Planning A Successful UT Investigation Where To Begin A Piping Investigation The decision to conduct an ultrasonic investigation (UT) has many different origins.  In the overwhelming number of cases, the interest to establish the condition of any piping system only begins after a failure occurs, and generally – a significant failure.  Where major damage and losses have occurred to property or services, documenting the condition and weaknesses of the pipe may be part of a legal action requiring the most thorough and meticulous effort. Testing may also be pursued in preparation of building renovations where the condition of the existing pipe has been raised.  Age is another major factor, with most of America’s high rise building properties now characterized as being in their “senior years” at over 60 years old.  Although advanced pipe failure problems at newer buildings have excluded age as a prerequisite, any piping system in service for 75 years or more should always be of concern. Building acquisitions raise another interest to uncover any piping related vulnerabilities prior to purchase.  Since most due diligence engineering surveys are…

UT Testing Equipment The Tools Of Our Trade Every ultrasonic investigation follows a finely detailed written procedure which outlines our actions taken in the field to acquire the raw wall thickness, as well as our subsequent data analysis and generation of the final report.  This ensures that every investigation is not only based upon accurate wall thickness data, but also ensures that no steps have been overlooked during our field investigation.  The final result, as we always strive, is the most useful and informative fitness fore service report for our client – a report answering all client questions and much more. While different piping systems may require slight alterations in our field testing procedure, such as when the pipe surface is rusted, the fundamental process of sending an ultra high frequency sound wave through the pipe to produce a measurement of wall thickness is identical.  Differences in field testing procedure exist, however, depending upon the type of piping system under evaluation, the piping material, pipe temperature, internal corrosion profile, and external surface conditions. Common issues are: Rusted chill water or dual temperature…

An Overview On Ultrasonic Pipe Testing An Introduction To Test Methods, Reporting, And Applications Ultrasonic testing, or UT as it is commonly called, is the procedure of introducing an ultra high-frequency sound wave into the exterior side of a pipe or some other type of material, and reflecting the sound wave echo from its interior surface to produce a measurement of wall thickness.  The two way duration of travel, divided by the known sound velocity through that particular metal, provides a wall thickness measurement equally accurate to that of a dial caliper. Ultrasonic testing is a nondestructive discipline termed NDT – meaning that it does not damage, alter, change, degrade, influence, or impact the material under evaluation in any possible way.  It is also safe to anyone nearby as well as sensitive electrical equipment, and contains no safety, radiation, or other emission concerns. Since UT quickly allows the precise measurement of the pipe wall dimension from the outside surface, it is ideally suited as a diagnostic tool for piping, tanks, and pressure vessels.  Accurate and reliable results require high quality instrumentation, a skilled and…

Common Corrosion Types Of The Many Forms Of Corrosion Which Exist, The Following Represent The Most Common Problem Areas For Most Building Properties     Of the many different corrosion mechanisms which exist, the most common types are generally well understood.  For each, the process is complex, incorporates many factors, and varies according to metal and specific operating conditions.  Yet all still remain difficult to control, and represent a very serious threat to most piping systems as well as the buildings they serve.  Once established, most corrosion problems will produce future years of operating difficulty and expense at varying levels of severity.  We provide a basic introduction to the most common forms of corrosion and to their impact to building operations below: Generalized Corrosion Generalized corrosion is the well distributed and  low level attack against the entire metal surface with little or no localized penetration.  It is the least damaging and more preferred of all forms of corrosion.  Corrosion rates are typically near 0.5 MPY  under generalized corrosion conditions – easily providing 100 years or more of service for larger diameter condenser water.  Even longer…

How Ultrasonic Testing Works The Theory Behind Ultrasound And Its Uses The concept of utilizing radio or sound waves in order to determine distance began with the invention of sonar and radar during the Second World War.  Today, multiple technologies incorporate this concept in order perform other functions such as, x-ray imaging, medical sonography, flow monitoring, weld inspection, flaw detection and for our purpose – ultrasonic thickness gauging. While ultrasonic thickness testing is relatively new in terms of widespread use, the technology itself has been around for some time.  The concept of using ultrasonic waves to determine internal structure and thickness were introduced in the early 1920s.  Then in 1940, Professor Floyd Firestone of the University of Michigan developed sonar as an aid to the Allied war effort.  In the early 1950s, ultrasonic material testing was further advanced by the United States Navy in order to detect flaws in the hulls of ships and planes.  Ultrasound then expanded throughout a wider range of applications in order to determine preventative measures and ensure the reliability of mechanical equipment in aerospace, aviation, nuclear power, and other…

Investigative Integrity Placing Independence And The Pursuit Of The Facts As Priority Number One We provide what we consider to be the highest level of professional service available, and strive to exceed a client’s expectations in every ultrasonic investigation.  Foremost is the need to answer every question raised, but equally important is in providing a final report entirely independent of any external influences that may exist.  Accuracy, scientific curiosity, investigation, and the pursuit of excellence on your behalf is our one and only interest. We do not sell pipe, install pipe, repair pipe, line pipe, clean pipe, contract water treatment services, sell water filtration equipment, design piping systems, receive commissions, nor hold any interest other than to define the condition of your piping system and advise the best options and actions needed to correct a corrosion condition, if it exists. Political Issues And Self-Interests Yet, political and personal influences, as well as fraud and outright corruption, exist in this field similar to every profession and to the smallest niche of all human endeavor.  A building manager or plant engineer neglecting the water…

System Condition Has Been Established – Now What? Most of our ultrasonic investigations are prompted by a recent failure.  While less common, there are many other reasons to assess the condition of a piping system such as: Indications of high corrosion such as rust deposits, thread leaks, clogged strainers, etc. Poor corrosion coupon results Due diligence prior to building acquisition Establish a baseline prior to changing chemical treatment contractors Lower heat transfer efficiency Evaluation prior to new construction or renovations Age related concerns New building acquisition concerns Effective Solutions May Exist For each and every piping system, commonly identified problems exist resulting in similar corrective recommendations.  Many options exist to clean up a rust laden closed piping system, for example, while few exist to slow the corrosion at a dry fire sprinkler system.  For many findings such as a deteriorated 95 year old sanitary waste system, or a 75 year old galvanized steel domestic water system, there is just no other option than…

The Progressing Decline Of Older Buildings As Well As The Advanced Deterioration Of Newer Properties Demands A Much Closer Inspection Of All Piping Systems By its definition, “Due Diligence” means:  “A comprehensive appraisal of a business undertaken by a prospective buyer, especially to establish its assets and liabilities and evaluate its commercial potential.”  While certain aspects of any property are more important than others, such as its tenant rental income, a hidden yet growing liability for every property is its extensive piping infrastructure. Different Piping Systems Piping layout may be as simple as a small office having limited domestic water and waste service within a 750,000 square foot warehouse, or a 50 story office building of the same square footage containing 25 miles worth of pipe of various types and services.  As the stature of the businesses served raises to higher levels, so do demands for greater comfort controls, more extended hours of operation, and more prestigious surroundings which are often provided at the expense of mechanical upkeep.  The first impression by every visitor to any building is its lobby.  The last quite obviously – the mechanical room,…

Similar to the fact that each piping system is different, certain types of properties have their own distinct corrosion related concerns. In fact, the same fire sprinkler system will present a dramatically different threat to different types of properties. This section of our site provides an overview of the most problematic piping systems common to various property types, as well as highlights the most common corrosion related threats and vulnerabilities. As always, please contact CorrView to discuss any specific issues.   Some of the below sections are currently UNDER CONSTRUCTION. Please check back soon.  …

Ultrasonic Pipe Testing Benefits Determining Pipe Condition, Corrosion Rate, and Remaining Service Life Ultrasound is a well proven and respected diagnostic tool routinely employed for weld and flaw detection in critical applications such as aviation, aerospace, military, marine, and nuclear power.  Developed in the 1950s, it has evolved significantly in terms of equipment capability, accuracy, the level of information provided, and applications. Yet, while advancements in instrumentation have moved this technology into other areas such as manufacturing and quality control, its benefits to plant engineers and property owners as a diagnostic and predictive tool are still widely unknown and underutilized. Limitations Of Metallurgical Analysis As a nondestructive method, UT offers obvious advantages over cutting out pipe for metallurgical inspection.  Removing a pipe sample requires interrupting service, draining down all or part of the system, hiring a mechanical contractor to cut out the pipe, welding in a spool piece replacement, re-filling the system, and then adding new chemical to raise treatment levels back up to their required levels. Far more of a concern than the physical aspect of removing the pipe is the…