Hydrostatic Test 12" Steam Line - NYC

Pipeline hydrostatic testing is one of the most utilized procedures that can be performed on a pipeline to establish its operational fitness. Due to the normally high pressures required for these tests, safety and attention to detail when following industry procedures is of the utmost importance. Hydrostatic testing is necessary to both ensure a pipeline's integrity and to establish its MOAP (maximum allowable operating pressure). Pipeline hydrostatic testing can sometimes be just as much art as science. Understanding the multitude of variables that can affect a test is important. Temperature, elevation, water source, air pockets, and inadequate stabilization can all affect pressure and test outcome. Hydrostatic testing begins after the pipeline has been filled with one of APS’s high flow pumps and is then brought to test pressure with a “squeeze” pump equipped with a stroke counter depending on the required SMYS (specified minimum yield strength). In this particular test, APS performed a “burst test” at 300 PSI for 15 minutes, then brought the pressure back down to around 240 PSI to test the integrity of the pipeline for over an hour. APS’s Technicians utilize certified/calibrated deadweights, recorders, and digital gauges to monitor and record pipeline pressure over the course of the test. Once the test is complete and the client is satisfied, APS Technicians carefully de-pressurize the line in accordance with industry code and standards. The client is given a report and all raw data from the recorders to keep for their records. The client can now be confident that their pipeline is ready for service.