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Mechanical stress and corrosive environments can interact to weaken pipeline steel and contribute to cracking or failure. These problems can linger and, if they aren’t detected and resolved, may contribute to a leak that, under certain conditions, can result in an explosion.
Don’t wait to get legal help if you’ve been injured in a blast that may have occurred due to metal fatigue and pipeline corrosion. Speak with a pipeline explosion lawyer, and they can advise you on what to do if you want to file a claim or lawsuit against any liable parties.
Moisture, salts, and other corrosive substances can create small surface pits on a pipeline’s wall. The pits can focus mechanical strain on tiny localized areas, resulting in cracks. Over time, internal pressure fluctuations, ground vibrations, or thermal expansion can pull and push on the pipeline’s metal. This can cause small cracks to spread rapidly from the pits until the pipeline fails.
An explosion injury attorney can review your case and look at whether metal fatigue, pipeline corrosion, or other factors played a role in your pipeline blast. Regardless of why the explosion happened, they want you to secure compensation from anyone liable for the incident.
Changes in pipeline operating pressure can contribute to cyclic stresses that may cause fatigue damage across an extended period. Environmental conditions, including moisture and other corrosive substances, can contribute to corrosion and metal loss. In some circumstances, cyclic stresses and a corrosive environment can interact and contribute to corrosion fatigue.
Groundwater and chemical exposure can lead to corrosion and metal loss. Soil movement can place additional mechanical stress on a pipeline and potentially cause cracking or failure.
Outside of these things, extensive or closely spaced areas of corrosion can reduce the remaining wall thickness and structural strength of a pipeline.
Applying external coatings can block moisture and chemicals from reaching a pipeline’s metal. Furthermore, internal linings or chemical corrosion inhibitors can be used to help guard against internal corrosion.
Maintaining operating pressures and cyclic mechanical loads within applicable design and operating limits can help reduce fatigue-related damage and crack growth.
Regular inspection can increase the likelihood of finding early-stage cracks or wall thinning. Inline inspection tools and ultrasonic testing may be used to identify these and other issues before they can potentially cause leaks and explosions.
As a pipeline worker, at the first sign of metal fatigue or pipeline corrosion, notify your supervisor immediately. Document the problem and continue to track its progress until it is fully resolved.
If you are injured at work in a pipeline explosion that may be related to metal fatigue or pipeline corrosion, seek legal help. Allow a pipeline explosion lawyer to assess your case. Your attorney can analyze your injury-related losses and who may be liable. From here, they may help you proceed with a claim or lawsuit.