ABI Standard Test Methods: This is the last balloted version under ASTM Task Group E28.06.14 on “ABI Test Methods”. Although it satisfied all technical comments from several ballots and includes impressive precision values from a comprehensive Inter-Laboratory Study (ILS) conducted in 2003, it was not issued because the task group was unethically/disgracefully disbanded in 2006 based SOLELY on a written comment from the E28 Committee Chairman (Mr. Earl Ruth who is an employee of a vendor of a Universal Testing Machine company-Tinius Olsen) stating that he has no technical comment but he does not want it. This comment is similar to an earlier comment by the E28.06 Subcommittee Chairman (Mr. Sam Low, a NIST employee) who stated that he did not have time to review the first balloted ABI draft but he had to vote negative (the subcommittee chairman is appointed by the committee chairman). The ABI Test Methods are a threat to vendors of conventional/destructive tensile and fracture toughness testing machines. However, the ABI test methods are successfully addressing the structural integrity needs of many industries worldwide (since 1989 until present), including oil and gas industry (in-situ testing of transmission oil and gas pipelines under ground and under water, pipelines and Coke drums in refineries, etc.), petrochemical industry (very thick forged vessels), transportation industry (steel bridges, turbine blades, engine discs, etc.), and the nuclear industry (pressure vessels and piping). The ABI Standard Test Methods are also published on pages 36-60 of the comprehensive Pipeline Research Council International (PRCI) Report L52280, April 2007 which includes witnessed test results from destructive tensile and fracture toughness tests and from ABI tests on numerous pipeline materials and on a trepan from a storage vessel.
"In-Situ ABI Testing to Determine Yield Strength, Pipe Grade, and Fracture Toughness of In-Service Oil and Gas Pipelines," Russian Oil and Gas Technology, April 2011, pp. 22-29. (1MB)
"In-Situ Measurement of Tensile and Fracture Toughness Properties of Pipeline Sections Using the Innovative ABI Test of ATC’s SSM System," Gas Technology Institute Project 20568, Addendum, February 2009
"In-Situ Measurement of Tensile and Fracture Toughness Properties and Determination of Pipe Grade Using the Innovative ABI Test," Gas Technology Institute Project 20568, Final Report, November 2008
"In-Situ Monitoring of Hydrogen Embrittlement in Ferritic Steel Pipelines," International Conference on Fracture, ICF12, Ottawa, July 12-17, 2009.
"In-Situ Measurement of Pipeline Mechanical Properties Using Stress-Strain Microprobe - Validation of Data for Increased Confidence & Accuracy," Pipeline Research Council International (PRCI), Report L52280e, Apr. 1, 2007.
"Microprobe system measures strength and toughness," Advanced Materials & Processes, ASM Int'l., Sept, 2006, pp. 41-43. (264k)
"Indentation technique provides pipeline integrity monitoring," Oil & Gas Journal, Pennwell, Aug. 14, 2006, pp. 58-62. (2.5MB)
"Innovative SSM Technology Determines Structural Integrity of Metallic Structures: Example Applications for Pressure Vessels and Oil and Gas Pipelines," Proceedings from The Arab International Conference in Recent Advances in Physics and Materials Science, Alexandria, Egypt, Sept. 18-20, 2005. (945k)
"Innovative Nondestructive Method Determines Fracture Toughness of In-Service Pipelines": Proceedings of the International Pipeline Conference, IPC04-0345, Calgary, Canada, Oct. 4-8,2004. (1.6 MB)
" Integrating Automated Ball Indentation with ASME B31G Code to Assess Remaining Integrity of Corroded Pipelines," Proceedings of the International Pipeline Conference, IPC04-0357, Calgary, Canada, Oct. 4-8,2004. (1.25 MB)
"Welding Procedure Qualification and In-Service Weld Integrity Assessment Using Innovative Nondestructive Technology": Proceedings of the International Conference on The Joining of Metals, JOM-11," Helsingor, Denmark, May 25-28, 2003. (810 k)
"In-Service Nondestructive Measurements of Stress-Strain Curves and Fracture Toughness of Oil and Gas Pipelines: Examples of Fitness-for-Purpose Applications." 5th International Conference on Pipeline Rehabilitation & Maintenance, Bahrain, 2002. (1.1 MB)
"In-Situ Nondestructive Measurements of Key Mechanical Properties of Oil and Gas Pipelines," ASME PVP-Vol 429, 2001, pp. 99-104. (1.5 MB)
"Nondestructive Determination of Yield Strength and Stress-Strain Curves of In-Service Transmission Pipelines Using Innovative Stress-Strain MicroprobeTM Technology," Final report to Office of Pipeline Safety / Department of Transportation, ATC/DOT/990901, September 1999.(5.7 Mb)
"Nondestructive and Localized Measurements of Stress-Strain Curves and Fracture Toughness of Ferritic Steels at Various Temperatures Using Innovative Stress-Strain Microprobe™ Technology." Final report No. DOE/ER/82115-2, Award No. DE-FG02-96ER82115, 1999. (1.6 MB)
Murty, K.L., et al., "Characterization of gradients in mechanical properties of SA-533B steel welds using ball indentation," International Journal of Pressure Vessels and Piping, Vol. 76.6, 1999, pp. 361-369.
"Computer Controlled Indentation System," Final report for DoD SBIR Contract No. N00421-96-C-1121, 1998. (5.03 MB)
"Appendixes A, B, and C of "Computer Controlled Indentation System," Final report for DoD SBIR Contract No. N00421-96-C-1121, 1998. (8 MB)
"Nondestructive Determination of Fracture Toughness of Alloy 718 Welded Structures Using Novel Stress-Strain Microprobe Technology," Final Report No. DOE/ER/82316-1; Award No. DE-FG02-97ER82316, 1998. (2.2 MB)
"Indentation-Energy-to-Fracture (IEF) Parameter for Characterization of DBTT in Carbon Steels Using Nondestructive Automated Ball Indentation (ABI) Technique," Scripta Materialia, Vol 38.4. 1998, pp 645-651.
K.L.Murty, M.D.Mathew, P.Q.Miraglia, V.N.Shah and Fahmy M Haggag, "Non-destructive Evaluation of Deformation and Fracture Properties of Materials Using Stress-Strain Microprobe," Non-destructive Characterisation of Materials in Aging Systems, R.L.Crane, J.D.Achenbach, S.P.Shah, T.E.Matikas, P.T.Khuri-Yakub and R.S.Gilmore, Materials Research Society, Pennsylvania, USA,(1998), pp.327-337. (410k)
Murty, K. L., M. D. Mathew, and F.M. Haggag, "Investigation of the Deformation Mechanisms in Sn5%Sb Alloy Using Tensile, Creep and ABI Tests from Ambient to 473K," Metals and Materials, Vol. 4.4, 1998, pp. 799-802.
Murty, K. L., et al., "Nondestructive Determination of Tensile Properties and Fracture Toughness of Cold Worked A36 Steel," International Journal of Pressure Vessels and Piping 75, 1998, pp. 831-840.
"In-Situ Nondestructive Measurements of Key Mechanical Properties of Pressure Vessels Using Innovative Stress-Strain Microprobe (SSM) Technology," Final report No. DOE/ER/82115-1, Award no. DE-FG02-96ER82115, 1997. (1.63 MB)
"Use of Portable/In Situ Stress-Strain Microprobe System to Measure Stress-Strain Behavior and Damage in Metallic Materials and Structures," ASTM STP 1318, 1997, pp 85-98. (199k)
"A Novel Stress-Strain Microprobe for Nondestructive Evaluation of Mechanical Properties of Materials," Nondestructive Evaluation and Materials Properties III, The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, 1997, pp. 101-106. (227K)
"Using Portable/In-Situ Stress-Strain Microprobe System to Measure Mechanical Properties of Steel Bridges During Service," SPIE Proceedings on "Nondestructive Evaluation of Bridges and Highways," Vol. 2946, 1996, pp. 65-75. (1.6 MB)
"Nondestructive Detection and Assessment of Damage in Aging Aircraft Using a Novel Stress-Strain Microprobe System," SPIE Proceedings on "Nondestructive Evaluation of Aging Aircraft, Airports, and Aerospace Hardware," Vol. 2945, 1996, pp. 217-228. (139k)
"Characterization of Strain-Rate Sensitivity of Sn-5%Sb Solder Using ABI Testing," Microstructures and Mechanical Properties of Aging Materials II, TMS 1995, pp. 37-44. (135k)
"In-Situ Measurements of Mechanical Properties Using Novel Automated Ball Indentation System," ASTM STP 1204, 1993, pp. 27-44. (1497k)
"Application of Flow Properties Microprobe to Evaluate Gradients in Weldment Properties", International Trends in Welding Sciences and Technology, ASM, 1993, pp. 629-635. (1096k)
"Measurement of Yield Strength and Flow Properties in Spot Welds and Their HAZs at Various Strain Rates," International Trends in Welding Sciences and Technology, ASM, 1993, pp. 637-642. (1075K)
"Effects of Irradiation Temperature on Embrittlement of Nuclear Pressure Vessel Steels," Effects of Radiation on Materials: 16th International Symposium, ASTM STP 1175, A. S. Kumar, D. S. Gelles, R. K. Nanstad, and E. A. Little, Eds., Philadelphia, 1993, pp. 172-185.
Druce, S. G. et al., "The Use of Miniature Specimen Techniques for the Assessment of Material Condition," ASME PVP-Vol. 252, 1993, pp. 58-59.
"Use of Automated Ball Indentation Testing to Measure Flow Properties and Estimate Fracture Toughness in Metallic Materials," ASTM STP 1092, 1990, pp. 188-208. (413k)
"The Use of Field Indentation Microprobe in Measuring Mechanical Properties of Welds," Recent Trends in Welding Science and Technology, TWR'89, ASM, 1990, pp. 843-849. (365k)
"Structural Integrity Evaluation Based on an Innovative Field Indentation Microprobe," ASME PVP-Vol. 170, 1989, pp. 101-107. (547k)
"Estimating Fracture Toughness Using Tension or Ball Indentation Tests and a Modified Critical Strain Model," ASME PVP-Vol. 170, 1989, pp. 41-46. (294K)
"Field Indentation Microprobe for Structural Integrity Evaluation," U.S. Patent No. 4,852,397, 1989.
"Determination of Luders Strains and Flow Properties in Steels from Hardness/Microhardness Tests," Metallurgical Transactions A, Vol. 14A, 1983, pp. 1607-1613.
