A buried pipeline is only as protected as its worst joint. Mainline pipe arrives with factory applied fusion bonded epoxy or three layer polyethylene, applied under controlled plant conditions. Every weld made in the field then strips a band of that protection away, and the field joint coating has to restore it in the open, in UAE heat, on a construction schedule.
Why field joints fail more often than mainline coating
Industry experience is consistent: a disproportionate share of external corrosion findings on pipelines trace back to field joints. The reasons are practical. Surface preparation in a trench is harder than in a plant, application conditions vary, and joints concentrate stress and handling damage.
The liquid epoxy solution
High build liquid epoxy field joint coatings are the standard choice on onshore projects: two pack systems applied by brush, roller or plural component spray over blasted steel to 500 microns or more, compatible with both FBE and 3LPE mainline systems. Fast cure grades suit hot climates, where steel temperatures shorten pot life but also accelerate through cure.
Getting the joint right
The sequence is fixed: blast the cutback to ISO 8501-1 Sa 2.5, roughen the overlap onto the factory coating, apply to specified thickness, then holiday test at the project voltage before wrapping or backfill. Skipping the abrasion of the parent coating overlap is the most common audit finding.
With the UAE actively expanding pipeline capacity to Fujairah, field applied coatings are in steady demand. MENA Industrial Supplies quotes field joint epoxies from Dubai stock with technical data sheets against your specification. Start at our oil, gas and refinery coatings page.