Fitness for Service and Engineering Critical Assessment of pipelines and structures

FFS/ECA course based on the latest DNV code revisions and software development

About this course

This course focuses on the practical application of FFS and ECA particularly for pipelines and structures. While BS7910 and API579 are essentially stress based codes, the course covers strain-based analyses of pipelines with girth weld flaws and provides an overview of different methods and software tools for analyzing the tensile strain capacity of pipelines subject to high strain. The course includes a brief introduction of finite element analysis (FEA) to determine the stress and strain input to the analysis and covers advanced flaw modelling and J-integral analysis to derive the crack driving force.

The course will cover the theoretical background for elastic and elastic-plastic fracture mechanics and the fracture assessment diagram (FAD) methods, fatigue crack growth and tearing analysis. The course will also provide insight into the practical aspects of elastic-plastic fracture toughness (CTOD, J-integral) testing of weldings and the requirements to non- destructive testing for flaw sizing and development of alternative flaw acceptance criteria for pipeline installation. The first three days (Days 1-3) of the course cover applications involving high strain due to lateral buckling, reeling installation and high temperatures in clad pipelines as well as the effect of fatigue loading due to vortex induced vibration (VIV) associated with free spans. The fourth day (Day 4) of the course, which is optional, covers an introduction of finite element modelling, definition of  boundary conditions and material models and finite element-based fracture mechanics analysis to generate stress/strain input to general design and ECA/FFS assessments.

Learning objectives

You will gain confidence in performing Option 1 and 2 analyses according to BS 7910: 2019 and will also be introduced to Option 3, which uses numerical analysis to generate a FAD and ductile tearing assessments. You will also become familiar with strain-based analyses based on DNV-RP-F108: 2019 and alternative methods.

Target group

The course is aimed at welding, inspection, structural, mechanical, construction, design and maintenance engineers who require more knowledge of the application of FFS assessment methods for structures, piping/pipelines and pressure vessels.

About the trainers

Jens P. Tronskar Dr. Jens P. Tronskar M.Sc., PhD, CEng, IWE, FWeldI, FSWS
Senior Vice President & Chief Technology Officer
Materials and Testing
Dr. Jens P. Tronskar M.Sc., PhD, CEng, IWE, FWeldI, FSWS obtained his M.Sc. degree in Materials’ Physics and Physical Metallurgy from the Technical University of Norway (NTH) in 1980 and was conferred Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Applied Fracture Mechanics by the National University (NUS) of Singapore in 2002.
Dr. Tronskar is a certified International Welding Engineer (IWE), and a UK‐Engineering Council Charted Engineer (C.Eng.). He was elected Fellow of Singapore Welding Society (FSWS) in 2015 and Fellow of The Welding Institute in Cambridge, UK in 2018. Presently he is Chief Technology Officer for DNV’s Energy Systems in Singapore. He has more than 40 years of experience of materials technology research, failure investigations and deterministic/ probabilistic fracture mechanics analyses/Fitness‐For‐Service analyses of structural, piping/process components and pipelines for the offshore and onshore oil & gas industry.
Dr. Tronskar has been involved in materials evaluation and testing for many North Sea field development projects since the early 80s and has presented papers at international conferences in Europe, America, South America, Australia, Asia and North Africa. He has published more than 75 journal articles and peer reviewed conference papers on materials technology, welding and deterministic and probabilistic fracture mechanics analyses.
Yang, Zhengmao Dr Yang, Zhengmao
Principal Engineer
Materials Advisory

Dr. Yang, Zhengmao, PhD, received his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in structural Engineering from the School of Civil and Environment Engineering (CEE), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in 2005. Prior to his PhD degree, he received Bachelor (B.E.) degree in engineering mechanics from Tong Ji university in 1991, and Master (M.E.) degree in structural engineering from Huazhong university of science and technology in 2002.
He worked as research fellow at Maritime Research Center in NTU for two years after receiving his PhD, in area of fatigue and fracture assessment of tubular joints for offshore structures. He has 8 years of experience in structural design, 7 years of experience in offshore pipeline design, and installation analysis, and 12 years of experience in fracture and fatigue assessment of offshore structures and subsea pipelines.
Dr. Yang has published his research contributions in more than ten (10) articles in peer‐reviewed journals on structural integrity assessments, structural reliability analysis, numerical modelling, etc. and presented in more than twenty (20) international conferences in Asia, Europe, Australia, and the United States.

 

About this course

This course focuses on the practical application of FFS and ECA particularly for pipelines and structures. While BS7910 and API579 are essentially stress based codes, the course covers strain-based analyses of pipelines with girth weld flaws and provides an overview of different methods and software tools for analyzing the tensile strain capacity of pipelines subject to high strain. The course includes a brief introduction of finite element analysis (FEA) to determine the stress and strain input to the analysis and covers advanced flaw modelling and J-integral analysis to derive the crack driving force.

The course will cover the theoretical background for elastic and elastic-plastic fracture mechanics and the fracture assessment diagram (FAD) methods, fatigue crack growth and tearing analysis. The course will also provide insight into the practical aspects of elastic-plastic fracture toughness (CTOD, J-integral) testing of weldings and the requirements to non- destructive testing for flaw sizing and development of alternative flaw acceptance criteria for pipeline installation. The first three days (Days 1-3) of the course cover applications involving high strain due to lateral buckling, reeling installation and high temperatures in clad pipelines as well as the effect of fatigue loading due to vortex induced vibration (VIV) associated with free spans. The fourth day (Day 4) of the course, which is optional, covers an introduction of finite element modelling, definition of  boundary conditions and material models and finite element-based fracture mechanics analysis to generate stress/strain input to general design and ECA/FFS assessments.

Learning objectives

You will gain confidence in performing Option 1 and 2 analyses according to BS 7910: 2019 and will also be introduced to Option 3, which uses numerical analysis to generate a FAD and ductile tearing assessments. You will also become familiar with strain-based analyses based on DNV-RP-F108: 2019 and alternative methods.

Target group

The course is aimed at welding, inspection, structural, mechanical, construction, design and maintenance engineers who require more knowledge of the application of FFS assessment methods for structures, piping/pipelines and pressure vessels.

About the trainers

Jens P. Tronskar Dr. Jens P. Tronskar M.Sc., PhD, CEng, IWE, FWeldI, FSWS
Senior Vice President & Chief Technology Officer
Materials and Testing
Dr. Jens P. Tronskar M.Sc., PhD, CEng, IWE, FWeldI, FSWS obtained his M.Sc. degree in Materials’ Physics and Physical Metallurgy from the Technical University of Norway (NTH) in 1980 and was conferred Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Applied Fracture Mechanics by the National University (NUS) of Singapore in 2002.
Dr. Tronskar is a certified International Welding Engineer (IWE), and a UK‐Engineering Council Charted Engineer (C.Eng.). He was elected Fellow of Singapore Welding Society (FSWS) in 2015 and Fellow of The Welding Institute in Cambridge, UK in 2018. Presently he is Chief Technology Officer for DNV’s Energy Systems in Singapore. He has more than 40 years of experience of materials technology research, failure investigations and deterministic/ probabilistic fracture mechanics analyses/Fitness‐For‐Service analyses of structural, piping/process components and pipelines for the offshore and onshore oil & gas industry.
Dr. Tronskar has been involved in materials evaluation and testing for many North Sea field development projects since the early 80s and has presented papers at international conferences in Europe, America, South America, Australia, Asia and North Africa. He has published more than 75 journal articles and peer reviewed conference papers on materials technology, welding and deterministic and probabilistic fracture mechanics analyses.
Yang, Zhengmao Dr Yang, Zhengmao
Principal Engineer
Materials Advisory

Dr. Yang, Zhengmao, PhD, received his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in structural Engineering from the School of Civil and Environment Engineering (CEE), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in 2005. Prior to his PhD degree, he received Bachelor (B.E.) degree in engineering mechanics from Tong Ji university in 1991, and Master (M.E.) degree in structural engineering from Huazhong university of science and technology in 2002.
He worked as research fellow at Maritime Research Center in NTU for two years after receiving his PhD, in area of fatigue and fracture assessment of tubular joints for offshore structures. He has 8 years of experience in structural design, 7 years of experience in offshore pipeline design, and installation analysis, and 12 years of experience in fracture and fatigue assessment of offshore structures and subsea pipelines.
Dr. Yang has published his research contributions in more than ten (10) articles in peer‐reviewed journals on structural integrity assessments, structural reliability analysis, numerical modelling, etc. and presented in more than twenty (20) international conferences in Asia, Europe, Australia, and the United States.