Internal pressure and leak test

 Internal pressure test is completion of the installation

 Requirement: ready-for-use pipeline or test sections

 Loading by test pressure represents

the experimental proof of the reliability

 Test pressure doesn’t base on

calculated operating pressure, but on
the resistance to internal pressure
based on the pipes’ wall thickness

GF Piping Systems
Internal pressure and leak test

 Changes in the test requirements:

New supplement 2 for DVS 2210-1 appeared

 Reasons:
- PN partly replaced with SDR-marking, therefore e.g.
test pressure = 1,5 x PN no longer possible
- Lower safety factors (e.g. PE100 on 1,25)
leads to higher test pressure loading, together with
temperature exposure => Reduction of life time!

 Determination of test pressure now on basis of admissible

stress for 100h out of creep rupture diagram

GF Piping Systems
Internal pressure and leak test
Parameter
Characteristic Preliminary test Main test
Test pressure  Pp (zul)  0.85 * Pp (zul)

Test time L  100 m: 3 h L  100 m: 3 h

(depending on 100 m < L  500 m: 6 h 100 m < L  500 m: 6 h
length of pipe)
Controls during min. 3 controls during min. 2 controls during the
the test the test time with restore test time without restore
of test pressure of test pressure
Pressure loss PVC-U 0.5 bar/h Distinct less than during
caused by PVC-C 0.5 bar/h preliminary test
strain ABS 0.6 bar/h
(approximate PP 0.8 bar/h
values) PVDF 0.8 bar/h
PE 1.0 bar/h
PB 1.4 bar/h

GF Piping Systems
Internal pressure and leak test
Schematic activity

Control Control

Pp (zul)
0.85 * Pp (zul)

pre-test 3 or 6h main-test 3 or 6h
0 bar

GF Piping Systems
Internal pressure and leak test

1. Examination
 Installation according to drawing?

 All pressure relive and check valve mounted in flow direction?

 All end-valves closed?

 All inlet and outlet valves are closed in front of equipment

with low pressure rate.

 Visual inspection of all connections, pumps, measurement

devices and tanks.

 Waiting time after the last welding / cementing o.k.?

GF Piping Systems
Internal pressure and leak test

2. Filling with water

 Test pressure is to be controlled at the lowest point of the

facility

 Slow filling, but min. with 1 m/s

 Air vent; important: no air in piping system

 Apply the test pressure

 up to the correct value

 Time, pressure and temperature to be logged

 More information

GF Piping Systems
Internal pressure and leak test

Filling of the pipeline

 at the geodatically lowest point of the pipeline

 safe air vent at the highest point

Reference value for filling the pipeline

DN V (l/s) DN V (l/s)

 80 0.15 250 2.0

100 0.3 300 3.0
150 0.7 400 6.0

200 1.5 500 9.0

GF Piping Systems
 Internal pressure and leak test
Apply of test pressure
Test pressure increase

100 pressure
increase
90 rate to area of
80 DN 100 pressure increase rates
70
> DN 100 - 400
test pressure in %

60

50 guide values of
40 pressure increase rates
DN 500 and higher is:
30 500 / DN [bar/10 min]
20

10

0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
time in min

Pressure increase rate mustn’t case water hammers!

GF Piping Systems
 Internal pressure and leak test
Appointment of test pressure

The permitted test pressure is calculable to the following formula:

1 20   v (T ,100 h )
Pp( zul )  
with
SDR SP  AG
v(T, 100h) long-term stress for the pipe wall temperature TR (with t
Test = 100 h)
pressure
for

ABS Sp Min. safety factor to long-term stress

PE80 AG Installation- or geometric specified factor, that minimises
PE100 the allowed test pressure
PP TR Pipe wall temperature: Average of temperature of the
PVC test medium and pipe surface
PVDF

GF Piping Systems
Internal pressure and leak test
Allowable test pressure for ABS

Werkstoff: ABS
25.0 bar
zulässiger Prüfdruck

20.0 bar

15.0 bar

10.0 bar SDR 11.0

SDR 17.0
SDR 26.0
5.0 bar

0.0 bar
10 °C 20 °C 30 °C 40 °C 50 °C
pipe wall temperature

GF Piping Systems
Internal pressure and leak test
Allowable test pressure for PE 80

Werkstoff: PE 80
30.0 bar

25.0 bar
zulässiger Prüfdruck

20.0 bar
SDR 6.0
15.0 bar SDR 7.4
SDR 9.0
10.0 bar
SDR 11.0
5.0 bar SDR 17.0
SDR 17.6
0.0 bar
10 °C 20 °C 30 °C 40 °C 50 °C
pipe wall temperature

GF Piping Systems
Internal pressure and leak test
Allowable test pressure for PE 100

Werkstoff: PE 100
35.0 bar

30.0 bar
zulässiger Prüfdruck

25.0 bar

20.0 bar
SDR 6.0
15.0 bar SDR 7.4
SDR 9.0
SDR 11.0
10.0 bar
SDR 17.0
SDR 17.6
5.0 bar

0.0 bar
10 °C 15 °C 20 °C 25 °C 30 °C 35 °C 40 °C 45 °C 50 °C
pipe wall temperature

GF Piping Systems
Internal pressure and leak test
Allowable test pressure for PP

Werkstoff: PP-H, PP-B, PP-R

35.0 bar

30.0 bar
zulässiger Prüfdruck

25.0 bar

20.0 bar SDR 6.0

SDR 7.4
15.0 bar
SDR 9.0
10.0 bar SDR 11.0
SDR 17.0
5.0 bar SDR 17.6
0.0 bar
10 °C 20 °C 30 °C 40 °C 50 °C
pipe wall temperature

GF Piping Systems
Internal pressure and leak test
Allowable test pressure for PVC-U, PVC-C

Werkstoff: PVC-U, PVC-C

35.0 bar

30.0 bar
zulässiger Prüfdruck

25.0 bar

20.0 bar SDR 9.0

15.0 bar SDR 11.0
SDR 13.6
10.0 bar SDR 21.0
SDR 34.4
5.0 bar

0.0 bar
10 °C 20 °C 30 °C 40 °C 50 °C
pipe wall temperature

GF Piping Systems
Internal pressure and leak test
Allowable test pressure for PVDF

Werkstoff: PVDF
30.0 bar

25.0 bar
zulässiger Prüfdruck

20.0 bar

15.0 bar
SDR 17.0
10.0 bar SDR 21.0
SDR 33.0
5.0 bar

0.0 bar
10 °C 20 °C 30 °C 40 °C 50 °C
pipe wall temperature

GF Piping Systems
 Internal pressure and leakage test
Limitation of the calculated test pressure

 e.g. PVDF - pipes SDR 21 (PN 16), valves PN 10

 the weakest element of the

piping system is PN10
and not SDR21 (PN16)

 that means, the test pressure is Pipes SDR 21 (PN 16)

defined by PN 10.

Vavles PN10 and not PN16

GF Piping Systems
Installation technique
Changes and Repair
Following safety procedures have
to be done:
 always wear safety uniforms
 total emptying of the relevant
pipe section
 flushing of the pipe section
 avoid drooling
 clean and dry the pipe
connections

These procedures - made by trained personnel - is an essential

requirement for an appropriate repair.
Changes and repairs of piping systems may not cause a
mechanical weakening of the system.
After any changes or repairs, the pressure test has to be repeated,
in order to show the reliability of the piping system.
GF Piping Systems
 Installation technique
Start up a piping system

Requirement: a reliable piping system, that means,

pressure test successfully passed
— At the first start up the pipeline comes beside the load of the internal
pressure also under the influence of temperature. The resulting
temperature related stresses or strains were not covered by the
pressure test.
— It is recommended to carry out an initial inspection not earlier than
3 days, but latest 7 days after start up => recorded.
— The controls during inspection should include:
· critical parts of the systems (controlling)
· Flanges, unions, valves (Tightness)
· Safety- and leakage devices (Status, function)
— The operator staff is responsible for additional inspections, together
with the normal controls, according to the operating instructions.

GF Piping Systems