NG-18-09-R02 Fracture Initiation and Propagation in an Underwater Pipeline

The objective of this research program was to obtain an understanding of fracture initiation and propagation in an underwater pipeline. A single experiment was conducted using a modified West Jefferson test consisting of a "test" vessel inside a larger "containment" vessel. The smaller vessel consisted of a flawed length of line pipe containing water and an air pocket in the same manner as a conventional West Jefferson test. The larger vessel contained water to a level above the test pipe and a shock-absorbing air pocket such that it could be pressurized to exert external pressure on the test vessel to simulate any given depth of water.