Investigation and Recommendations on Bottom-Dented Petroleum Pipelines

On September 21, 2015, the National Transportation Safety Board responded to a petroleum leak from a transmission pipeline in Centreville, VA. A small through crack was found leaking at a dent on the underside of the pipe, located away from any welds. The investigation found that corrosion fatigue could initiate at small dents, typically caused by impingement. While top-side dents from excavation and servicing have well-been documented and regulated, bottom-side dents, deemed acceptable per regulations, were found to be susceptible to stress corrosion and fatigue cracking. This investigation explored multiple and fundamental aspects of cracking in steel pipe dents, including nondestructive inspection, electron microscopy, finite element modeling, and long-term cyclic loading tests to characterize the cause of this pipeline accident.