Conventional pipeline corrosion assessment methods result in failure pressure predictions that are conservative, especially for pipelines that are subjected to internal pressure and axial compressive stress. Alternatively, numerical methods may be used. However, they are computationally expensive. This paper proposes an analytical equation based on finite element analysis (FEA) for the failure pressure prediction of a high toughness corroded pipeline with a single corrosion defect subjected to internal pressure and axial compressive stress. The equation was developed based on the weights and biases of an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model trained with failure pressure from finite element analysis (FEA) of a high toughness pipeline for various defect depths, defect lengths, and axial compressive stresses. The proposed model was validated against actual burst test results for high toughness materials and was found to be capable of making accurate predictions with a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.99. An extensive parametric study using the proposed model was subsequently conducted to determine the effects of defect length, defect depth, and axial compressive stress on the failure pressure of a corroded pipe with a single defect. The application of ANN together with FEA has shown promising results in the development of an empirical solution for the failure pressure prediction of pipes with a single corrosion defect subjected to internal pressure and axial compressive stress.

This paper discusses the capabilities of artificial neural networks (ANNs) when integrated with the finite element method (FEM) and utilized as prediction tools to predict the failure pressure of corroded pipelines. The use of conventional residual strength assessment methods has proven to produce predictions that are conservative, and this, in turn, costs companies by leading to premature maintenance and replacement. ANNs and FEM have proven to be strong failure pressure prediction tools, and they are being utilized to replace the time-consuming methods and conventional codes. FEM is widely used to evaluate the structural integrity of corroded pipelines, and the integration of ANNs into this process greatly reduces the time taken to obtain accurate results.

Due to their exceptional structural integrity, steel pipelines are the main component for oil and gas transmission. However, these pipelines are often affected by corrosion, despite corrosion protection, because of harsh working conditions. In addition to corrosion defects, pipelines are often subjected to multiple external loads. The combination of corrosion defects and external loads can significantly reduce the failure pressure, resulting in various failure behaviors. This reduction in failure pressure is especially critical in pipe bends as they are the weakest link in a pipeline. This paper presents an overview of the failure behavior of corroded steel pipe components subjected to internal pressure and axial compressive stress.

Conventional pipeline corrosion assessment methods produce conservative failure pressure predictions for pipes under the influence of both internal pressure and longitudinal compressive stress. Numerical approaches, on the other hand, are computationally expensive. This work provides an assessment method (empirical) for the failure pressure prediction of a high toughness corroded pipe subjected to combined loading, which is currently unavailable in the industry. Additionally, a correlation between the corrosion defect geometry, as well as longitudinal compressive stress and the failure pressure of a pipe based on the developed method, is established. An artificial neural network (ANN) trained with failure pressure from FEA of an API 5L X80 pipe for varied defect spacings, depths, defect lengths, and longitudinal compressive loads were used to develop the equation. With a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.99, the proposed model was proven to be capable of producing accurate predictions when tested against arbitrary finite element models. The effects of defect spacing, length, and depth, and longitudinal compressive stress on the failure pressure of a corroded pipe with circumferentially interacting defects, were then investigated using the suggested model in a parametric analysis.

Conventional pipeline failure pressure assessment codes do not allow for failure pressure prediction of interacting defects subjected to combined loadings. Alternatively, numerical approaches may be used; however, they are computationally expensive. In this work, an analytical equation based on finite element analysis for the failure pressure prediction of API 5L X52, X65, and X80 corroded pipes with a longitudinal interacting corrosion defect subjected to combined loadings is proposed. An artificial neural network (ANN) trained with failure pressure obtained from finite element analysis (FEA) of API 5L X52, X65, and X80 pipes for varied defect spacings, depths and lengths, and axial compressive stress were used to develop the equation. Subsequently, a parametric study on the effects of the defect spacing, length, and depth, and axial compressive stress on the failure pressure of a corroded pipe with longitudinal interacting defects was performed to demonstrate a correlation between defect geometries and failure pressure of API 5L X52, X65, and X80 pipes, using the equation. The new equation predicted failure pressures for these pipe grades with a coefficient of determination (R²) value of 0.9930 and an error range of −10.00% to 1.22% for normalized defect spacings of 0.00 to 3.00, normalized effective defect lengths of 0.00 to 2.95, normalized effective defect depths of 0.00 to 0.80, and normalized axial compressive stress of 0.00 to 0.80.

Numerical methods such as finite element analysis (FEA) can accurately predict remaining strength, with strong correlation with actual burst tests. However, parametric studies with FEA are time and computationally intensive. Alternatively, an artificial neural network-based equation can be used. In this work, an equation for predicting the remaining strength of mid-to-high strength pipelines (API 5L X52, X65, and X80) with a single corrosion defect subjected to combined loadings of internal pressure and longitudinal compressive stress was derived from an ANN model trained based on FEA results. For FEA, the pipe was assumed to be isotropic and homogenous, and the effects of temperature on the pipe failure pressure were not considered. The error of remaining strength predictions, based on the equation, ranged from −6.33% to 2.39% when compared to an unseen FEA dataset, with a correlation value (R²) of 0.9975. A parametric study was subsequently performed using the equation to determine the effects of material property, defect depth, defect length, and longitudinal compressive stress on the remaining strength of pipelines with a single corrosion defect. Defect depth reduced the failure pressure by more than 65% on average, longitudinal compressive stress by more than 20% on average, and defect length by more than 21% on average.