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Our mission: Bringing practical business and technical intelligence to today's structured cabling professionals

For more than 30 years, Cabling Installation & Maintenance has provided useful, practical information to professionals responsible for the specification, design, installation and management of structured cabling systems serving enterprise, data center and other environments. These professionals are challenged to stay informed of constantly evolving standards, system-design and installation approaches, product and system capabilities, technologies, as well as applications that rely on high-performance structured cabling systems. Our editors synthesize these complex issues into multiple information products. This portfolio of information products provides concrete detail that improves the efficiency of day-to-day operations, and equips cabling professionals with the perspective that enables strategic planning for networks’ optimum long-term performance.

Throughout our annual magazine, weekly email newsletters and 24/7/365 website, Cabling Installation & Maintenance digs into the essential topics our audience focuses on.

  • Design, Installation and Testing: We explain the bottom-up design of cabling systems, from case histories of actual projects to solutions for specific problems or aspects of the design process. We also look at specific installations using a case-history approach to highlight challenging problems, solutions and unique features. Additionally, we examine evolving test-and-measurement technologies and techniques designed to address the standards-governed and practical-use performance requirements of cabling systems.
  • Technology: We evaluate product innovations and technology trends as they impact a particular product class through interviews with manufacturers, installers and users, as well as contributed articles from subject-matter experts.
  • Data Center: Cabling Installation & Maintenance takes an in-depth look at design and installation workmanship issues as well as the unique technology being deployed specifically for data centers.
  • Physical Security: Focusing on the areas in which security and IT—and the infrastructure for both—interlock and overlap, we pay specific attention to Internet Protocol’s influence over the development of security applications.
  • Standards: Tracking the activities of North American and international standards-making organizations, we provide updates on specifications that are in-progress, looking forward to how they will affect cabling-system design and installation. We also produce articles explaining the practical aspects of designing and installing cabling systems in accordance with the specifications of established standards.

Cabling Installation & Maintenance is published by Endeavor Business Media, a division of EndeavorB2B.

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An Engineer’s Guide to API 5L Line Pipe for Oil & Gas

Large-diameter API 5L X70 line pipes being installed in a cross-country pipeline construction project.

Introduction

Pipeline integrity is a major financial and environmental concern for the oil and gas sector. The American Petroleum Institute (API) Specification 5L is the internationally recognized standard for manufacturing the line pipe used to transport hydrocarbons. Recognizing the basic principles of API 5L and the significance of the difference between PSL1 and PSL2 is essential for anyone involved in pipeline design, purchasing, and performance.

What is API 5L?

API 5L is a standard that outlines the minimum manufacturing requirements for seamless and welded steel pipe to be used in pipeline transportation systems in the oil and natural gas industries with two product specification levels, PSL1 and PSL2, and provides the technical specifications to ensure the pipe is safe and dependable in its high-risk application.

An infographic chart comparing the key differences in requirements between API 5L PSL1 and PSL2 line pipe, including chemical composition and toughness testing.

The Critical Difference: PSL1 vs. PSL2

The key concept of API 5L is the difference between Product Specification Level 1 (PSL1) and Product Specification Level 2 (PSL2):

PSL1: A specification level for 'standard' quality line pipe. It is a general specification and has a less complete set of requirements.

PSL2: PSL2 provides for stricter, more extensive requirements than PSL1, including required specifications for chemical composition, mechanical properties (maximum yield strength and required fracture toughness testing), and more stringent non-destructive testing.

Feature

PSL1

PSL2

Chemical Composition

More general limits

Stricter limits on Carbon, Sulfur, etc.

Mechanical Properties

Minimum values specified

Both minimum and maximum values specified

Fracture Toughness

Not required

Required for all grades

Traceability

Traceable until all tests are passed

Fully traceable after certification

Certification

Standard

Mandatory SR15 certificate required

In essence, PSL2 is designed for sour service, offshore, and higher-pressure applications where safety and reliability are even more critical.

Understanding API 5L Grades (X-Grades)

An API 5L pipe grade is specified by a letter or number following an "X" which indicates the Minimum Yield Strength of the pipe, in thousands of pounds per square inch (psi).

Common Grades: API 5L X42, X52, X60, X65, X70, X80.

An example: An API 5L X52 pipe will have minimum yield strength of 52,000 psi. The higher the "X" number the stronger the steel.

Conclusion

The API 5L specification provides the foundation for pipeline safety in the oil and gas sector. Understanding the differences between PSL1 and PSL2, and picking the appropriate level (i.e. grade, X52, X65) is vitally important to ensure the long-term integrity and safety of the world’s most important energy infrastructure.

Copyright Notice: This article was originally created by CORTEC STEEL LIMITED and first published on the official website www.cortecsteel.com.

Reproduction Notice

Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited. For citation or reproduction, please credit the source and include a link to this article. All rights reserved.

Media Contact
Company Name: CORTEC STEEL LIMITED
Email: Send Email
Country: China
Website: https://www.cortecsteel.com/

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