API RP 1176 : 2026

This recommended practice (RP) is applicable to any pipeline system used to transport hazardous liquid or natural gas, including those defined in U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 195 and 192, respectively.

This RP summarizes industry-proven practices, and it provides background knowledge needed to manage cracks and threats that cause cracking on pipelines. The guidance in this RP targets pipelines along the right-of-way (ROW), but some of the processes and approaches can be applied to pipeline facilities, such as stations, terminals, and delivery facilities associated with pipeline systems.

This RP provides pipeline industry’s current understanding of pipeline cracking. It gives guidance on mechanisms that cause cracking, how to estimate crack growth, and how to estimate the pressure capacity of cracked pipe. It discusses selection of appropriate integrity assessment methods for various types of cracking, operating conditions, and pipeline characteristics, and it reviews current knowledge about in-line inspection (ILI) technology and in-the-ditch (ITD) nondestructive evaluation technology. A methodology for responding to ILI-reported features, specific criteria for when to respond to certain results, and applicable repair techniques are reviewed. The RP discusses reassessment interval determination and appropriate preventive and mitigative measures. Finally, some meaningful performance metrics for measuring the effectiveness of a crack management program are discussed.