What Does
Steel Banding Mean?
Steel banding is a repair method used on pipelines, which involves the use of two steel half circles that are applied to a compromised area of the pipeline being repaired. The steel banding is welded onto the pipeline and then the pipeline is returned to service. Steel banding is a useful repair process to prolong the life of some pipelines.
Corrosionpedia Explains Steel Banding
Steel banding is used to repair pipelines that may have wall loss as a result of corrosion or because of other pipeline discontinuities or defects that occur during its service life. The wall thinning or other discontinuity in question is typically detected via a non-destructive evaluation method such as ultrasound or X-ray.
During the steel banding process, once a section of potentially compromised pipeline is found, it is excavated if it has not already been. The outside diameter of the pipeline is blast cleaned, and then the two steel bands are lowered onto the pipe using heavy equipment. Following that, the steel bands are tacked onto the pipe. The two longitudinal seams are welded, and then welds are completed around the girth of where the two steel bands meet the pipeline. These welds are then inspected, and following satisfactory inspection the pipeline is returned to service.
However, steel banding is not appropriate for all pipelines and all pipeline discontinuities. Engineers can determine if steel banding is a safe repair procedure for a given pipeline flaw.