Pipeline buoyancy control assembly and tie-down attachment member

Abstract

A pipeline buoyancy control assembly includes a pair of anchor rods, a pair of tie-down attachment members, a pair of termination members, and a flexible endless strap having an endless loop configuration. The anchor rods are driven partially into the ground along opposite lateral sides of the pipeline. The tie-down attachment members are disposed on and mounted to upper end portions of the anchor rods with each tie-down attachment member having a tubular mounting body defining an axial passageway through which the upper end portion of one anchor rod extends and a retainer body disposed in an oblique relation and attached to the tubular mounting body. Each termination member is mounted to the upper end portion of one of the anchor rods. The endless strap has opposite portions secured to the tie-down attachment members and main portions laid over a top of and disposed in a substantially transverse relation to the pipeline and extending between and attached to the opposite portions. The retainer body of each tie-down attachment member defines an annular shoulder that overlies and encompasses one of the opposite portions of the endless strap so as to retain the endless strap in place over the top of the pipeline such that a buoyancy load of the pipeline is spread over the anchor rods and thereby reduces stress applied to the anchor rods.