Reinforced Thermoplastic Pipes (RTPs): A review of design, modeling, structural health monitoring and future outlook

Reinforced Thermoplastic Pipes (RTPs) are steadily emerging as a competitive alternative to steel pipelines, combining corrosion resistance, reduced weight, rapid installation, and resistance to scale build-up due to its smooth interior surface with the potential for lower lifecycle costs. These attributes make RTPs increasingly relevant to industries seeking reliable and efficient solutions for energy transport, water distribution, and chemical processing. This review provides a comprehensive overview of RTP systems, addressing their material constituents, structural design, service performance, and the main failure mechanisms encountered under operational and environmental loads. Particular focus is placed on the contribution of computational modeling in advancing the design and qualification of RTPs. Constitutive descriptions of thermoplastic liners and covers, multi-scale simulations of non-metallic reinforcements including glass, carbon and aramid fibres and tapes, as well as metallic cord, wire, and strip reinforcements, and interface formulations using cohesive zone and friction-based approaches are examined. In parallel, Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) is highlighted as a key enabler for long-term reliability. Techniques ranging from radiographic and ultrasonic inspection to embedded piezoelectric, optical, and electromagnetic sensors are discussed for their role in enabling early fault detection and integration into integrity management systems. By connecting advances in modeling, SHM, and experimental validation, this review underscores how RTP technology is positioned to deliver both technical and economic value. It identifies current research directions and outlines pathways for improved qualification, digital integration, and demonstration of durability in challenging service environments-factors that are critical for broader industry adoption.