The study of composite wet wrap application with the integrated structural health monitoring approach

In the composite based pipeline repair, the performance of the wet wrap application has been reported to have lesser performance than the full cure application. The ratio of resin to glass, degree of resin saturation, alignment of the glass and consistency of tension in the repair that is difficult to control are among the main reasons. This paper presents the development of an integrated structural health monitoring approach that could provide a complete methodology to assess the integrity of the repaired pipeline systems. This approach is required since it can increase the confidence level among pipeline operators or manufacturers that have chosen or offered the composite repair using wet wrap application solution instead of full cure application. To fulfil this aim, efforts included the simulation of a fibre glass composite repair system using finite element analysis (ABAQUS) software, design and fabrication of the pressure and temperature test rig, installation of fibre glass composite material with electrical strain gauges, and data acquisition (Labview and Compact Rio system). The bonding integrity via numerical stress and strain distribution study was further validated experimentally. The experimental pressure test results showed some good agreement, especially in the hoop load transfer. With a proper adherence to the standards and guidelines, there is no doubt about the performance of wet wrap application. The introduction of integrating the composite wet wrap application with the sensors in the future is considered to be one of the reliable structural health monitoring solutions that benefits the composite based pipeline repair industry.