Immobilised insert

An elongate tape element for bridging a gap between windings of a flexible pipe body layer, having a cross-sectional profile comprising:

• a body portion at least partially locatable in a gap between adjacent windings of a layer of a flexible pipe;
• a first wing portion extending from the body portion to a first wing end;
• and
• a further wing portion extending from the body portion to a further wing end;
• wherein the elongate tape element comprises at least one V-groove weld between the wing portions that laterally immobilises the wing portions.

A method of manufacturing an elongate tape element for bridging a gap between windings of a flexible pipe body layer, comprising the steps of:

• providing an elongate sheet having a uniform thickness and a first and further spaced apart long edge, to a first pair of a plurality of spaced apart pairs of opposed forming roller elements;
• via the pairs of roller elements, progressively forming a cross-sectional profile in the sheet that comprises a body portion comprising a folded central region of the sheet and a first and further wing portion that each extend away from the body portion and terminate at a respective long edge of the sheet;
• and
• heating the folded central region or at least one other region of the cross-sectional profile of the sheet to thereby relieve residual stress in the folded sheet material.