• one combined loads facility developed to submit “Premium Joints” to:
  
  
  • sealability tests with combined loads (i.e., tension, compression, internal pression, external pression, bending);
  • failure tests.
    
    Apart from the data acquisition Hardware and Software, this equipment taylored to manage Lmax = 2000 mm and fmax = 356mm (14”) specimen, has the following characteristics:
    
    
    • Maximum tension 13 MN applied force;
    • Maximum compression 10 MN applied force;
      
      
    and is furtherly supported by:
    
    
  • two bending systems with two levels of maximum applied load (respectively, 70kN*m e 300kN*m applied torque;
  • one torsion system with a capaciity of maximum 50kN*m;
  • four pressure intensifiers (two for gas and two for liquids) able to exert a 2500 bar maximum pressure;
  • one thermal cycling system designed to check the “Premium Joints” sealability behaviour during thermal cycling coupled with combined tension and internal pressure.
    This equipment can submit the specimen to a temperature variation through a coupled induction coil and forced air/water spray nozzle for a temperature cycling between 250°C and room temperature.
    
• One fatigue equipment set to carry out tests by combining tension and internal pressure loads, with plain bending exerted at low frequency (5 Hz), at a maximum applied torque of 50kN*m.

• external pressure vessels with max pressure of 2000 bar;
• a multiple specimens (up to 6) oven for 2 3/8” to 14” wide items with a maximum operating temperature of 350 °C;
• two single specimen ovens with diameters from 2 3/8” to 10 3/4” and a max temperature of 500 °C.

Here below some of the specification of the equipments is given:

• HYDRAULIC CYLINDERS FATIGUE TESTING
A full-scale fatigue bench rig for commercial pipes used for hydraulic cylinders application, opened at either or both ends. The system permits the tubular products to be administered sinusoidal/triangular fatigue cycles, at an operating pressure up to 700 bar and a frequency up to 10 Hz. Two independently fed test positions running in parallel and cooled by means of dedicated criogenic cell, are available.

• FATIGUE OF GAS STEEL LINEPIPES (INTERNAL PRESSURE CYCLING)
  This bench rig is designed to handle tubes in the lengths between 6 and 8 meters and uses water as the pressurizing medium. The applied load frequency ranges in the interval 0.2 - 0.5 Hz.

• DROP WEIGHT TEAR TEST (DWTT)
  This apparatus permits a fall height able to guarantee an impact energy up to 24,000 Joules at exteremly low temperatures.

• LARGE SCALE FRACTURE MECHANICS (WIDE PLATE TEST AND DEFECTS IN GIRTH WELD)
  This machine has been conceived to be managed in accordance to two different operational modes: the former exerting a tension load, the latter a four-point bending on large OD pipes (up to 36”). It can exercise in both modes a maximum load of 40,000 kN. The specimen can be tested at a temperature of down to -50°C.
  

• WEST-JEFFERSON TEST AT LOW TEMPERATURE (ductile/brittle fracture).
  This is a test station where the full-sized samples can be pressurized by means of a (90:10) mixture of water and air and cooled down to – 50°C .

• FULL SCALE DUCTILE FRACTURE PROPAGATION ONSHORE BURST TEST
  It is a test station where 1 meter depth buried 36”-48”-56” 90-150m long lines may be tested by bursting at pressure of up to 250 bar by adopting gas or air as the pressurizing medium. The test line is fully sensorised.
  

• FULL SCALE DUCTILE FRACTURE PROPAGATION OFFSHORE BURST TEST. This is a mobile test station for handling Offshore test lines 50m long, at 30m water depth. The Test rig maximum pressure is 250 bar obtained by means of a gas/water mixture.

• SIMULATOR OF MECHANICAL DAMAGE IN OIL & GAS LINEPIPES. This is a fully controlled machine that can reproduce small (15 tons) and large size (35 tons) excavator damages.
  It is provided with a triaxial load cell (up to 100 tons of applied load) and a computer controlled impactor trajectory.
  Tests can be carried out on pressurized pipes with an outer diameter ranging from 24” to 52”.