It is estimated that more than $30 billion in corrosion damage occurs in water and wastewater handling systems each year. Much of that estimated dollar amount is due to corrosion damage that occurs in pipelines, storage tanks, and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). As concrete and metal are both subject to corrosion, there are several applications where cathodic protection can be utilized, including reinforced concrete: piping or transfer lines; tanks; waste sludge lines; overflow lines; chill water or closed-loop systems; delivery piping; steam condensate lines; and process equipment.
Corrosion Integrity possess extensive experience in the evaluation of environmental corrosivity. Our survey and inspection engineers conduct soil resistivity surveys to assess the probability of corrosion relative to the metallic structures to be installed. Our Northern California office can conduct laboratory corrosivity analysis of soil and water. The design of corrosion control and corrosion monitoring systems is an integral part of our scope of services. This includes the preparation of cathodic protection design plans and specifications suitable for construction and the design of corrosion monitoring systems utilizing electronic probes, RMUs, coupons and instrumentation.
Condition Assessment
Condition Assessment is an ongoing process (Condition Assessment of Wastewater Collection Systems, EPA/600/R-09/049). To assess the condition of Water Storage Tank or Pipelines, data and information are gathered through observation, direct inspection, investigation, and indirect monitoring and reporting. An analysis of the data and information helps determine structural and operational issues, and performance of the system. Condition assessment also includes failure analysis to determine the causes of infrastructure failures and to develop ways to prevent future breakdowns. Condition assessment enhances the ability of utilities to make technically sound judgments regarding asset management.
The steps and purposes of condition assessment is to identify and characterize the state of condition assessment technology for research and evaluate performance and cost of innovative and advanced infrastructure, monitoring technologies including wireless and remote sensing approaches developed in other industries and their applicability to our customers. For utilities companies, we prepare protocols, metrics, and site selection criteria for field demonstration of selected innovative condition assessment technologies and decision-support systems.
Above-Grade Storage Tanks and Clarifiers
Corrosion Integrity brings design / build experience working on storage tanks and continuously looks for innovative ways to bring advancing technology to protecting our water storage / supply systems. Corrosion Integrity specializes in the inspection, installation, repair and maintenance of cathodic protection systems for water storage tanks as well as water and wastewater treatment units. Innovations include the use of permanent anode suspension systems for icing tanks, long-life anodes, automatic “error free” rectifiers, corrosion rate probes, SCADA rectifiers, remote monitoring units (RMU), and permanent reference cells. Also knowledgeable in selecting the appropriate anode material tailored to provide highest performance; while considering lowest operating costs. Our systems and programs prevent the loss of metal and the loss of coatings due to corrosion.
Atmospheric Corrosion Assessment
Atmospheric corrosion is a common cause of degrading steel structures. Corrosion Integrity establishes corrosion control provisions to protect against adverse atmospheric corrosion conditions and recommendations are developed, as necessary, to minimize corrosive damage. Corrosion Integrity evaluates atmospheric pollutants and probability factors for future corrosion of structures exposed to various chemicals, effecting the increased potential for corrosion. This information is factored in during the design plans and specifications additional preventive measures may include the use of protective coatings, vapor corrosion inhibitors, and/or the installation of cathodic protection systems.
Reinforced Concrete Structure Corrosion Control
Corrosion Integrity is experienced in the area of reinforced concrete structure corrosion control. Structural examples include retaining walls, tunnels, reservoirs, aboveground storage tanks, pipelines, buildings, foundations, and settlers/thickeners. Corrosion control needs are considered during the design phase of these structures. Corrosion is of particular concern at locations where chlorides and sulfates come in contact with reinforced concrete. Corrosion Integrity provides recommendations for coatings, corrosion inhibitors, membranes and other forms of corrosion control for new structures.
Coatings and Paints Consulting and Inspection Services
Corrosion Integrity provides certified coatings-and-paints specialists for coatings testing and evaluation, coatings specification preparation, and on-site inspection services for facilities, water storage tanks, bridges, pipelines, buildings, and more.
Corrosion Integrity prepares specifications based on the structural and environmental conditions, whether they are performance or material oriented. These specifications may include detailed materials, applications, testing and/or performance characteristics using military, commercial or custom standards, or simply recommendations based on brand names. Many of these specifications are for new structures and others are a result of investigations of existing coatings and/or corrosion damage to existing structures. Our experience with coatings has come from working with both the interior and exterior of a wide range of structures.
Field inspections and tests evaluate factors such as coating thickness, bond strength, and coating type requirements. They define the scope of what is needed and report actual and potential causes of coating failure. Much of the coating work performed by Corrosion Integrity includes an evaluation of the coating systems available and determination of optimum coatings.
Internal Corrosion Engineering Services
Corrosion Integrity offers a multi-element approach for monitoring and controlling internal corrosion using a proactive approach to reduce life-cycle costs and to minimize downtime. Corrosion Integrity provides comprehensive internal corrosion monitoring services across North America, and utilizes techniques ranging from weight-loss coupons to linear polarization resistance and electrical resistance probes. This instrumentation is used for measuring and monitoring corrosion rates in pipelines, process vessels, storage tanks, concrete, off-shore structures and even atmospheric corrosivity in plant control rooms. Corrosion Integrity also has the capability of measuring instantaneous corrosion rates. These services include the crews and equipment necessary for inspection of pipelines, vessels and tanks by contracted API certified personnel, coordination and validation of intelligent pig inspections, bacteria monitoring surveys, selection of corrosion inhibitors to maximize cost performance, and corrosion monitoring.
It is our commitment to provide you with a team of experienced leaders to ensure effective planning, project implementation, cost value, quality control, and Corrosion Integrity’s management dedication to your project. We look forward to partnering with you maintaining and improving our infrastructure.