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1 Copyright 2011 by ASME

Proceedings of the ASME 2011 30th International Conference on Ocean, Offshore and Arctic Engineering
OMAE2011
June 19-24, 2011, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
OMAE2011-50184
INTEGRAL BUCKLE ARRESTORS FOR DEEPWATER RIGID PIPELINES
INSTALLED BY REELING METHOD


Dr. T. Sriskandarajah
Subsea7 Ltd., Quadrant House,
Sutton, Surrey, UK
Venu Rao
Subsea7 Ltd., Quadrant House,
Sutton, Surrey, UK
Soheil Manouchehri
Subsea7 Ltd., Quadrant House,
Sutton, Surrey, UK



ABSTRACT
Prevention and arresting buckle propagation under high
external hydrostatic pressure is a necessity for the deepwater
rigid pipelines during installation and operation. The local
compromise in geometric integrity will propagate at a high
velocity, flattening the pipeline until it encounters a physical
barrier that arrests the buckle. Traditionally, external clamp-on
type buckle arrestors are considered by the pipeline designers
for rigid pipelines that are installed by reeling method. Integral
Buckle Arrestors (IBAs) could provide a more reliable method
of arresting the propagating buckle during installation and
subsequent design life. However, design and installation of
integral buckle arrestors for rigid reeled pipeline installation
would be a challenge.
IBA is fabricated from a thick walled pipe section with the
same inner / outer diameter as that of pipeline and wall
thickness transition to match the thickness of the pipe towards
the ends. For the reeled pipelines, additional cost economies
will be achieved by the use of IBAs which allow continuous
installation by reel lay vessel without interruptions.
This paper gives background information, design and
installation considerations and practical issues in the fabrication
of IBAs. Recent Subsea7 experiences in design and installation
of IBAs will be also addressed in this paper.
This paper does not cover the aspects to be taken into
consideration, if the buckle arrestor is also serving dual purpose
as a J-lay support collar.

INTRODUCTION
Line pipe geometrical deviation from a perfect circular
cross-section is expressed as initial ovality or out of roundness
(OOR). Coupled with material nonlinearity, under the pressure
loading, the buckling mode in the form of uniform ovalisation
of the cross section is excited. The combined effect of bending
and membrane stresses plasticize the material at the four most
deformed locations on the cross section soon after reaching
bifurcation point (the so-called four-hinge mechanism). On
attainment of maximum local pressure, the radial deformation
changes from global ovalisation to localized ovalisation and
this local maximum pressure is considered as the Collapse
Pressure of the pipe (P
CO
) which is imperfection sensitive.
For deepwater applications, the pipelines with relatively low
outside diameter to wall thickness (D/t) ratio, at pressure P
C
, the
geometrically perfect pipe bifurcates into uniform ovality
buckling mode. As the pressure increases from P
C
to a
maximum value P
CO
, the local collapse mode occurs [8].
Figure 1 shows the results for an X52 pipeline with D/t ratio of
20, subjected to external overpressure as an example.
Local collapse can also occur in zones of the pipeline that
are weakened by denting due to impact of an anchor or a
dropped object from a vessel particularly during installation
when the pipeline is in empty condition. Local collapse can
initiate a more global instability where driven by the external
pressure as collapse propagates along the pipeline at a high
velocity. This phenomenon is known as a propagation buckle
and the lowest pressure that can sustain such a buckle in
propagation is propagation pressure, P
P
. It is to be noted that
the propagation pressure is only a small fraction of the collapse
pressure (P
P
~ 0.15-0.25 P
CO
) [1, 8].
The collapse can only stop, if it encounters a physical
obstacle that resists the flattening mode such as thick walled
buckle arrestors that locally stiffen the pipe or when the buckle
reaches a water depth in which the external pressure is low
enough so that propagation pressure cannot be sustained.
Increasing the pipe wall thickness to preclude the buckle
propagation is uneconomical, as the propagation pressure is so
small compared to the collapse pressure. Thus, the pipelines in
deepwater applications are protected against catastrophic
propagation buckle by the provision of buckle arrestors at a
discreet spacing of several hundred meters (typically one stalk
length in reeled pipelines) so that in the unlikely event of a
propagating buckle, collapse is limited to the length of pipe
between the two consecutive buckle arrestors.
2 Copyright 2011 by ASME


Figure 1. Nonlinear pressure-displacement response of a
pipe under external pressure (normalized axes) [8]

The instability in the pipelines and initiation and propagation of
buckles can be attributed to geometric imperfections, material
non-linearity in the pipelines. The bifurcation mode does not
materialize in the presence of small imperfections. Instead,
bifurcation buckling mode is excited as the load approach a
critical value. The effect of inelastic material is illustrated in
Figure 1 for a thin pipe (D/t=40, X52 grade of steel and
Ramberg-Osgood hardening parameters n=13) with
monotonically increasing stress-strain response. The pressure
(P) vs. maximum radial deflection (w
max
) response of the
perfect geometry bifurcates at pressure P
C
that is low enough
for the material to still be linearly elastic. The buckling mode in
the form of uniform ovalisation grows with little additional
pressure for elastic material (dashed line). By contrast when
elastic-plastic material behavior (solid line) is considered, the
combined effect of bending and membrane stresses plasticize
the material at four most deformed locations causing a localized
ovalisation. The local pressure maximum designated as the
collapse pressure of the pipe (P
CO
) is the pressure at which the
deformation switches from uniform ovalisation to localized
ovalisation [8]. Design of buckle arrestors based on the
formulations currently used by the pipeline engineers are given
below.

DESIGN OF BUCKLE ARRESTORS
The strength of buckle arrestor to prevent buckle
propagation is identified by crossover pressure, P
x
, which is the
minimum external pressure that can force a collapsed section of
pipe to crossover the arrestor and begin collapsing the pipe on
the other side of the buckle arrestor. The crossover pressure is a
function of [7]:


Geometrical characteristics of the pipeline (thickness and
outside diameter)
Geometrical characteristics of the buckle arrestors
(thickness, length and outside diameter)
Mechanical characteristics of both pipeline and buckle
arrestors (yield strength, ultimate strength)

The buckle arrestor efficiency [4, 6, 7] is defined as
(equation 1):

( )
( )
P CO
P x
P P
P P

= (1)

Equation 1 can be rewritten as (equation 2):

P P CO x
P P P P + = ) ( (2)

A lower bound value for buckle crossover pressure, P
x
is
the propagation pressure of pipe, P
P,
itself, whereas the upper
bound value equals the pipe collapse pressure, P
CO
. For thick
walled IBAs, the lower bound value for buckle crossover
should be satisfied.
There are several approaches for buckle arrestor design
based on buckle arrestor efficiency and crossover pressure. A
detailed comparison of these approaches is given in [7].
However, they are referred to here as follows.

Langner approach [4]: The arrestor efficiency as defined in
equation 1 is used together with the following relationships
(equations 3 to 6):

4 . 2
. . 24 |

\
|
=
D
t
P
o P
(3)

4 . 2
, ,
. . 24 |

\
|
=
D
t
P
BA
BA o BA P
(4)

2 2
.
E Y
E Y
CO
P P
P P
P
+
= (5)

3
2
1
. 2
; . . 2
|

\
|

= =
D
t E
P
D
t
P
E o Y

(6)

The arrestor efficiency is defined by the following three
relationships (equations 7 to 9):

3 Copyright 2011 by ASME
k for
k for
k


1
0
(7)

where
2 8
2 5 . 0 5
=
=
BA
BA
BA
BA
t
L
for k
t
L
for k
(8)

P
BA P BA
P D
P L
.
.
,
= (9)

For design purposes, Langner assumes that the formula of
the arrestor efficiency can be used to size the arrestor thickness
as follows (equation 10) assuming the
x
=1.35, where P
ext
is the
maximum hydrostatic external pressure:

x
x
ext
P
P

(10)

Kyriakides approach (2004) [5, 6]: Kyriakides and his
colleagues have carried out an extensive study on the buckle
propagation phenomenon and different types of buckle arrestors
over many years and recommended the following approach.
The buckle propagation pressure, P
P
is calculated using
empirical power law (equation 11) where A and are
empirically driven values:

\
|
=
D
t
A P
o P
. . (11)

Kyrikides [5] also introduces the so-called confined
initiation pressure, P
IC
, and confined propagation pressure,
P
PC
, that are calculated in a similar format to equation 11, but
with different A and values. These are pressures at which the
pipe folds up into U-mode shape and considered to be the
upper and lower bounds, respectively, for crossover pressure of
a long, stiff buckle arrestor. Hence, the arrestor efficiency will
be defined on that basis as (equation 12):

P CO
P PC
PC
P CO
P IC
IC
P P
P P
P P
P P

(12)

The buckle arrestor length and thickness are then
calculated considering the empirical equation below (equation
13), ensuring that
PC
>, where A
1
is an empirically driven
value:
) 1 (
) .( ) .( ) .( ) .(
1 . 2 98 . 0 75 . 0 8 . 0
,
1

=
P
CO
BA BA
BA o
o
P
P
t
t
t
L
D
t
A

(13)

DNV-OS-F101 (2007) approach [12]: DNV has adopted
the results of the thorough study carried out in [7] and considers
a flexible safety target through safety classes. It specifies the
design of integral buckle arrestors as follows (equation 14), by
considering suitable buckle arrestor length and thickness on
case by case basis:

(

+ =
<
|

\
|
=
2
2
,
5 . 2
2
.
. 20 exp( 1 ). (
. . 1 . 1
. . . 35
D
L t
P P P P
P
P
D
t
P
BA
P BA P P x
SC m
x
ext
fab o P


(14)

TYPE OF BUCKLE ARRESTORS
Buckle arrestor is the name given to any device which
locally reinforces the pipe and prevents the buckle from
propagating any further. The following types of buckle arrestors
are considered to be suitable for pipeline installation by J-lay
and S-lay or reel lay methods.

Integral Collar Buckle Arrestors: This type of buckle
arrestor is made by machining of a very thick forged piece of
steel and mainly used in J-lay method of installation. In J-lay,
the riser / pipeline stalks of up to six joints (hex joint) are pre
fabricated and one end of this section are provided by an
integral collar. The collar gives a position to grip the pipe when
supported vertically in the vessels laying tower. Thus, the hex
joint is held in the tower by a clamp that grips the integral
collar and the other end of the joint is welded onto the pipeline
and lowered down into the water (see Figure 2).
The collar system enables a greater length of pipe to be
supported by the vessel laying system and longer pipe to be
welded, which then enables pipe to be laid to greater depths.
The J-lay collar also acts as a buckle arrestor limiting the
buckle propagation from hydrostatic collapse to the length of a
hex joint.
The J-lay collar or sleeve type buckle arrestor should be
checked for stress / strain concentration that may be caused on
the adjacent pipe when the pipe is bent in the sagbend during
installation.


Figure 2. Example of integral collar buckle arrestor used
in J-lay method of installation

Slip-on Buckle Arrestor: Slip-on buckle arrestor are pre
installed tight fitting rings slipped over the pipe and generally
are not suitable for reel lay method as they
the reel lay pipelay spread whilst passing the tensioners.

(a)
(b)
Figure 3. (a) flattening mode and (b) the
on buckle arrestor [5]

For slip-on arrestors, the arresting efficiency of 1.0 is not
always achievable as there exist a pipe D/t ratio range in which
buckles penetrate the arrestors at pressures lower than collapse
pressure (but higher than the propagation pressure)
of how long or stiff the arrestor is made [5]
fold up and penetrates the arrestor in flattening
(see Figure 3). Slip-on buckle arrestors should be fabricated
and put in place onshore.

4

Example of integral collar buckle arrestor used
lay method of installation
on buckle arrestor are pre
slipped over the pipe and generally
are not suitable for reel lay method as they may interfere with
whilst passing the tensioners.


and (b) the U-modes of slip-

on arrestors, the arresting efficiency of 1.0 is not
a pipe D/t ratio range in which
buckles penetrate the arrestors at pressures lower than collapse
(but higher than the propagation pressure) irrespective
[5]. The buckle can
flattening or U modes
on buckle arrestors should be fabricated
External Clamp-on Buckle Arrestor
buckle arrestors, clamp-on buckle arrestors are tight fitting
clamps (two half shells) with flanges stiffened and equally
spaced stiffeners bolted under high tension to withstand
propagation pressure and installation loads (
There is also a neoprene type material layer which is applied to
the internal surface of the clamps and ensures tight fit over the
external surface of the pipe.
resistance to collapse by providing additional circumferentia
rigidity and thus impede downstream propagation collapse.
Clamp-on buckle arrestors are preferred by some Operators as
it maintains the pipe flow diameter
and will be installed offshore as the pipe leaves the pipelaying
vessel. Their performance
during installation phase,
generally lower than IBAs, considering the
see below. The clamp-on buckle arrestors requires frequent
stopover during installation campaign (i.e. more offshore time).
However, as an advantage, they do not require
machining or any specific welding qualifications


Figure 4. Example of external

It is to be reiterated that although
and the clamp-on buckle arrestors do not require welding and
are easier to install, however,
arresting efficiency. To improve the efficiency
between the pipe and arrestor shall be improved by, for
example, applying grout.

Spiral Buckle Arrestor
comprised of a rod tightly wound around the
number of spaced apart turns, the ends of which are secured
either to the rod itself, to the pipe, or to the rod and pipe
combined to prevent the turns from expanding while an actual
propagating buckle is arrested. In addition, the turns may be
individual and unconnected, with each turn welded to itself, to
the pipe, or itself and the pipe. The rod may be wound on the
outer pipe offshore (Figure 5a to 5c) as it is leaving the vessel
and hit the water, or may be wound on the outer pipe onshore
(see Figure 5d) before it is placed on the pipe


Stiffener
Copyright 2011 by ASME
on Buckle Arrestor: Similar to slip-on
on buckle arrestors are tight fitting
with flanges stiffened and equally
spaced stiffeners bolted under high tension to withstand
propagation pressure and installation loads (see Figure .4).
There is also a neoprene type material layer which is applied to
the internal surface of the clamps and ensures tight fit over the
external surface of the pipe. They locally increase the pipe
resistance to collapse by providing additional circumferential
rigidity and thus impede downstream propagation collapse.
on buckle arrestors are preferred by some Operators as
it maintains the pipe flow diameter constant (inside diameter)
and will be installed offshore as the pipe leaves the pipelaying
Their performance efficiency is comparable to IBAs
during installation phase, but their in-service reliability is
than IBAs, considering the service life of field;
on buckle arrestors requires frequent
installation campaign (i.e. more offshore time).
However, as an advantage, they do not require detailed
welding qualifications / procedures.

xternal clamp-on buckle arrestor
It is to be reiterated that although slip-on buckle arrestors
on buckle arrestors do not require welding and
, however, they cannot reach high levels of
o improve the efficiency, the contact
the pipe and arrestor shall be improved by, for
Spiral Buckle Arrestor: Spiral Buckle Arrestor is
comprised of a rod tightly wound around the pipe to form a
number of spaced apart turns, the ends of which are secured
e rod itself, to the pipe, or to the rod and pipe
combined to prevent the turns from expanding while an actual
propagating buckle is arrested. In addition, the turns may be
individual and unconnected, with each turn welded to itself, to
and the pipe. The rod may be wound on the
outer pipe offshore (Figure 5a to 5c) as it is leaving the vessel
and hit the water, or may be wound on the outer pipe onshore
(see Figure 5d) before it is placed on the pipe-laying vessel. In
Clamp shell
Flange plate
5 Copyright 2011 by ASME
such cases, the insulation coating can be applied on top of the
spiral arrestor.
Its main characteristic is that it can be used in continuous
pipelaying methods (reel lay). Due to its design, it restricts the
stress concentration at the discontinuity when bending is
applied to the pipe. Experiments have shown that its efficiency
is comparable to other arrestors.


Figure 5. Spiral Buckle Arrestor Applied during Offshore
Campaign secured to (a) pipe, (b) spiral itself, (c) both
pipe and spiral simultaneously, and (d) applied onshore
underneath the insulation coating [11]

Integral Buckle Arrestor (IBA): IBA is a thick walled pipe
of sufficient length made of either by forgings or by machining.
The machined sections, carried out in several steps, ensure
smooth transition between the thick section of the buckle
arrestor and to the parent pipe. IBAs can have constant outside
diameter (Figure 6a), which is more common, or constant
inside diameter (Figure 6b). The buckle arrestors with constant
outside diameter are preferable for ease of handling through
tensioners for reel lay installation. The thickness of the thick
walled section should result in propagation pressure of the pipe
joint that, as a minimum, equals the crossover pressure. The
thickness transition from nominal pipe to thick walled section
of IBA can be achieved using counter-boring (machining) of
the inside diameter by either uniform or single transition (more
expensive and not always feasible) or through multiple steps.
As IBAs are welded to the pipeline and form a uniform
section, they can provide high arrestor efficiency compared
with slip-on or clamp-on type buckle arrestors. In addition, due
to their structural integrity, there is no concern with regard to
getting loose or damaged by third party during the design life of
the pipeline as it might be a the case for slip-on or clamp-on
buckle arrestors (e.g. losing the bolt tension or damaged bolt).


(a)

(b)
Figure 6. Schematic of IBAs with (a) uniform inside
diameter, (b) uniform outside diameter

DESIGN CONSIDERATION FOR IBAs
The design considerations for integral buckle arrestor
subject for reeling are similar to the design considerations for
rigid pipelines and transition joints subject to reeling which are
given by the following:

OHTC Performance: The overall heat transfer coefficient
(OHTC or U value) is a function of the selected insulation
materials, their thickness and the thermal conductivity. The
individual insulation coating layer thicknesses along with the
associated thermal conductivity are used to assess the overall
heat transfer coefficients.
As IBAs are thicker than the parent pipeline, there exist
additional localized heat loss and hence it should be ensured
that this localized heat loss will not adversely affect the overall
thermal performance of the pipeline.

6 Copyright 2011 by ASME
Reelability Assessment: The general requirements for the
reelability assessment of the pipelines and its effect on different
limit states are discussed in [10]. In general, the following
criteria are recommended for reelability of pipelines:
The line pipe is procured considering specific clauses
for reeling, namely maximum yield strength of no
greater than SMYS+100 MPa with yield spread of no
greater than 100 MPa, wall thickness tolerance
limitation of 12.5% for seamless pipes, yield over
tensile ration of no greater than 0.89 (or 0.90 as per
[12]), and, strain aged testing of parent pipes to level
experienced by reeling;
Suitable Welding procedure are selected and qualified
ensuring that the weld yield strength overmatches that
of parent pipe;
The parent coating and field joint coating systems are
selected and qualified either by testing and track
record;
An appropriate Engineering Criticality Assessment
(ECA) procedure that includes consideration of the
reeled pipelines in addition to in-situ loading is
undertaken for fatigue sensitive sections.
A higher testing frequency of pipes in the mill to be
undertaken (e.g. 1 in 20) to improve the understanding
of the yield and tensile strengths variation for the
entire line pipe stalks.

INITIAL SIZING OF THE BUCKLE ARRESTOR
Using the approaches and relationships put forward in
pervious sections, and in line with Code and Standard as well
as Clients requirements, the required length and thickness of
an IBA can be calculated. As an example, a number of IBAs
(with uniform outside diameter; see Figure 6b) designed and
installed by Subsea7 in 1800-2000 m water depth are presented
in Table 1.

Outside
Diameter
(mm)
Pipe Wall
Thickness
(mm)
Buckle Arrestor
Wall Thickness
(mm)
323.9 19.1 25.4
219.1 15.9 19.1
219.1 15.9 19.1
168.3 12.7 15.9
Table 1. Example of IBAs installed by Subsea7 (uniform
outside diameter)

Whilst the initial length and thickness are selected, it is
then necessary to design the cross-sectional profile of the IBA,
including the number of steps, slope of the chamfer for the
transition between the nominal pipe wall thickness and IBA
wall thickness. Hence, a series of detailed three dimensional
reeling and straightening analyses needed to be performed
iteratively, by varying a number of parameters using Finite
Element Analysis (FEA) to derive the optimized shape of the
IBA.

REELING SIMULATION USING FINITE ELEMENT
ANALYSIS
During the reeling process, the pipeline is under a
displacement controlled situation when wrapped around the
reel. This implies that the pipe is bent onto a constant curvature,
and that the strain across the cross-section varies linearly from
the bending neutral axis.
If the pipe (and coating) properties remain constant along
the length of the pipe, then the strains would show little
variation along the pipeline. However, at the pipe and IBA
intersection and at the location of wall thickness transitions
within IBA itself, there is a change in the geometry and
moment-curvature characteristics, and therefore the strain
within these section should be increased to resist the applied
bending moment. This increased strain should be limited to a
pre-specified value (strain acceptance criteria) in order to
ensure the integrity of the pipe and IBA during reeling.
In all cases, it has been essential to design a reelable
system which is an important design consideration. Hence, a
series of thorough FEAs is always performed in which different
aspects of design is assessed to ensure its fitness for purpose.
The objective of reeling analysis of IBAs is to design and
optimize the wall thickness variation iteratively with a view to
satisfy strain acceptance criteria and prevent local buckling for
displacement controlled condition. The parameters to be
considered in the reeling analyses are as follows:

Geometric Misalignment: Misalignment refers to the
geometric out of straightness of the centerline or mid plane of
the pipe walls on either side of a weld at IBA as a result of the
manufacturing process for the seamless line pipes. This
misalignment may induce local bending within the pipe wall
during the reeling process as the pipe is subjected to bending
moments which are considered within the FEA. Misalignment
may be caused by one or a combination of the following
effects:
Difference in wall thickness between the pipe joints. Note
that this may vary around the circumference of the joints.
Difference in the diameters / OOR of the two pipe joints;
Centerline mismatch during fit up prior to welding.

To allow for robust design and minimize the effect of
misalignment, the following tolerances were considered for the
design of IBAs shown in Table 1:
Internal Misalignment (hi-lo): IBAs are designed to a
tighter tolerance of 0.5 mm. This parameter is guided by
strain acceptance criteria, achievable fabrication tolerance
and Subsea7 past experience.
External Misalignment (hi-lo): A tolerance of 5% from the
nominal wall thickness of line pipe around the
circumference was considered given the possibility of best
fit-up that can be achieved with pipe matching in
controlled conditions.
7 Copyright 2011 by ASME
End Measurements: Where the end matching (counter-
boring) is not feasible, provision should be made to
measure the outside diameter of the pipe during the
fabrication using laser measurements at least at eight
positions and optimize the pipe fit-up by end matching and
rotating the pipe joints.

Stress-Strain Curves: For the first strain cycle on tensile
side, the material behavior was assumed to follow the as-
received stress-strain behavior in which the material has
distinct elastic behavior up to 0.2% strain followed by Lders
plateau featuring constant stress up to approximately 2% strain
which then followed by work hardening. This behavior is
attributed to crystallization of inter-granular particles within
seamless pipes allowing the diffusion of nitrogen and carbon
components. On the compressive side, the stress-strain behavior
represented by a suitable Ramberg-Osgood relationship was
considered.

Weld and Material Strength Mismatch: The effects of yield
strength mismatch between the pipes on either side of the weld
were considered in the analyses. Variation in the yield strength
can occur both around the circumference and along the length
of the pipe. It is considered that a yield strength difference of
25 MPa between the two consecutive pipes represents a
reasonable value considering the average difference in the yield
strengths and Subsea7 past experience. In addition,
overmatching of the weld material by 15% of the higher yield
strength of the parent material on either side of the joint was
considered.

Strain Acceptance Criterion: The strain acceptance
criterion can be based on internationally known Codes and
Standards or Clients specific requirements considering a
reasonable safety margin (Strain Concentration Factor; SNCF).
The SNCF is defined as the ratio of the maximum average
axial strain as measured over a length of half pipe outside
diameter divided by the nominal strain due to reeling. The
SNCF accounts for mismatch in pipe properties, hi-lo or
eccentricity at the welds. The acceptable SNCF can be
demonstrated by means of detailed FEA, and the value should
satisfy displacement controlled code checks.

Finite Element Analysis of Integral Buckle Arrestor: As
mentioned before, when the design requirement of an IBA was
finalized and the length, thickness, tapered length, tapered steps
and material was identified, a detailed FEA is performed to
ensure that the designed system is fit-for-purpose.
A half symmetrical model was developed with three
elements through the thickness and 72 elements through
circumference using C3D8R elements (first order hexahedral
elements with reduced number of integration points) available
in ABAQUS (see Figure 7).
Quasi static mechanical reeling analyses were performed
with a predetermined back tension in both forward and
backward direction to cover the analysis cases of reeling the
weak pipe preceding strong pipe and strong pipe preceding a
weak pipe. The wall thickness transition was modeled with a
chamfer (tapered step) of 1 in 6. Uniform coating thickness was
included in each model together with geometric and material
mismatches. Several sensitivity analyses were performed on
back tension, internal hi-lo, wall thickness variation, chamfer
size, yield stress variation, coating cut backs, weld overmatch
and weld cap size.


Figure 7. General view of FEA model of the 12-inch IBA
(uniform outside diameter)

The FEAs had shown that the peak strains occur at an
approximate distance of half the nominal pipe diameter from
the weld line on the side of weaker joint (see Figures 8a and
8b). The strains show a significant gradient through the
thickness of the pipe wall and occur over a relatively localized
area and include local effects due to geometric misalignments
and material strength mismatch. From the results of FEA for the
cases shown in Table 1, it was concluded that wall thickness
transitions in the region of 2.0 to 2.5 mm per each step in
multiple steps to match the overall thickness transition from
nominal thickness to required wall thickness for buckle arrestor.
Overall, a step length of 500 mm was considered to satisfy the
strain acceptance criteria for 12-inch pipeline, although a
smaller step length was acceptable for smaller diameter pipes.
It should be noted that from ease of fabrication and counter-
boring the ends, shorter length is preferable for each step.
Chamfer size of 1 in 6 is preferable, if fabrication facility has
the capability for such a precise counter-boring.
The iterative reeling analyses were performed varying the
number of steps required for thick wall section to prevent
buckle propagation, length of section for each wall thickness,
chamfer size, wall thickness variations, yield strength variation,
weld overmatch and weld cap size. The analyses indicated that
for optimum integral buckle arrestor design through machining,
the wall thickness variation at each step should be in the range
of 2.0 to 2.5 mm and length of each step for machining should
be slightly more than nominal diameter. The length of each step
is limited to 500 mm due to the reason that the peak tensile and
compressive strains are limited to a region of half the pipe
nominal diameter from the weld on the weaker joint. It should
be noted that from ease of fabrication and counter-boring, the
8 Copyright 2011 by ASME
shorter length is preferable. Chamfer size of 1:6 is preferable, if
fabrication facility has the capability for such a precise counter-
boring.


(a)

(b)
Figure 8. 12 inch IBA with uniform outside diameter; (a)
longitudinal tensile and compressive strain profiles, (b)
peak strains and allowable levels


FABRICATION ISSUES AND SENSITIVITY ANALYSES
As mentioned earlier, a thick walled pipe / forged piece
should be machined in several steps to make an IBA. It should
be noted that machining of thick walled integral buckle
arrestors should be handled with precision and care. At the end
of machining process, a thorough inspection should be made to
ensure that the strict requirements of design tolerances have
been met. In addition, the welding process has to be performed
with extra care to ensure that the prescribed internal hi-lo value
(limited to 0.5 mm) has been obtained. The weld cap was
ground externally to achieve even surface and reduce strain
levels at critical areas.
During project execution, however, a small number of
integral buckle arrestors were machined with an uneven wall
thicknesses around the circumference as correct centralization
was an issue. These IBAs were qualified by modeling each IBA
considering as-built (machined) dimensions and larger
measured wall thickness at the top of the model (12 oclock
position) and the smaller at the bottom of the pipe (6 oclock
position), conservatively, to maximize peak compressive
strains. The quality checks and inspection methods were
improved to prevent recurrence of the event.

FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF THE
STRAIGHTENING PROCESS
The second aspect of FEA to prove the fitness-for-purpose
of integral buckle arrestors is to ensure that integral buckle
arrestors can be straightened within code specified tolerances
(0.15% of length) without changing the optimized straightener
settings used for the rest of the pipeline. A small under-
straightness or over-straightness of integral buckle arrestor
is acceptable, provided the out of straightness is within that of
allowable limit, thus ensuring a continuous vessel operation
without any interruption and does not affect the pipeline
integrity during installation and operation.


(a)

(b)
Figure 9. (a) Seven Ocean during pipelaying, (b) the FEA
of straightening process



ASSY 18006 - 12" OSTRA C-OIL FLOWLINE - BUCKLE ARRESTOR WITH 60Te BACK TENSION
(Hi-Lo=1mm, As-Built configuration, 25MPa YS Variation) - Section "A" reeled first
-0,0304
-0,0355
-0,0399
-0,0389
-0,0421
-0,0384
-0,0393
-0,0357
-0,0303
-4,5%
-4,0%
-3,5%
-3,0%
-2,5%
-2,0%
-1,5%
-1,0%
-0,5%
0,0%
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000 10000 11000 12000 13000 14000 15000 16000 17000 18000 19000 20000 21000
Distance (mm)
C
o
m
p
r
e
s
s
iv
e
S
t
r
a
in
%
Compressive Strain % - Outer Fibre Compressive Strain % - Inner Fibre Weld Line 1 Weld Line 2 Weld Line 3
Weld Line 4 edab @A WT 20,7mm edab @B WT 23mm edab @CWT 25,9mm edab @DWT 25,2mm
edab @EWT 27,3mm edab @F WT 24,9mm edab @G WT 25,5mm edab @HWT 23,1mm edab @I WT 20,7mm
9 Copyright 2011 by ASME
The straightening analyses of IBAs were performed by
developing a dedicated FEA model which represents the pipe-
lay spread of Seven Oceans, the Subsea7 flag ship reel lay
vessel, see Figure 9.
The nominal pipe sizes were modeled with stress resultant
pipe elements. IBAs with thickness transitions were also
modeled with pipe elements with equivalent varying section
properties. A sufficient length of nominal pipe (approximately
150 m) with IBA has been subjected to complete reeling-on
(spooling onto the reel), reeling-off (spooling off and
transferring the pipe from reel to aligner wheel) and
straightening (passing through straightener tracks) process. The
optimum straightener settings that give OOS of pipe and IBAs
within the acceptable tolerances were determined iteratively.
This analysis demonstrated that the maximum plastic moment
when spooling IBAs is below the maximum allowable plastic
moment capacity of the vessel and the maximum resultant
reactions are within the limits for all hydraulic cylinders
supporting the straighteners and aligner.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Designing the deep water pipelines will require mitigation
against buckle propagation and integral buckle arrestors are one
of the reliable and potentially the preferred choice for pipelines
installed by reeling for the following reasons.
1. The thick walled buckle arrestors being integral with
pipelines will provide arrestor efficiency of 1.0 which is
difficult to achieve with other types of buckle arrestors,
e.g. clamp-on buckle arrestors.
2. The integral nature of these buckle arrestors provide
mitigation against buckle propagation during shutdown
through the design life of the pipeline when the pipelines
are depressurized. The arrestor efficiency at the end of life
will be same as at the start of life as the required wall
thickness to prevent buckle propagation includes corrosion
allowance. This feature removes any operational constraint
for full shut down and emptying the pipe, should such a
requirement arise during design life. The risk of pipeline
damage due to buckle propagation is always limited to a
small section of pipe between buckle arrestors and repair to
any section of pipe can be undertaken with minimum risk.
3. Using IBAs will also eliminate any concern with regard to
the losing the grip of the buckle arrestor with pipeline or
third party damage of the buckle arrestors which might be
the case for clamp-on buckle arrestors (e.g. losing the
tension in bolts or damaged bolts).
4. It is possible to straighten the buckle arrestors with the
same settings used for nominal pipe and same back
tension, thus ensuring uninterrupted and continuous
pipelay without any offshore downtime.

Considering all the aspects mentioned above led to
successful design, fabrication and installation of integral buckle
arrestors for different pipe sizes by Subsea7 around the world,
example of which are integral buckle arrestors with uniform
outside diameter for 6, 8 and 12 inch flowlines in water depths
ranging from 1800 m to 2000 m.


NOMENCLATURE
A empirical factor for buckle propagation pressure
A
1
empirical factor for buckle arrestor efficiency
D outside diameter of pipe
E elastic modulus
k design factor for integral buckle arrestor
L
BA
buckle arrestor length
n material hardening exponent
P pressure
P
C
initial collapse pressure
P
CO
sustained collapse pressure
P
E
elastic collapse pressure
P
ext
external hydrostatic pressure
P
IC
confined initiation pressure
P
P
propagation pressure
P
P,BA
propagation pressure for buckle arrestor
P
PC
confined propagation pressure
P
x
crossover pressure
P
Y
plastic or yield collapse pressure
R outside radius of pipe
t wall thickness of pipe
t
2
wall thickness of pipe considering tolerances
t
BA
wall thickness of buckle arrestor
w
max
maximum radial deflection of pipe

fab
DNV based fabrication factor
exponent for calculating propagation pressure

m
DNV based material strength factor

SC
DNV based safety class factor

x
buckle arrestor design factor taken as 1.35
buckle arrestor efficiency based on P
x

IC
buckle arrestor efficiency based on P
IC

PC
buckle arrestor efficiency based on P
PC

buckle arrestor strength factor
Poisson's ratio

o
yield strength of pipe

o,BA
yield strength of buckle arrestor

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors would like to express their special gratitude to
Subsea7 management for allowing this paper to be published.
10 Copyright 2011 by ASME

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nd
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[10] Manouchehri, S., Howard, B. and Denniel, S., 2008,
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th
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