Maintenance of a pipeline facility will invariably involve the repair of imperfection, anomalies or defects that are found in the course of routine inspection. The codes and regulations governing pipelines offer several options for carrying out these repairs. In some cases, the repair option will be defect specific but in others, the operator will be expected to choose a repair technique based on individual assessment.
Pipeline repair alternatives allowed by various codes are reviewed. Special attention is placed on the new composite repairs along with the mechanical properties and design prerequisites that ensure this technology is effective. Different composite architectures and installation methods are compared. The process of selecting a repair technique based on effectiveness, safety, response and economics are outlined. Supplemental information is provided that gives detail on how to use composite repairs as a means of calibrating and qualifying future In-Line-Inspections with Magnetic Flux Leakage inspection tools.