Plastic Pipes Conference Association # 1998 Gothenburg
Horst, Weyn, Hermkens
For a long time the energy distribution companies in the Netherlands have expressed their need for ways of effectively assessing the quality of field-installed PE-pipe systems to prove integrity and reduce maintenance and repair costs. This becomes especially important with the increased use of these PE-systems for higher pressures. (In these higher pressure systems, xrays inspections are done as quality control on the steel pipe welds.)
In order to address this need, some preliminary tests with ultrasonic inspections on buttfused joints were done at GASTEC using a commercial US testing device, after which it was decided to start a demonstration project for this technique. This demonstration project is funded by EnergieNed, the Dutch branche organisation for the energy distribution companies.
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