Exponent's Alex Hudgins, Chelsea Liu, and Brad James have published a paper titled 'Failure Analysis of a Ruptured Pipeline,' describing their analysis of a 2013 natural gas pipeline failure in Nebraska. Pipelines, while generally safe, can cause significant damage when failures occur, making root cause determination crucial.
The authors' analysis involved visual inspection, nondestructive laser scanning, fractographic and metallographic examination, mechanical testing, and chemical analysis. They concluded that the pipe fractured due to hydrogen stress cracking (HSC), which occurs in high-hardness steels in corrosive environments and high-stress states.
A key factor identified in the failure was a 'hard spot,' a small region of steel significantly harder than the surrounding material, creating an area susceptible to environmental progressive cracking. This work highlights Exponent's core expertise in forensic engineering and materials science, providing critical insights for preventing future pipeline failures in the energy sector.
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