Integrity assessment of pipeline systems by an enhanced indentation technique

A non-destructive technique based on indentation and enhanced by the consideration of the imprint mapping is proposed for the diagnostic analysis of pipelines in oil transportation systems. The considered testing procedure can be applied in the field without the need of extracting spools and working out the specimens required by more traditional experimental approaches. The reliability of the presented methodology is verified by investigating a pipe segment with more than 25 years of service. The mechanical properties determined by indentation and imprint mapping compare well with the output of standard tensile tests in average terms while better insight on the spatial distribution of the material characteristics is achieved.