Development and assessment of a carbon fibre reinforced composite repair system

In 2011, PETRONAS commercialised a new composite repair system referred to as PipeAssure™, which is a glass fibre reinforced epoxy prepreg system for the repair and corrosion protection of steel infrastructure that can be applied in and out of water. This paper reports on further advancements of the PipeAssure™ system through the development of a carbon fibre reinforced version. The carbon reinforced system has been assessed through tensile and lap joint mechanical testing and hydrostatic testing of overwrap repaired pipe articles. Comparisons made with the glass fibre version reveal an increase in strength and modulus by up to 190% which allows for smaller repairs to be used and therefore allowing for significant cost savings due to a reduction in repair installation time and effort.