15

Pipework Maintenance

15.1 MAINTENANCE–KEY TO TROUBLE-FREE SERVICE

Maintenance of pipework begins at the design stage. A good design needs less maintenance work
and facilitates both fabrication and erection. Maintenance engineers are in the best position to assess
the worth of design and construction. Their assessment is profitable if the maintenance experience is
passed back to the designer and construction takes place according to the design drawings in future
projects. Thus for better maintenance of a pipe work, maintenance engineers, design engineers and
construction engineers must work together and develop new working plans to achieve considerable
savings in production. The working plan should be backed by effective techniques in all aspects of
engineering starting from the design stage to erection. In making any changes in design during
construction stage to facilitate better maintenance work, the construction engineer must convince the
design engineer and get the design drawing modified accordingly before commencement of actual
construction.
Planned maintenance is the way to achieve good maintenance. Therefore, maintenance engineers
must be qualified and experienced. To be efficient, a maintenance engineer should be knowledgeable
about many things:
(a) He must be cost conscious;
(b) He should be familiar with the plant at the design stage;
(c) He should know the manufacturer’s recommendations and how to use the special tools
supplied by them for items like valves and other special fittings;
(d) He should have sufficient knowledge for assessing the requirement of spares and thereafter
procuring, processing, recording and storing of the same.
(e) He should be aware of the shelf life of certain stored materials like gaskets, seals etc.
15.2 REPAIR TECHNIQUES

15.2.1 Temporary Repair

By this technique, repair is carried out without shut-down of the pipelines. The repair may be of
temporary nature or the temporary repair done may lead to a permanent repair according to the

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prevailing conditions i.e. line pressure, temperature, flow medium and pipe material. In a temporary
repair the leak can be sealed in many ways by using specially designed clamps (as shown in Fig.
15.1) of various types to suit varying conditions of repair. The leak may remain suppressed as long
as the gasket withstands line conditions. This temporary repair can be converted to permanent repair
if the clamps are welded in position.
For repairing leaks around threaded joints, the clamp is used in two halves and secured to the pipe
against the leaking joints by clamping bolts while a set of thrust bolts force a ring against a soft
synthetic rubber seal so that the rubber seal goes into the threads, thus stopping the leaks. Many other
similar clamps can be designed with gasket sealing arrangement according to the site requirement.

Fig. 15.1 Pipe clamp

15.2.2 Removal and Repair of Leaking Pipes

The portion of the leaking pipe is removed first. Then the fitting is slid over the ends of the pipes to
be joined and secured by tightening clamps and thrust screws. This is made permanent by welding at
the extreme circumferential ends (Ref: Fig. 15.2).

15.2.3 Leakd Sealing by Direct Compound Injection

This method has now established its use in running pipeline most efficiently. In gas lines and steam
supply lines it has proved most successful. Therefore, it has become a standard method of repair.
The process involves direct injection of a compound which forms a strong moulding between
flange faces causing the joint leak. The compounds used in this process are thermosetting materials
having characteristics such that they soften when warm and then cure under subsequent heating to
form a tough and permanent seal. This process can be used not only for pipe joint reparis but also for
repair of pin-holes, leaking valve glands and bonnets, etc.
 Pipework Maintenance 441

15.2.4 ‘Under-Pressure’ Drilling for Branch Connections

New branch connections are often required in industries. Shut-down of main lines for making branch
connections causes production losses. Therefore, branch connections without shuting down the main
line is of paramount importance. This is generally met by adopting ‘Under-pressure drilling using
specially designed drilling machines available with different cutter sizes.

Fig. 15.2 Pipe leak repair fitting (weldable type)

Fig. 15.3 Pipe leak repair fitting (screwed type)

442 Handbook of Piping Design

The technique involves welding of a short branch line to the main line at a location from which
branch has to be taken. The drilling machine is then mounted over the connection fitted with a gate
valve. The drilling operation is then done under full line pressure and the cut-out piece is retained by
the machine. It is removed after completion of drilling operation.

15.2.5 On-Site Pipe Cutting

Pipe cutting is necessary for removal of a section of pipe, may be for taking a diversion or in case it
is found leaking or damaged. Whatever may be the cause, dismantling and removal of piping can be
expensive and time consuming. Use of portable pipe cutting equipment is the correct answer for
avoiding this expense and delay. The type of machines referred to have the advantage of carrying out
cold cuts, thus avoiding the dangers inherent in flame cutting. Mechines are availabel for hand operation
or automatic power cutting driven by pneumatic, hydraulic or electric power.

15.3 CLEANING OF PIPE INTERNAL SURFACE

Cleaning of pipe interiors at certain internals is very important to maintain internal diameter so that
reduction in flow or increase in pressure does not occur. This operation is carried out today at less
cost and less time due to the availability of modern cleaning tools, methods and specialist services.
Some of the cleaning tools are of quite recent origin which need special attention to layout planning.
Therefore, design engineers, in fact should have practical knowledge of the application of these
devices.
Pigs, go-devils, pressure scraping, jetting and winching, chemical cleaning, etc. are some of the
means for clearing of blockages and for pipe cleaning.
Pigs and go-devils
These are used for cleaning pipes of all sizes. The principle is that a pig or go-devil is inserted into
a launching trap and driven by hydraulic pressure throughout the straight length of the pipe line and
then to a receiving trap fitted to the pipe line prior to the cleaning operation. These are mostly used in
long distance oil lines and gas lines.
Pressure scraping
This is used to remove thick deposits like scale from long length of pipeline. The scraper consisting
of a series of rotating blades is driven by hydraulic pressure. Sometimes due to accumulation of
deposits inside the pipe the scraper tries to stop and to give an indication to this effect a noise-maker
immediately operates so that the exact location of the scraper can be traced from the surface.
Jetting and Winching
Jetting is done by means of high pressure water jet for cleaning the pipe internal surface. Mobile
units are available with varieties of jetting nozzles fixed with the pump sets. Winching is used for
breaking up of deposits in pipelines and removing by means of a winch bucket. Hand winches are
used for smaller diameter pipe sizes (say upto NB 300) and power operated winches for bigger
diameter pipe sizes i.e. above NB 300 size.

Chemical Cleaning
A large number of chemicals used as cleaners attack on foreign matter such as bacteria and thus
clean the inside surface of the pipe which is fed with the chemical through power or hand operated
mobile units.
 Pipework Maintenance 443

Rodding
Minor blockages of drain and sewers are cleared by hand rodding. The equipment consists of
smaller diameter rods and hand ratchet or power operated rod rotator. Power rodding is used for
clearing heavy blockages in water, gas and other pipe lines subjected to hard deposits.

15.4 MAINTENANCE INFORMATION

The following must be available with the maintenance staff:
(a) General layout and flow diagrams of all the pipelines.
(b) As built or latest piping drawings showing the detailed dimensions.
(c) Material specifications along with the standards used (copies of standards should also be
available with the staff).
(d) Norms and tables showing:
1. Detailes of threads.
2. Various tapers.
3. Fabrication and welding details of branches, bends, etc.
4. Various gasket materials and dimensions along with uses.
5. Different pipe sizes with wall thickness corresponding to stock numbers and standard
codes.
6. Various pipe fittings, bends, etc. with dimensions.
(e) Actual Pressure, temperature and flow readings at various important points. These must be
taken at a regular interval and checked for any abnormality.

15.5 MAINTENANCE TOOLS

The tools described in connection with repair and cleaning operations are also required by mainte-
nance staff. Additional equipments required are:
(1) Welding and gas cutting machines
(2) Mobile cranes, hand winches, etc.
(3) Electronic/ultrasonic instrucmetns for locating underground pipeline, measuring wall thickness
and detecting leaks in it.
(4) Drilling and tapping machines.
(5) Various pullers, extractors, jacks, etc.
(6) Dewatering pump-set
(7) Walkie-talkie set.

15.6 PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE

Since a very few moving parts are involved in a pipeline, it does not require much attention. Still
one should not take it for granted that he will get a troublefree operation. The valve glands, flange
joints, etc. may leak; the supports and clamps may get loosen and start vibrating; the pipe may get
corroded internally or externally within a very short time of its commissioning. Therefore, it is
necessary that a scheduled inspection be carried out on the items which may give trouble and a
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logbook maintained for taking necessary preventive maintenance. For every process pipe a check
list may be prepared and hung in the office of maintenance incharge. A check list for such operation
may be prepared as shown in Table 15.1

Table 15.1 Preventive maintenance check list

Item Frequency of inspection Mode of inspection

1. Stop valve/isolation valve Glands: Every week during Visual
weekly shut down
2. Flow control valves glands Daily once -do-
3. Safety valves Weekly once -do-
4. Pressure reducing valves -do- -do-
5. Steam traps Daily once -do-
6. Threaded and flanged joints (connected Daily once Check bolts for tight-
with vibrating machines) ness
7. Clamps and brackets: (connected with Every shut-down -do-
vibrating machines)
8. Clamps and brackets (in general) Quarterly once -do-
9. Hoses fixed to vibrating machines Every shift. Check clamps for tight-
ness and visual exami-
nation for external
damage.
10. Hoses fixed to stationary parts During each shut-down -do-
11. All indoor pipes (overhead) Quarterly Visual examinations
and cleaning of exter-
nal surface
12. All indoor pipes (in trenches, tunnels etc.) -do- Visual examination
for external damage
and corrosion
13. All outdoor pipes (overhead) Half-yearly Visual examination
of external damage
and corrosion.
14. All outdoor pipes (underground) Every five years or so. Sample test: Visual
examination after
excavating certain por-
tion to check the con-
dition of coatings
provided and measure
the pipe wall thickness

The jobs carried out in connection with preventive maintenance must be recorded in log book
for future reference. In a pipeline, generally maintenance of leaking valves is a major problem.
Therefore, standard practices followed for replacement of gland packing or gasket of a flanged
joint must be noted serially, operation-wise under a heading ‘Valve Maintenance’, ‘Replacement
of gland packing in running line’; Repair of flange joints, etc. and hung in the office of maintenance
incharge for future guidance of the maintenance staff.