ARCO PRODUCTS COMPANY STANDARD 503

Division of Atlantic Richfield Company REVISION 1

ENGINEERING STANDARDS PAGE 1 of 9

COATINGS FOR BURIED STEEL PIPING

ENGINEERING STANDARD 503

COATINGS FOR BURIED STEEL PIPING

ISSUED: MAY, 1974

REVISION 1: JULY, 1991

STANDARD OWNER: J. COOMBS

(9 Pages)

Suggestions for modifications to this Standard should be directed to the Chief Engineer, Materials and
Inspection Services, ARCO Products Company, Engineering Services, Engineering and Technology,
P. O. Box 61004, Anaheim, CA 92803-6104

TABLE OF CONTENTS
ARCO PRODUCTS COMPANY STANDARD 503
Division of Atlantic Richfield Company REVISION 1
ENGINEERING STANDARDS PAGE 2 of 9

COATINGS FOR BURIED STEEL PIPING

FOREWORD ..........................................................................................................................3

SECTION 1 - SCOPE 3

SECTION 2 - REFERENCES...............................................................................................................3

SECTION 3 - GENERAL .....................................................................................................................3

SECTION 4 - TYPES OF COATINGS.................................................................................................4

SECTION 5 - SURFACE PREPARATION..........................................................................................5

SECTION 6 - PRIMER APPLICATION...............................................................................................6

SECTION 7 - COATING APPLICATION............................................................................................6

7.1 TAPE COATINGS............................................................................................6
7.2 FUSION BONDED EPOXY (FBE) COATINGS .............................................7
7.3 EXTRUDED COATINGS ................................................................................7
7.4 JOINT COATING AND PATCHING...............................................................7
SECTION 8 - INSPECTION OF COATED PIPE .................................................................................8

SECTION 9 - EXCAVATION AND BACKFILL.................................................................................8

SECTION 10 - FIELD STACKING OF COATED PIPE ......................................................................8

ARCO PRODUCTS COMPANY STANDARD 503
Division of Atlantic Richfield Company REVISION 1
ENGINEERING STANDARDS PAGE 3 of 9

COATINGS FOR BURIED STEEL PIPING

FOREWORD{tc "FOREWORD"}

ARCO Products Company, a Division of Atlantic Richfield Company, shall be hereinafter referred to
as ARCO.

SECTION 1 - SCOPE{tc "SECTION 1 - SCOPE"}

This Standard provides guidance for selection of exterior protective coatings for underground steel
piping in refineries and preparation of specifications for their application. It includes application to
both new and used pipe.

SECTION 2 - REFERENCES{tc "SECTION 2 - REFERENCES"}

API Bulletin 1105 "Construction Practices for Oil and Products Pipe Lines."

AWWA C-213 - Fusion Bonded Epoxy

C-214 - Mill Applied Tape
C-215 - Extruded Polyolefin Coatings

SECTION 3 - GENERAL{tc "SECTION 3 - GENERAL"}

3.1 To insure a reasonable life of buried steel pipe, it is necessary to provide both protective
coating and cathodic protection (CP). Coatings alone can not provide 100% protection since holidays
will develop over time and cathodic protection, either impressed current or sacrificial anodes, should
be used to protect these areas.

3.2 Selection of the most suitable coating should result from an evaluation of the following:

a. Environment of installed pipe

High resistance (dry) or low resistance (wet or swampy) soils, i.e., corrosivity
Degree of soil stress
Congested areas
Potential bacterial attack
Oil soaked ground or contaminated soil

b. Diameter of pipe

c. Desired useful life

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ENGINEERING STANDARDS PAGE 4 of 9

COATINGS FOR BURIED STEEL PIPING

d. Service temperature of pipe

e. Method of surface preparation

f. Method of application - It is possible to obtain a better coating job with shop coated pipe
than with over-the-ditch coating due to the controlled environment. However, the quality of the
installed coating job is also dependent upon the quality of the field-applied joint coating.

g. Availability of qualified inspection personnel.

3.3 Since shop applied coatings are generally superior to field applied coatings, refineries are
encouraged to specify them as much as possible. The extruded coatings (Pritec, X-Tru-Coat) are
preferred, but shop applied tapes are also acceptable. Field applied coatings are tapes, either machine
wrapped or hand wrapped, and polyethylene is preferred over PVC.

3.4 Specifications should include provisions for suppliers to submit their procedures for cleaning
pipe, sand blasting, coating and wrapping, holiday testing, etc., for ARCO review prior to doing work.

3.5 A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is required for all chemicals received at ARCO
Products Company facilities. Equipment or materials containing or coated with insulating oils,
corrosion inhibitors, antifreeze solutions, desiccants, or other chemical or hydrocarbon substances shall
be prominently tagged at openings to indicate the nature of the contents, and precautions for shipping,
storage, and handling. A current MSDS for each substance shipped in or with the equipment that may
be regulated by the Federal OSHA HCR (Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Hazards
Communication Rule) requirements shall be forwarded to the facility prior to shipment. Copies of the
MSDS shall be affixed in a protective envelope to the outside of the shipment. The MSDS shall fully
comply with Federal/State OSHA HCR for MSDS preparation, including a statement that the
substance is considered hazardous under HCR. Also, if any products are exempt from HCR, a
statement to that effect shall be included.

SECTION 4 - TYPES OF COATINGS{tc "SECTION 4 - TYPES OF COATINGS"}

4.1 The following brief description will aid in choice of the best type of coating for a specific job.
However, there are many additional important factors to consider with each type and brand of coating.
Consultation with ARCO E&T Inspection and Materials Services is recommended.

4.1.1 Various asphaltic mastic and enamel type coatings have been deleted from this section because
they are no longer readily available.
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COATINGS FOR BURIED STEEL PIPING

4.1.2 Tape coatings have about 30 - 80 mil total thickness and must be applied over a primer. They
have a mastic layer and a backing layer. The most common types of mastics are butyl rubber and coal
tar and the most common types of backings are polyethylene or polyvinyl chloride. However
polyethylene has given better service and is the preferred choice. Tapes have high dielectric strength
and are the most common field applied coating.

Selection of tapes for service temperatures above 100oF should be carefully reviewed as many tapes
are not suitable for high temperatures. Tapes can also cause problems in shielding CP currents. These
field applied systems are not as good as extruded coatings and should only be used when necessary.

4.1.3 Fusion bonded epoxies (FBE) are shop applied, thermally cured coatings, with typical
thicknesses of 12 - 32 mils. They have excellent toughness, bonding, and temperature, chemical and
soil stress resistance. Field joints on long lines are generally coated with hot applied FBE, while
shorter lines use "shrink sleeves" or tapes. These systems are rarely used in refinery systems because of
higher costs.

4.1.4 Extruded coatings (Pritec, Mapec, X-Tru-Coat, EEC) are plastic coatings extruded to a
thickness of approximately 40 - 80 mils over a mastic primer. They are good quality shop-applied
coatings. Typical plastic backings are polyethylene or polypropylene, and the most common mastic is
butyl rubber. Field joints are coated with "shrink sleeves" or tapes. These are the preferred system for
most refinery applications.

4.1.5 Heat shrink sleeves are made to be field applied over weld joints. They have thick plastic
backings over thick mastic layers. After wrapping the sleeve over the joint, heat is applied with a torch.
This softens the mastic allowing it to flow into every rough surface on the pipe. The plastic backing is
designed to shrink when heated, to enhance the adhesion to the pipe.

SECTION 5 - SURFACE PREPARATION{tc "SECTION 5 - SURFACE PREPARATION"}

5.1 Good adhesion depends predominantly on the quality of surface preparation. In a coating shop,
this can be accomplished by abrasive blasting the pipe. In the field, it is done "over-the-ditch" by a
traveling type mechanical cleaning machine which has counter-rotating wire brushes for new pipe. For
field reconditioning of pipe, the cleaning machine should have knives in addition to the brushes, and
more than one pass along the pipe will be required to adequately clean it. A cut back primer may be
used on rusty or scaly pipe after the first pass and the pipe allowed to stand overnight before the
second pass of the cleaning machine is required.
ARCO PRODUCTS COMPANY STANDARD 503
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COATINGS FOR BURIED STEEL PIPING

5.2 Prior to any mechanical cleaning, an approved solvent such as Stoddard's should be used to
remove all traces of grease, oil, mill preservatives or other contaminants. Loose mill scale, rust, dirt,
moisture, old pipe coating or other foreign material must also be removed. Before cleaned surfaces are
primed or coated, all weld splatter, slag, sharp edges, burrs, slivers, and knurls must be removed from
welds and pipe surfaces.

5.3 Pipe fittings or other irregular areas may have to be cleaned by hand using wire brushes and
chipping hammers.

5.4 Manufacturer's application instructions for each coating give the appropriate surface
preparation requirements. They generally reference Steel Structures Painting Council (SSPC)
specifications, such as SSPC-SP6, "Commercial Blast Clean" or SSPC-SP2 or SP3 for hand or power
wire brushing when blast cleaning is impractical or not feasible.

SECTION 6 - PRIMER APPLICATION{tc "SECTION 6 - PRIMER APPLICATION"}

6.1 Only those primers recommended by the coating manufacturer for their coating should be used.
Pipe should be primed prior to surface rusting after cleaning with a uniform coating, leaving no drips
or runs, and covering the entire surface of the pipe.

6.2 Primer should be thoroughly mixed before application, in accordance with the manufacturer's
instructions.

6.3 Primer should not be thinned except as directed by the manufacturer.

SECTION 7 - COATING APPLICATION{tc "SECTION 7 - COATING APPLICATION"}

7.1 TAPE COATINGS{tc "7.1 TAPE COATINGS"\L 2} (Shop Application or Over-the-Ditch)

7.1.1 Tape shall be spirally wrapped using a manual or power-driven wrapping machine whenever
possible. The tape shall be wrapped onto a properly cleaned, dry and frost-free surface. Manufacturer's
instructions shall be followed.

7.1.2 Tape shall overlap preceding spirals by the specified value ranging from 1" minimum to 50%.
The end lap of each new roll shall overlap the end of the preceding roll by a minimum of six inches.
This end lap shall be hand applied without tension and shall be pressed into position by several wiping
strokes of the hand. Its spiral angle shall parallel the previously applied spiral and it shall be smoothly
applied without twist or distortion.
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COATINGS FOR BURIED STEEL PIPING

7.1.3 Operators shall make necessary adjustments including tension adjustments to assure a
continuously uniform, smooth, tight coating. Care shall be taken that no wrinkles, puckers, voids, or
breaks are introduced.

7.1.4 Outerwraps are recommended to protect the tape during lowering in and backfill operations.
Laminated kraft paper, felt, and some proprietary products have been used. Selected outerwrap must
not interfere or shield the cathodic protection system.

7.1.5 In the coating of bends, wrinkling on the inner radius of the bend will be minimized by
increasing lap and/or wrapping tightly by hand with a narrow width tape (4" maximum).

7.1.6 Weld joints, fittings, bends, etc shall be wrapped with tape spirally applied and overlapped
50% ±15% of its width, resulting in double-wrap coverage.

7.2 FUSION BONDED EPOXY (FBE) COATINGS {tc "7.2 FUSION BONDED EPOXY
(FBE) COATINGS"\L 2}

7.2.1 FBE coatings are shop-applied to a clean, dry and oil-free pipe surface in accordance with
manufacturer's recommendations. Generally, the pipe is preheated by an acceptable commercial
method (air circulating, radiant heat, electric, gas oven or induction heating are recommended).
Coating thickness of 12 to 32 mils is applied, depending on the necessary physical properties and
electrical resistance desired. Repair coating methods for damaged coating, holidays and field joints
should be specified and may involve use of a portable flame spray unit, a heated gas system, or use of a
specified shrink sleeve.

7.3 EXTRUDED COATINGS{tc "7.3 EXTRUDED COATINGS"\L 2}

7.3.1 The extruded coatings are also shop-applied in accordance with manufacturer's
recommendations.

7.3.2 Repairs and field joints are generally coated with shrink sleeves.

7.4 JOINT COATING AND PATCHING{tc "7.4 JOINT COATING AND PATCHING"\L 2}

7.4.1 On a tape coated line, tapes are also recommended for joint coating and patching. All tapes
require a primer coating to be applied after the joint has been prepared or after any damaged coating
has been trimmed back to sound coating.

7.4.2 Repairs shall be made to all flaws and holidays in the coating, which are visually detected or
identified by the holiday detector. Typical flaws include voids, pinholes gouges, and areas of the
ARCO PRODUCTS COMPANY STANDARD 503
Division of Atlantic Richfield Company REVISION 1
ENGINEERING STANDARDS PAGE 8 of 9

COATINGS FOR BURIED STEEL PIPING

coating damaged by installation or handling of the pipe. When nonbonded outerwrap is to be removed
to make a repair, the outerwrap shall first be secured on both sides of the repair by one inch pressure-
sensitive tape. Coating shall also be trimmed back to sound coating at damaged areas before applying
more coating. Severely damaged areas and poorly bonded areas shall be completely stripped, cleaned,
primed and coated with the joint coating.

7.4.3 Shrink sleeves which require heat shall be applied in accordance with manufacturer's
recommendations.

7.4.4 Repairs and joint coatings shall also be inspected per Section 8.0.

SECTION 8 - INSPECTION OF COATED PIPE{tc "SECTION 8 - INSPECTION OF COATED

PIPE"}

8.1 All coatings and coating repairs shall be subjected to visual inspection, and 100% holiday
detector inspection. Occasional cutting of coating samples from the pipe may be necessary to check
adhesion and bond. All areas failing inspection shall be reworked. The holiday detector should be used
to check for defects immediately prior to lowering of the pipe into the ditch. If testing is done in the
ditch, the pipe should be supported on sandbags or padded supports, which are then removed prior to
backfilling. The holiday detector voltage shall be approximately that calculated from the formulae
1250 x √T (high setting), for tape wraps and extruded coatings, and 525 x √T (low setting) for FBE,
where T is the thickness of coating in mils. The detector shall be checked over a known holiday to
make sure it is working properly.

SECTION 9 - EXCAVATION AND BACKFILL{tc "SECTION 9 - EXCAVATION AND

BACKFILL"}

9.1 The finished ditch and backfill material shall be free of loose rock, scrap, sticks, or other
material which may injure the coating when the pipe is lowered.

9.2 The backfill material should be compacted to not less than 90% of original density.

SECTION 10 - FIELD STACKING OF COATED PIPE{tc "SECTION 10 - FIELD STACKING

OF COATED PIPE"}

10.1 When coated pipe is to be stacked, it should be placed on a sufficient number of padded skids.
All stacking and storing of pipe shall be to the satisfaction of ARCO Products Company.
ARCO PRODUCTS COMPANY STANDARD 503
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ENGINEERING STANDARDS PAGE 9 of 9

COATINGS FOR BURIED STEEL PIPING

10.2 The maximum number of tiers in a stack should be governed by the pipe size, type of coating,
and weight; however, in no event should the number of tiers exceed the following:

PIPE SIZE NUMBER OF TIERS

4" 7
6" 6
8" - 10" 5
12" - 16" 4
18" - 26" 3
28" - 36" 2

10.3 All booms, hooks, forks, supports and skids used in handling or storing coated pipe shall be
padded and handled in such a manner as to prevent damage to the coating.