Introduction

This chapter will impart the basic understanding of –

1. • The methodology of pipeline construction, the various steps involved in the sequence of activities

2. • The process and procedure for each activity

3. • The special machinery used in pipeline construction work

A pipeline construction set-up may be described as a moving assembly line. The basic differences with an assembly line of a manufacturing unit include the space of the plant which in case of a pipeline does not take place inside a protected plant, but is out in the open countryside subject to natural and man-made interference/impediments. Also, it is a moving unit which has to constantly move ahead, working in new surroundings, dealing with new situations every day.

A Historical Overview Of Pipeline Construction

The discovery of oil in the United States and the subsequent growth in demand of petroleum products gave birth to a new branch of construction industry – pipeline construction. There was rapid growth in industrial activities requiring the increased supply of petroleum, and pipelines came to be relied on more and more to sustain the country's economic expansion. As a result the pipeline industry matured and so did its construction methods aided by many innovative and imaginative adaptations to a number of engineering techniques.