In order to inform the pipeline industry of the key changes to the standard, APIA has commenced a series of seminars across Australia. The first of these seminars was held in Sydney in late February.

APIA Chief Executive Cheryl Cartwright opened the Sydney seminar, by revealing to the audience that it was over seven years since a letter from Epic had been received by APIA requesting that the pipeline industry review the potential for requirements for the increase from a design factor from 0.72 to 0.80. This request in turn triggered the start of the review of AS2885.1.

Building on this opening address, Philip Venton, as the seminar convener, outlined the challenge for the seminar: “How to outline in one day the principles in the new Standard that had been developed during those seven years of research, investigation, robust discussion, drafting, and redrafting?”

The day was planned as interactive workshop whereby members of the Standards committee and the audience were encouraged to use their combined breadth of experience and knowledge to discuss the issues that lay in a fictional pipeline project.

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Based upon this fictional pipeline, sessions were facilitated, by members of the Standards committee, on topics ranging from the development of the safety management scheme through to design aspects such as choice of wall thickness and stress limitations.

Along the way, the participants were also given insight into the basis for existing and new aspects of the standard, including penetration resistance, fracture control, requirements for high consequence areas, and the process outlined for the upgrading of MAOP for an existing pipeline.

Although the real details of the changes in AS2885.1 can only be ascertained by time and effort in reviewing the document, the interactive nature of the workshop informed the audience as to the extent of the key changes. Potentially more importantly, the workshop also gave an insight into the reasons behind these changes.