Pipe support contact points are a recurring source of external corrosion and vibration-related issues on offshore facilities because they concentrate several failure drivers in one constrained interface: coating wear from micro-movement, a shaded crevice that retains thin saltwater films, and metal-to-metal electrical continuity that can promote galvanic effects. This Offshore “Pipelines” case study documents a staged field trial initiated in 2019 on a fixed Gulf of Mexico platform, where a major operator installed the RedLineIPS SmartPad System on selected 4-inch to 8-inch carbon-steel produced-water lines located in dense racks near washdown areas and HVAC drip points—zones that remain damp and salty.
The article explains the SmartPad System configuration as a contoured FRP saddle paired with a bonded, closed-cell Hydroseal gasket, secured by non-metallic SmartBands and polymer buckles. The sealed, non-metallic interface is described as keeping moisture and salt off the pipe surface, compressing into coating texture to block wicking, breaking the metal-to-metal path, and cushioning micro-movement to reduce vibration and local sound. Installation and inspection were performed as cold work on live lines: crews tensioned bands with a preset tool, and for inspections cut the bands, lifted the saddle, wiped and visually checked the surface, then re-banded—typically taking minutes per support in normal access.
Reported observations included no active corrosion at the pipe/pad contact during routine visual checks, fewer paint touch-ups at treated supports, and quick sound readings suggesting approximately 6–10 dB(A) lower noise levels compared with nearby untreated supports under similar conditions. Based on these results, the operator expanded use during the fourth year with a second installation wave; at the time of publication, the first set had passed six years in service and the second set about two years, while any potential long-term structural fatigue benefits were explicitly noted as still under study.
Key mechanisms covered
- Crevice / thin-film corrosion from saltwater films trapped at shaded pipe–support contact points
- Coating wear from micro-movement (thermal/vibration-driven) that initiates corrosion at support footprints
- Galvanic continuity risk reduced by removing the steel-on-steel electrical path with an all-non-metallic interface
- Noise and vibration amplification at supports mitigated by damping micro-motion with a cushioned interface
- Inspection-driven corrosion risk addressed through rapid “open–inspect–reseal” visual checks that are practical to perform routinely