Recommended Practice for Transportation of Line Pipe on Barges and Marine Vessels

Upstream Segment

API RECOMMENDED PRACTICE 5LW THIRD EDITION, SEPTEMBER 2009

Special Notes

API publications necessarily address problems of a general nature. With respect to particular circumstances, local, state, and federal laws and regulations should be reviewed.

Neither API nor any of API's employees, subcontractors, consultants, committees, or other assignees make any warranty or representation, either express or implied, with respect to the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of the information contained herein, or assume any liability or responsibility for any use, or the results of such use, of any information or process disclosed in this publication. Neither API nor any of API's employees, subcontractors, consultants, or other assignees represent that use of this publication would not infringe upon privately owned rights.

Classified areas may vary depending on the location, conditions, equipment, and substances involved in any given situation. Users of this recommended practice should consult with the appropriate authorities having jurisdiction.

Users of this recommended practice should not rely exclusively on the information contained in this document. Sound business, scientific, engineering, and safety judgement should be used in employing the information contained herein.

API publications may be used by anyone desiring to do so. Every effort has been made by the Institute to assure the accuracy and reliability of the data contained in them; however, the Institute makes no representation, warranty, or guarantee in connection with this publication and hereby expressly disclaims any liability or responsibility for loss or damage resulting from its use or for the violation of any authorities having jurisdiction with which this publication may conflict.

API publications are published to facilitate the broad availability of proven, sound engineering and operating practices. These publications are not intended to obviate the need for applying sound engineering judgment regarding when and where these publications should be utilized. The formulation and publication of API publications is not intended in any way to inhibit anyone from using any other practices.

Any manufacturer marking equipment or materials in conformance with the marking requirements of an API standard is solely responsible for complying with all the applicable requirements of that standard. API does not represent, warrant, or guarantee that such products do in fact conform to the applicable API standard.

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Copyright © 2009 American Petroleum Institute

Foreword

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Shall: As used in a standard, “shall” denotes a minimum requirement in order to conform to the specification.

Should: As used in a standard, “should” denotes a recommendation or that which is advised but not required in order to conform to the specification.

This document was produced under API standardization procedures that ensure appropriate notification and participation in the developmental process and is designated as an API standard. Questions concerning the interpretation of the content of this publication or comments and questions concerning the procedures under which this publication was developed should be directed in writing to the Director of Standards, American Petroleum Institute, 1220 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005. Requests for permission to reproduce or translate all or any part of the material published herein should also be addressed to the director.

Generally, API standards are reviewed and revised, reaffirmed, or withdrawn at least every five years. A one-time extension of up to two years may be added to this review cycle. Status of the publication can be ascertained from the API Standards Department, telephone (202) 682-8000. A catalog of API publications and materials is published annually by API, 1220 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005.

Suggested revisions are invited and should be submitted to the Standards Department, API, 1220 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005, standards@api.org.

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Contents

Page

1. Scope 1

2. Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Symbols 1

3. General Requirements 1

   1. Vessel Condition 1

   2. Shipping Space 1

   3. Handling Equipment 1

   4. Stacking Arrangement 2

   5. Bearing and Separator Strips 2

   6. Side Protection 2

   7. Inspection 3

4. Transit Fatigue 3

Bibliography 5

Figures

1 Cantline Stowage 3

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Introduction

This recommended practice (RP) shall become effective on the date printed on the cover but may be used voluntarily from the date of distribution. This RP is under the jurisdiction of the API Subcommittee on Standardization of Tubular Goods. Line pipe shipments on inland and marine waterways should be designed to assure that the pipe will arrive at the destination undamaged. The minimum mandatory rules in force for such shipments shall be followed. The rule of governing regulatory agencies shall be considered as basic, with the recommendations given herein as supplementary thereto. These supplementary recommendations are the result of line pipe shippers’ experience that damage to the pipe during shipment can consist of three principal types as follows.

1. End Damage—End damage to pipe can occur during loading and unloading, or from a longitudinal load shift against a bulkhead or an adjacent pipe.

   
   

2. Abrasions or Peening—These result from a rubbing or pounding action against some protrusion such as the weld reinforcement of the adjacent pipe. This condition may result in initiation of fatigue cracks at the damaged areas during transit.

   
   

3. Longitudinal Fatigue Cracks—These are initiated in the pipe by vertical cyclical forces with no apparent local abrasion or denting. Fatigue cracks result from a combination of static and cyclic stresses produced by the weight of upper layers of pipe and/or other cargo giving a static load, and a cyclic load caused by the vertical movement.

The third edition of this RP incorporates revisions in light of an identification of inaccuracies in the equations for static load stress, which were derived by numerical methods decades ago. These inaccuracies were discovered when finite element analysis methods were used to check the equations. API is working to update and revise these equations for a future edition. Notwithstanding these inaccuracies, there have been no confirmed transit fatigue failures reported in pipe loaded in accordance with previous editions of this document.

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Recommended Practice for Transportation of Line Pipe on Barges and Marine Vessels

1. Scope

   The recommendations in this document apply to transportation of API Specification 5L steel line pipe by ship or barge on both inland and marine waterways, unless the specific requirement of a paragraph in this document references only marine or only inland waterway transport. Inland waterways are defined as those waterways with various degrees of protection, such as rivers, canals, intracoastal waterways, and sheltered bays. These waterways can be fresh or saltwater but are usually traversed by barges. Marine waterways are defined as waterways over open seas with limited or no protection from wind, current, waves, and the like. These areas are normally traversed by sea-going vessels. These recommendations apply to steel line pipe that has 2 3/8-in. outside diameter (OD) and larger.

   
   

   These recommendations cover coated or uncoated pipe, but they do not encompass loading practices designed to protect pipe coating from damage. These recommendations are not applicable to pipe-laying vessels or supply vessels. They must be considered as supplementary to the existing rules of governing agencies.

   
   

   These recommendations are supplemental to shipping rules for the convenience of purchasers and manufacturers in the specification of loading and shipping practices and are not intended to inhibit purchasers and manufacturers from using other supplemental loading and shipping practices by mutual agreement.

   
   

2. Acronyms, Abbreviations and Symbols

   D specified outside diameter GMAW gas metal arc welding

   OD outside diameter

   SAW submerged arc welding

   t specified wall thickness

   
   

3. General Requirements

   1. Vessel Condition

      
      

      Cargo compartments should be reasonably free from any foreign objects or material likely to cause either physical damage, contamination, or chemical reaction with the pipe.

      
      

      The bilge pumping system shall be in working order to remove standing water from the cargo hold.

      
      

   2. Shipping Space

      
      

      Pipe may be laid longitudinally or athwart the vessel to make the best use of available space. A clearance of 1 ft must be left between the ends of the pipe and the vessel (or other cargo) to facilitate unloading. Dimensions of hatchways should be large enough to allow the pipe to pass in a horizontal position unless special precautions are taken.

      
      

   3. Handling Equipment

When end hooks are used for handling pipe, they shall be designed to prevent end damage and should be lined in the area of land (bevel face) contact with a cushioning material (e.g. a nonmetallic material such as rubber or a metallic material such as aluminium, but brass or copper shall be excluded). These hooks shall also have sufficient width and depth to fit the internal curvature of the pipe. Rubber aprons should be attached to pipe hooks to protect the pipe ends unless adequate end protectors are used. Lifting shall be carried out in such a manner that impact loads sufficient to

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