Of all the threats facing a pipeline’s operation, dents have the potential to be the most injurious.
They can be harmful on their own but can be even more injurious if they are adjacent to other features like metal loss, cracks, or other defects. As a result, operators spend a proportional amount of time and money seeking to identify, size, and remediate them to keep their asset operating smoothly, safely, and profitably.
Dent Profile Characterization plays an important role in these dent observation measures because the potential threats that dents present are based on a wide array of factors. Their potential for damage can range from zero all the way to pipeline failure depending on factors including historical cyclic pressure ranges, physical location, whether they’re restrained or unrestrained, and, of course, interacting threats. That’s why NDT Global has made characterizing dents – and their attendant threats – a priority in its service offering.