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Pipe corrosion is
a major problem for building and industrial properties, and totals billions of
dollars in losses for the United States alone. Our new product CorrView
®, as well as our ultrasonic testing services and the
majority of this Internet site, is focused toward the monitoring and
remediation of corrosion related
problems.
As the content of our Internet
site clearly illustrates, corrosion is a significant threat to any building
operation, and can produce problems ranging from mild annoyance and small
repairs, to major failures and millions of dollars in replacement costs. Such
corrosion problems seem to be on the increase for virtually all piping systems.
Review a summary of
piping quality, operating, and design changes which have
occurred.
Most corrosion
problems begin before the water ever enters the pipe, and advanced planning is
a key element to a long running and properly operating piping system.
Appropriate filtration to an open or closed cooling system is today a
necessity, rather than an option. A well planned and executed chemical
treatment program including fully automatic feeding equipment is likewise
mandatory. Reviewing the piping layout for areas where particulates and debris
are likely to collect, and addressing those concerns, is also necessary in
order to avoid future operating
problems.
The start-up of the piping
system is likely the most important single factor in determining whether a
piping system provides long future service or short and troublesome operation.
Lack of proper chemical cleanout and a delay in initiating chemical treatment
has been linked to almost every pipe corrosion disaster we have seen - with
total failure of those systems resulting in as little as a 2-4 years.
Correcting a start-up problem is an almost insurmountable task, and certainly
an expensive one.
For as many
problems as we illustrated on this site, far more exist where excellent
corrosion control has been achieved. In those cases, the threat of corrosion is
usually a top priority receiving the necessary attention. Money is spent to
ensure that problems are avoided, or at least quickly resolved when found. The
water treatment program receives careful hands on attention, problems are not
ignored, and some level of corrosion monitoring is always
employed.
The following gallery of
photographs presents some recent examples where we have identified excellent
corrosion control - either by the actions of the building engineering staff, or
simply by the inherent corrosion resistance of the specific pipe in use. Far
more such examples exist, but due to our interest to document problem corrosion
areas, simply have not been recorded.
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Chill Water Pipe - Under
ultrasonic inspection, this 35 year old chill water pipe showed high and
uniform remaining wall thickness. Estimated corrosion rate was under 1/2
MPY.
Opening multiple areas of pipe to connect up with new pump and
chiller equipment later revealed almost new pipe conditions inside. A
combination of good quality pipe and effective water treatment allowed almost
unlimited further service life for this building property. |
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Condenser Water- While seeming
corroded, this open condenser pipe exhibits excellent result after almost 45
years in service. UT testing showed some mild pitting activity in random areas
but with the overall average wall thickness still high.
A corrosion rate
of approximately 1 MPY was found, leaving an average 0.360 in. of wall
thickness remaining for this 12 in. pipe. |
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Fire Service - This fire standpipe
riser shows just faint traces of minor corrosion at some areas, and virtually
no wall loss after over 76 years of service.
Such extraordinary
corrosion control is simply due to the higher quality piping materials produced
in those earlier days, combined with a lack of water flow.
This pipe had
been filled in 1928 and basically left stagnant. Ironically, it was removed as
part of a building renovation and thin wall schedule 10 installed in its
place. |
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Chill Pipe - This chill water pipe
was in operation for approximately 30 years, and then left idle for 2 years
before being returned to service.
Ultrasonic testing showed it having a
1 MPY or less corrosion rate, and no significant pitting activity.
For
most piping systems, long periods of inactivity, and especially where some
water remains to produce moist conditions having no chemical protection,
combine to produce high wall losses. The excellent quality of this older pipe
was suggested for the above results. |
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We offer on this
Internet site a large volume of useful information related to pipe corrosion,
its various causes, documentation of its severity, and successful remediation.
An organized grouping of examples of various corrosion types is offered in our
above photo gallery of corrosion types and piping
problems.
We welcome all inquiries about
corrosion problems, examples of good corrosion control, or recommendations to
this site. For further
information please contact CorrView International, LLC
©
Copyright
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