Element extends fracture toughness testing accreditation

Element Materials Technology has extended its fracture toughness testing accreditation at its Aberdeen, UK laboratory, significantly expanding the facility’s pipeline testing capabilities for oil and gas primes.

The BS EN ISO 17025-based UKAS scope of accreditation for Element Aberdeen has been extended for Single-Edge Notched Tensile (SENT) geometry fracture toughness testing and elevated temperature tensile testing. These tests complement the laboratory’s existing fracture toughness and tensile testing capabilities and allow more representative data to be generated for the demanding offshore pipeline installation sector. This data is used as part of an Engineering Critical Assessment (ECA) to derive an alternative weld flaw acceptance criteria to replace traditional workmanship criteria for pipeline girth welds.

Rod Martin, Element’s Executive Vice President, oil and gas, comments: “This extended accreditation reflects the significant investment we have made developing world-class facilities and bringing industry-recognised experts to Element Aberdeen. ECA testing is an area of huge potential growth in the oil and gas sector and we are now one of a select few companies with the capacity to offer such a comprehensive service in multiple laboratories worldwide.”

Element is continuing to expand its oil and gas services worldwide, with a significant recent expansion of its Hitchin, UK laboratory and planned relocations of its Hengelo, NL and Antwerp, BE facilities.

Adapted from press release by Hannah Priestley-Eaton

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/business-news/27112014/element-extends-fracture-toughness-testing-accreditation/