to
hot-poured marine mastic
• Polyurethane foam systems “PUF”
• Aggregate polyurethane composite systems
Other General
• Supply of Lay-barge induction heating systems
• Development of equipment and processes for new generation of
anti-corrosion & thermal insulation external “field joint coating” systems
• Pipeline buoyancy control systems – saddlebag weights