Next decades of the new millennium will be powered by natural gas. New giant gas fields have been discovered in remote regions and are currently planned to be exploited. In this context, new materials, advanced design tools, efficient construction equipments and monitoring technologies for long distance gas transmission pipelines are needed for cost effective and safe solutions as well. CSM is historically one the leading worldwide R&D center in this respect by carrying out advanced analysis and testing reproducing the most severe environmental and service conditions the structure can experience during its life. In particular last June CSM has successfully carried out in its full scale test station of Perdasdefogu (Sardinia, Italy) a ductile fracture propagation full scale burst test on X100 grade steel gas pipes within the framework of the ENI TAP project (Trasporto Alta Pressione)-(High Pressure Transportation).  TAP is a 4 years project in which CSM assisted ENI group in testing the reliability of high pressure gas pipelines by integrating laboratory and full scale experimental testing program, particularly performing the realization, simulated operation and final burst testing of a X100 pilot section in the CSM full scale test station of Perdasdefogu. TAP full scale burst test executed last June exhibited a number of uniqueness since:

• It was the longer test section ever tested (more than 130 m);
• It was the first burst test ever done on coated pipes;
• It was the first burst test ever done on aged pipes 

Test was witnessed by a large delegation formed by experts coming from all over the world and representing pipe producers, designer, R&D centers and gas companies.

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