SmartMat™
Cathodic protection and stabilization mattress for pipelines

The SmartMat has replaced the CP Mat as Deepwater's concrete mattress cathodic protection system.

The SmartMat is a standard concrete stabilization mattress with an integral cathodic protection system comprising many small aluminum anodes, cast directly into the concrete. The system is designed to provide cathodic protection for pipelines at crossings or in other unstable conditions. The mattress itself relies on the plastic Sea-Mat shells, which have revolutionized the deployment of offshore concrete mattresses. Rather than shipping a pre-poured concrete mattress, we can now ship a complete mat's worth of sea-struct shells and anodes. These shells conveniently clip together and allow local crews to pour the concrete on-site.

Versatile in Design - A cathodic protection retrofit project conducted using the SmartMat will provide the required stabilization and the added benefit of up to 30 years of cathodic protection for up to 3 miles of pipeline, depending on existing CP potentials and the needs of the operator. The RetroClamp system, used to electrically connect the anodes to the cathode, can be installed quickly by diver or ROV. Originally designed to provide cathodic protection at pipe crossings, SmartMats are provided with patented non-shielding soft pads on the underside and can be loaded with aluminum or zinc anodes, making them suitable for all water chemistry (from seawater to river water).

A Reliable Connection - The RetroClamp is patented technology, developed at Deepwater and available nowhere else. The RetroClamp connects the SmartMat with two armored cables to the pipeline it is intended to protect. The Clamp is diver and ROV-friendly, and the contact tip of the clamp that creates electrical contact with the pipeline can be fitted with a soft drill bit, allowing it to penetrate concrete weight coats. The floating plate on the top of the clamp ensures a strong and constant connection that will not damage the pipe.

Applications

Pipeline Crossings

The SmartMat is ideal for pipeline crossings; in conjunction with standard concrete mattresses, the SmartMat can provide extra CP for the pipeline being crossed, as well as for the new pipeline. The CP provided can add a “free” CP retrofit of up to 20 years, with minimal additional installation time required.

Pipeline River Crossings

In the case of a river crossing, installing one or more SmartMats can provide additional CP for the pipeline section underwater, where coatings tend to be damaged and pipelines are often under protected. The additional SmartMats also provide the same added stability to the pipeline as the standard concrete mattress.

Pipeline CP Retrofits

The SmartMat is an excellent solution for the retrofit of an aging or damaged pipeline. If a pipeline or its coating has been damaged, placing the Mat directly over the damaged area or holiday directs cathodic protection specifically to the required area. When retrofitting older pipelines installed without a concrete weight coat, the SmartMat provides ballast to stabilize pipeline movement. Smaller diameter flowlines and short run pipelines can also benefit from the ballast provided with a SmartMat. The stability of the mattress also makes installation feasible in all types of harsh environments, where strong currents are a concern.

Sheet Pile Bulkheads

The SmartMat will work anywhere that a steel or reinforced concrete structure has to be stabilized in a submerged situation. The integral anodes of the Mat can provide significant supplemental CP to a sheet pile bulkhead. As the sea-side of the bulkhead typically experiences more extensive corrosion than the shore-side, it is beneficial to direct extra cathodic protection to this side. The mattress also provides superior low profile CP to prevent under-protection and scour in shallow water.

Wind Farm Retrofits

The SmartMat is also a solution for retrofitting offshore wind turbines, where shallow water and scour have proven to be difficult for traditional CP solutions. The low-profile mattress works well in this environment, and the added ballast proves adequate for preventing scour.

Concrete about to be poured, after the anodes have been placed The aluminum anode, once cast inside the mattress segment A graphic showing the SmartMat installed on a pipeline, connected by two RetroClamps SmartMat segments, fitted with a rubber pad, which aids in one of the primary applications, pipeline crossings Concrete mattress stabiliting a pipeline at a river crossing SmartMat Cathodic Protection Concrete Mattress being installed to at a river crossing SmartMat withstands harsh conditions A wire rope is cast through each block of the SmartMat, electrically connecting the anodes together SmartMat segments allow the mat to be built to any dimensions SmartMats shown on the barge, on the way to deployment The connections to the lifting frame SmartMat segments shown here connected together, stored stacked eight mats high Two SmartMat sections connected with polymer bands, used to "anchor" a pipeline SmartMats shown on the truck, prior to being loaded onto the barge SmartMat shown on the sea floor Each smart mat segment easily connects to one another Aluminum anode inside the concrete mattress 
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Key design points

Ballast provides a solution for harsh environments

In addition to its more standard application on pipeline crossings, the Mat's weight and stability make it ideal for replacing the anodes on aging pipelines in harsh or unstable environments.

Reduce the intervention during installation

The SmartMat can be rapidly and safely deployed offshore, with little to no diver intervention. RetroClamps are fully ROV-installable.

Quality Control

All of the anodes that Deepwater provides are manufactured at one of our ISO 9000 certified foundries. Each foundry is located just minutes from the engineers and designers running our projects, allowing Deepwater to oversee QA/QC on every anode.