W-GS-12-3-8

GENERAL SPECIFICATION Rev. A

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PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION – FIELD COATING

COVER PAGE

Rev Date Prepared by Approved by Revision

A 10-Oct-07 P. Matthey/ P. Matthey Initial issue
F. Clément

DISCLAIMER
The information contained in this document has been prepared by L’Air Liquide S.A. and/or its controlled subsidiaries
(“Air Liquide”), exclusively for their use, and is Air Liquide property. Air Liquide believes the information is current and
accurate, but circumstances may warrant additional requirements or procedures. This document is subject to periodic
review and users are cautioned to obtain the latest edition.
Air Liquide makes no representations or warranties to third parties as to the quality, accuracy or completeness of
information contained in this document and EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
LIMITED TO, THE WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY AND THE WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE.
No part of this document may be copied or otherwise shown or disclosed to third parties without the prior consent of Air
Liquide.
Unauthorized use of this document by any third Party, including Air Liquide contractors and subcontractors, shall be at
such Party’s own risk, and Air Liquide assumes no liability in connection with information contained herein. Air Liquide
disclaims any liability for any damage suffered by any company or person as a result of or in connection with the use,
application or implementation of the information contained herein or any part thereof. The benefit of this disclaimer shall
inure to Air Liquide and its affiliates.
This document should not be confused with federal, state, provincial, or municipal specifications or regulations, insurance
requirements or national safety codes.

This document is issued and administered by the Air Liquide Engineering Standards Department.
Paper copies of this document are considered to be “uncontrolled” and users should always check
for the most recent revision.

DISCLAIMER: Prior to using this document, all individuals must refer to the Disclaimer on the first page of this document.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION 3
1.1 Scope 3
1.2 Definitions 3
1.3 Applicable Codes, Standards, and Air Liquide Reference Documents 3
1.4 Conflicts, Omissions and Alternatives 4
2 GUARANTEES AND WARRANTY 4
3 SCOPE OF WORK 4
4 COATING MATERIALS 4
5 SURFACE PREPARATION 5
6 WEATHER CONDITIONS 5
7 FIELD COATING 6
7.1 Coating Application 6
7.2 Coating Quality Control 6
7.3 Repair 6
8 COATING FAULT DETECTION 7
9 MECHANICAL PROTECTION COATING 8
10 AIR-TO-SOIL INTERFACE COATING 8
11 ENTITY SPECIFIC AMENDMENTS 8

DISCLAIMER: Prior to using this document, all individuals must refer to the Disclaimer on the first page of this document.
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1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Scope

1.1.1 Purpose
This general specification covers the general requirements for field coating of pipelines and pipeline components
used by Air Liquide.

1.1.2 Scope of Application

1.1.2.1 Requirements outlined herein are applicable to steel onshore transport pipelines and components
purchased, fabricated, or installed for Air Liquide. It also applies to modifications of existing systems.

1.1.3 Specific Requirements

1.1.3.1 Where any provision presents a direct or implied conflict with any jurisdictional regulation, the jurisdictional
regulation shall govern.

1.2 Definitions
Air Liquide The Air Liquide subsidiary dealing with the contractor or another company appointed by Air
Liquide
Contractor The party contracted by Air Liquide to carry out pipeline construction
Coating fault detector Instrument detecting faults in pipe coating, generally made of metallic spirals under tension,
(or holiday detector or rolled around the pipe and ran along it before lowering in.
jeep or jeeper)
FBE Fusion Bonded Epoxy
PE, HDPE Polyethylene, High Density Polyethylene
PP Polypropylene

1.3 Applicable Codes, Standards, and Air Liquide Reference Documents

1.3.1 Industry Codes and Standards

[1] ISO 13623 Petroleum and natural gas industries – Pipeline transportation systems
[2] ASME B 31.8 Gas Transmission and Distribution Piping Systems

1.3.2 Associated Air Liquide Documents

[3] W-GS-12-3-1 Pipeline construction – General conditions
[4] W-GS-12-3-2 Pipeline construction – Safety and protection of the environment

DISCLAIMER: Prior to using this document, all individuals must refer to the Disclaimer on the first page of this document.
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1.4 Conflicts, Omissions and Alternatives

1.4.1 In case of conflicting requirements between this specification and applicable requirements of the documents
listed in section 1.3, the more stringent shall apply.
1.4.2 In case of conflicting requirements, the following items govern in descending order of precedence.
a. Agreements outlined in mutually approved minutes of review meetings subsequent to the issuance of the
Purchase Order
b. Purchase Order and subsequent related correspondence
c. Project specific addenda
d. This specification and accompanying documents listed in 1.3.2.
1.4.3 Any exceptions, deviations, omissions, or alternatives to the requirements shall be submitted for Purchaser’s
approval prior to award of Purchase Order.

2 GUARANTEES AND WARRANTY

2.1 As per contract documents

3 SCOPE OF WORK
3.1 The contractor shall, according to the specifications of the contract documents:
a. Before any procurement, submit to Air Liquide approval the nature and characteristics of the coating it
intends to use, with the corresponding application and repair procedures
b. Supply all materials, tooling and inspection devices
c. Coat pipe joints, the pipes being supplied with factory-applied coating
d. Coat pipes, fittings and all underground pipeline components supplied bare
e. Carry out the necessary repairs and inspections
3.2 The Contractor shall be responsible for providing personnel properly trained and proficient in applying the
coating as specified or approved by Air Liquide. The contractor shall transmit to Air Liquide a list of the
operators it enables to carry out coating application.

4 COATING MATERIALS
4.1 The protective coating shall possess the following main properties.
a. Impervious to water and air
b. Strong electric resistivity
c. Free of air pockets

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d. Good resistance to penetration of foreign matter

e. Good bonding onto the metal
f. Inertness towards chemical and biological agents of the soil
4.2 The contract documents mention the nature of the coating materials to be applied.
a. Hot-applied fusion-bonded epoxy
b. Polyethylene: The coating system consists of an epoxy primer, a butyl rubber tape and a polyethylene tape
applied by hand with the help of a wrapping machine. Some suitable suppliers are e.g. Polyken®, Denso®,
etc.
c. Heat-shrinkable material in polyolefin or other material: These sleeves are slid around the pipe before
welding and fit on the joint after suitable heating. Some suitable suppliers are e.g. Canusa®, Raychem®, etc.
d. Etc.
4.3 Other coatings, for mechanical protection purposes, may be applied at the locations indicated on the
construction drawings.
a. Lathing with plastic linkage or rot-proof bands
b. Rockshield geotextile or other material (see section 9 below)
c. Heat-shrinkable sleeves
d. Polypropylene
e. Coating systems for particular applications such as horizontal directional drilling
f. Etc.
4.4 Their application shall comply with the manufacturer’s instructions and the technical datasheet supplied by Air
Liquide. The technical specifications relative to factory-applied pipe coating are held at contractor’s disposal.

5 SURFACE PREPARATION
5.1 The coating materials shall be applied in compliance with the manufacturer’s instructions and the materials
data sheets. The application is done on a perfectly dry surface, beforehand brushed and rid of any deposit,
greasy matter, dust and other dirt, traces of old coating, weld droplets, mill scale and surface irregularities.
When necessary, a preliminary manual cleaning is done, even for mechanical protection coatings.

6 WEATHER CONDITIONS
6.1 It is forbidden to undertake coating of facilities subject to the effects of rain or fog or conditions not complying
with the manufacturer’s specifications (temperature, etc.) Exceptionally, in case of frost or dew, the operation
may be authorized if the contractor manages to dry the pipe external surface prior to coating by using a device
approved by Air Liquide beforehand and complies with the materials manufacturer’s instructions.

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7 FIELD COATING
Coating of joints, fittings, pipes, special parts, and repairs shall be carried out by using materials approved by Air
Liquide beforehand for the use considered.

7.1 Coating Application

7.1.1 The end of the pipe coating shall be cleaned and, if necessary, beveled at an angle as low as possible.
7.1.2 The various components of the coating shall be applied in compliance with manufacturer’s instructions.
7.1.3 FBE coating thickness shall be 0.36 millimeter (14 mils) to 0.46 millimeter (18 mils) with an average of
0.41 millimeter (16 mils). Dry thickness shall be measured with a magnetic film thickness gauge, calibrated
each day prior to start-up of coating operations. Two randomly distributed thickness measurements shall be
made around the joint. Any joint with a measured thickness of less than 0.36 millimeter (14 mils) shall be
re-cleaned and recoated.
7.1.4 Tape coating shall be perfectly applied with the help of an adequate mechanical device approved by Air
Liquide, avoiding notably the formation of air bubbles, as much at the weld seam as at the overlap with the
pipe coating.

7.2 Coating Quality Control

7.2.1 After application, the coating shall display the following properties.
a. Very strong adherence
b. Free of wrinkles, blisters, or empty spaces between the metal and the coating
c. Good spreading of the primer when applicable
d. Overlap as per manufacturer’s specifications
e. Perfect continuous electrical isolation
7.2.2 The contractor shall, under Air Liquide control, verify the quality of the coating all along the pipeline, as much
on the coated pipes of which the contractor has taken custody as on the pipes the contractor has coated
itself in a workshop or on site.
7.2.3 For tape coating, control of adherence, spreading of primer and overlap shall be made on samples of
sufficient size, after enough time has passed to obtain normal adherence. Such “peel tests” shall be
conducted at regular intervals (e.g. every 50 joints).
7.2.4 Coating fault detection shall be made as per section 8 below.

7.3 Repair
7.3.1 Repair of important defects, in particular those detected on the factory-applied coating that may be due to
mechanical impact, shall only be undertaken after verification of the integrity of the pipe wall in presence of
Air Liquide and according to a procedure approved by Air Liquide.
7.3.2 On areas of multiple defects, the pipe shall be entirely re-coated.

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8 COATING FAULT DETECTION

8.1 Any buried pipeline section, facility, or part of facility shall present a continuity of its electrical isolation.
1
8.2 The quality of the electrical isolation shall be verified by use of a coating fault detector compliant with the
legislation regarding the protection of personnel. Unless the contractor provides documentation that the
coating fault detector is designed for use in rainy conditions, it shall only be used on dry surfaces. The
contractor shall run the coating fault detector systematically before lowering in with the contractor’s own
personnel and equipment. This operation shall be done in the presence of Air Liquide, who reserves the right
to verify the good working order of the device at any time.
8.3 The contractor shall have at least three calibrated coating fault detectors: one for the line, another for tie-ins,
and one as back-up.
8.4 The voltage shall be set at minimum 5 V/m (125 V/mil) of coating thickness for FBE coatings and at 10 V/m
(not exceeding 20 kV) for PE and PP coatings and shall remain within these limits, unless otherwise specified
in the contract documents or indicated by Air Liquide. The voltage shall be sufficient to detect a pinhole the
size of which corresponds to the thickness of the coating. A practical way to determine this voltage may be by
using a sampling plate.
8.5 The value of the voltage shall take into account the maximum thickness of the coating as well as the
breakdown characteristics of the least insulating coating (generally the one on the welding joints).
8.6 The voltage shall be measured before and after the device is run with a voltmeter supplied by the contractor.
The device shall be run at a speed as steady as possible, without jolt, at less than 10 cm/s (4 in/s). Detected
defects shall be marked for repair.
8.7 The coating fault detector shall be fitted with the most appropriate contact device: ring, brush, or hook. In the
case of a spiral ring, the spacing between two coils should be less than or equal to the thickness of the coating
(for PE and PP coatings). Air Liquide may demand that any part of the detector be cleaned or replaced, in
particular the part in contact with the coating or the soil that may not allow correct coating fault detection.
8.8 The coating fault detector shall be run just before lowering in, after any dirt has been eliminated from the pipe
surface and repair of visible cuts have been performed (in particular those due to pipe blocking or handling).
Inspecting the same area several times must be avoided, as consecutive passages of the coating fault
detector may lead to the deterioration of the coating, even if the voltage is adequately adjusted.
8.9 When laying without geotextile, the coating fault detector shall be run after the last lowering-in machine and
before the final lowering of the pipe in the trench.
8.10 The contractor shall transmit to Air Liquide beforehand the nominative list of operators that it enables for
running the coating fault detector. Each operator shall receive, before intervention, training on the use,
calibration, and control of the coating fault detector.
8.11 For tie-in welds and sections to be inserted into a protection (casing, etc.), the detection shall be carried out at
the bottom of the trench.
8.12 After lowering in and backfill, and according to the provisions of the contract documents, Air Liquide reserves
the right to proceed to the measurement of the coating isolation in order to detect possible discontinuities or
accidental groundings to which the contractor would be bound to remedy.

1
See definition in section 1.2

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9 MECHANICAL PROTECTION COATING

9.1 In certain areas of the route specified in the contract documents or designated on site by Air Liquide, the
coating shall be mechanically protected against external aggression. (This protection may be applied in factory
on the pipes supplied by Air Liquide.) This is the case if the pipeline is laid in loose or solid rocky soil, under
weights, anchored, in casing, or on supports. (See standard documents and special drawings.)
9.2 The mechanical protection may be achieved, depending on the case, by bringing in loose materials; by
installing above the pipe plates, bands, lathing, HDPE grids, rings, or collars in isolating and rot-proof material;
or by a combination of both. Rockshield material can also be installed around the pipe prior to lower-in.
9.3 Rockshield materials shall be approved by Air Liquide. PE mesh (such as Grid-Guard™ or equivalent) or PVC
strand extruded materials (such as Tuff-N-Nuff™ or equivalent) shall be minimum 7.6 millimeters (0.3 inch)
thick. Synthetic fibers (such as Datex® GM, Bidim® F80 or equivalent) shall be non-woven of a minimum
2
weight 750 g/m (0.15 lbs/sq ft). Rockshield shall be unrolled along the pipe length with a side overlap towards
the bottom of 100 millimeters (4 inches) minimum and firmly affixed around the pipe with non-metallic banding.

10 AIR-TO-SOIL INTERFACE COATING

10.1 The contractor shall protect air-to-soil pipe transition areas with a reinforced coating over a minimum length of
1.2 meters (48 inches) centered on ground level. The coating shall be resistant to ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
Applicable systems may be hot-applied thermosetting modified polyurethane such as Protegol™ or equivalent,
with an additional layer of UV-resistant paint, or heat-shrinkable sleeves of material resistant to UV, or
Trenton™ wax tape or any other process approved by Air Liquide. There shall be an overlap between the
painting system and the part of the reinforced coating situated aboveground of minimum 10 centimeters
(4 inches). The contractor shall take particular care to achieve perfect watertightness at each end of the
coating. The contractor shall submit for prior Air Liquide approval the product datasheets and the installation
procedure.

11 ENTITY SPECIFIC AMENDMENTS

The following is a list of specific engineering entity requirements that differ from those given in this standard.
These requirements are only applicable to the engineering entity(ies) for which they are listed.
Entity Specific Amendments
Entity Section Description

Table of Revisions
Section Description

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