Patent attributes
An assembly, a system, and a method for protecting a portion of a pipeline from an impact in an excavation operation creating a void around the portion of the pipeline with a shell assembly are described. The shell assembly includes two half cylinders and fasteners to couple the two half cylinders together. Each half cylinder has a pipe cover shell, an inner shell, and an outer shell. The pipe cover shell is sized to conform to an outer surface of the pipeline. The inner shell is spaced apart from the pipe cover shell and coupled to the pipe cover shell by radially extended inner supports. Each inner support has a crumple component that is weaker than adjacent portions of the inner support. The outer shell is spaced apart from the inner shell with the inner shell disposed between the outer shell and the pipe cover shell.
