A large-scale programme of constructing a wide network of small-diameter pipelines to supply natural gas to the country's rural areas has been developed today in CIS and is being intensively put into practice. To fulfill technical and such a technological programme decisions new are required aimed at a higher rate of production and improved quality of works. The main technological operation are, as before, pipe coating, welding and weld quality control. The paper gives an outline of new techniques and technology for the mechanized cleaning of pipes before coating. It includes a design of the pipe-cleaning unit equipped with a special needle-cutting tool and a system of the cleaning control providing an automatic adjustment of the cleaning process parameters depending on pipe surface cleanness. Some technical and economic data and the main technological elements of butt welding are also given in It includes, as rotating arc this paper. problems of techniques and well, the quality control using new ultrasonic non-destructive testing units.
Until recently, the priority direction in developing pipeline transport was the construction of main pipelines. The system of distribution-network pipelines was not sufficient. As a result, only 11 % of those inhabiting the country's rural areas have a supply of natural gas. In order to improve the gas supply of the rural areas a special programme has been developed. In 1991–1995 in the Russian Republic 17,000 of 141,000 alone it is high-pressure km of gas planned to construct pipeline taps and distribution-network pipelines. The construction of such networks must be performed rapidly observing a high quality of works. It is feasible on the basis of new technologies and technical solutions. The principle technological solutions have been made in the field of pipe coating, welding and weld quality control.
