Smoothing insert

A flexible pipe body, comprising:

• a wound carcass tape element comprising a plurality of carcass windings, adjacent carcass windings being interlocked and providing a gap therebetween;
• and
• a helically wound elongate tape element, at least partially interposed between windings of the carcass tape element, having a cross section comprising a first portion, extending from a first free edge of the elongate tape element corresponding to a first end of the cross section, that is curved and at least partially extends into a first gap region that extends between two adjacent windings of the carcass tape, and a body portion, extending between the first portion and a remaining end of the cross section that corresponds to a remaining free edge of the elongate tape element, that bridges a further gap region extending between a one of the two adjacent windings and a further adjacent winding that is adjacent to said a one of the two adjacent windings of the carcass tape;
• wherein
• the body portion comprises an intermediate region that is curved and is located at least partially into the further gap region.

A method of manufacturing flexible pipe body, comprising the steps of:

• helically winding an elongate tape element on an outer surface of a mandrel member thereby at least partially overlaying an overlying region of the elongate tape element of an incoming elongate tape element winding over a covered region of a preceding elongate tape element winding;
• helically winding a carcass tape over the mandrel member thereby locating a portion of an incoming carcass winding over at least a region of an already wound winding of the elongate tape element thereby locating a curved first portion of a cross section of the elongate tape element in a first gap region that extends between two adjacent windings of the carcass tape and locating a body portion of the elongate tape element bridging a further gap region extending between a one of the two adjacent windings and a further adjacent winding of the carcass tape that is adjacent to said a one of the two adjacent windings of the carcass tape;
• and
• locating an intermediate region of the body portion that is curved at least partially into the further gap region.