Field Pipe Coating

Called "over-the-ditch", field pipe coatings are applied by mechanized "line travel" machines, mobile units which run along
the length of a bare welded pipeline. Likewise, these procedures can be performed manually. The equipment generally cleans the pipe surface, removing rust and mill scale prior to applying a primer
and then applying an external protective coating.

Over the ditch coating systems include:

  • Cold Tape
  • Hot Enamel — a line travel only.

wrapping of cold applied tape

Due to their high practicality, cold applied tapes are used for long in–ground new pipeline construction and pipeline rehabilitation. This technology has been used for over 30 years.

In comparison with then existing pipeline protection methods of the asphalt–bitumen family and mastics, the cold applied tapes have provided and still provide:

  • exceptional physical and mechanical properties,
  • a high level of corrosion protection,
  • practicality and ease of application,
  • significant decrease in risk to the health of the personnel
    and the environment,
  • compliance with pipeline coating specifications for adhesion,
    soil stress, cathodic disbondment and electrical properties,
  • proven performance and sound long term service history.

wrapping of cold applied tape

The Cold Applied PE Tape system consists of

  • a primer, which creates a uniformly smooth contact surface,
  • the actual anticorrosive layer,
  • the mechanical protection outer layer.

When necessary, the PE tape coating system can be complemented with special tapes for protection of pipe fittings, bends and T's, girth weld coatings, and coating repair.

rehabilitation of damaged coating
using cold applied tape

In addition to the standard polyethylene tape systems, with operating temperatures up to 60oC, there is a full range of other tapes available as well:

  • high shear resistance tapes — used at up to 95oC or on large diameter pipes,
  • high–temperature tapes — operating temperatures up to 121oC,
  • PE tape systems with a full range of products to meet the pipeline requirements (temperature, shear–soil stress, diameter, terrain).

 

Presently, due to the predominance of plant coating, which surpasses field pipe coatings in many ways, the focus in using cold applied tapes has shifted towards pipeline rehabilitation.

 

one more rehabilitation application