It didn't occur to me that the OP was asking if something was done that wasn't suppose to be done lol. In my experience the cold pull, that is the intentional cold pull is closely monitered but I can see this happening as well.
By G.S.Crisi 
Date 08-03-2010 21:58
Edited 08-03-2010 22:00
Back in 1962, when I was a "just out of school" engineer, I went to work for an erection contractor who was in charge of the erection of a small power plant (6,000 kW) in Argentina, South America. The plant was small but I learned quite a lot. The boilers (Riley Stoker) were American, the water treating plant (Cochrane) also, the turbine generators (Franco Tosi / Marelli) were Italian and the transformers and high tension switchboards (Magrini), also. The consulting engineers were Sargent and Lundy, from Chicago. So, at the plant jobsite there were American and Italian engineers to supervise our erection job. As I was the only good English and good Italian speaking person at site, I served as interpeter for all of the engineers: suppliers', contractor's (us) and client's.
Well, on the Sargent and Lundy's high temperature piping drawings, the "cold pulls" (yes, cold pulls) were indicated with that name. So, it's almost half a century that I know what a "cold pull" is.
By the way, what Shane has described as being a "cold pull" in Australia, here in Brazil is named "gambiarra".
To answer Nosetackle's question, let's put our heads to work a little. A pipe that has been "cold pulled" has developed a stress. Perhaps that stress may be measured with a portable xRay difractometer. I repeat, perhaps. To make sure, I suggest Nosetackle to get in contact with a well known difractometer manufacturer, like Rigaku.
Giovanni S. Crisi
Sao Paulo - Brazil
