Nondestructive Determination of Yield Strength and Stress-Strain Curves of In-Service Transmission Pipelines
Haggag, F.M., "Nondestructive Determination of Yield Strength and Stress-Strain Curves of In-Service Transmission Pipelines Using Innovative Stress-Strain Microprobe® (SSM®™) Technology," Final Report to Office of Pipeline Safety / U.S. Department of Transportation, ATC/DOT/990901, September 1999.
This is the pivotal DOT/Office of Pipeline Safety report that demonstrated ABI®'s capability for pipeline yield strength determination on actual in-service transmission pipelines. It was funded by DOT/OPS — the predecessor to PHMSA — as part of the government's evaluation of nondestructive testing technologies for pipeline integrity.
The report contains field measurement data on pipeline segments with known mill certificates, enabling direct comparison between ABI-measured yield strength and the certified values from the pipe manufacturer. This comparison on actual in-service pipe — rather than laboratory specimens — was essential for building confidence in ABI® for pipeline applications.
PHMSA's 49 CFR §192.607 (2021) later established nondestructive testing requirements for pipeline material verification — requirements that ABI® satisfies. The 22-year timeline from this 1999 report to the 2021 rulemaking reflects the thorough, deliberate process by which testing standards evolve in safety-critical regulated industries.