Case Histories

Interview: How Coatings Inspection Needs Are Evolving

Michael Beamish, vice president and general manager at DeFelsko Corp., shares feedback he’s heard from coatings inspectors about their challenges in the field. In 2023, many of these needs revolve around increasing speed and reporting efficiency.

Advances in Protecting Pipelines from Hurricane Damage

With the Northern Hemisphere’s 2023 hurricane season in full swing and nearing its annual peak, emerging technologies and artificial intelligence are among new tools offering hope for superior pipeline protection against mighty storms.

Multistage Commissioning and Concurrent Survey Work on a New Pipeline

On a new pipeline in southeast Texas, this multiphase corrosion control project encompassed the design of cathodic protection and induced alternating current (AC) mitigation systems, followed by subsequent installation, commissioning, and post-construction survey work.

Newly Approved Epoxy Solution Protects Texas Water Tank

Maguire Iron partnered with Sherwin-Williams to recoat the interior of an elevated water storage tank in Hitchcock, Texas, USA. The project was the first time in which the newly NSF 61/600-approved Sherplate 600 potable water epoxy coating was applied since its approval for tanks.

U.S. Engineers Address Pump Corrosion for Hurricane Season

The New Orleans district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is partnering with the U.S. Navy’s salvage and diving supervisor to evaluate corrosion damage as part of a plan to ensure sufficient pumping capacity is available during a tropical weather event.

Novel Evaluation of a Marine Coating Failure

There are many methods to evaluate the corrosion of substrates and breakdown of protective coatings that are subject to wet-dry cycling in natural and accelerated environments. This article explores ways to predict failures without having to artificially harshen those conditions.

Piping Failure: Petroleum Refinery Fire Water Line

In this case study, a piping failure during fire water service operation was investigated using metallographic techniques. According to the author, the use of metallurgical investigations during inspection programs for petroleum and petrochemical plants can help to discover the root causes of corrosion.

Deep in the Heart: BHI Coatings Protects Texas Refinery

Operational conditions for U.S. Gulf refiners aren’t for the faint of heart. Between handling harsh chemicals in a humid environment, corrosion concerns are constant. For one major Houston-area refiner, the specialists to address those concerns are teams at nearby BHI Coatings.

University Researchers to Combat Corrosion with Microorganisms

A team of researchers from Texas A&M University, Tufts University, and the University of Oklahoma is working collaboratively on a project focused on combating microbiologically induced corrosion, and especially corrosion affecting U.S. Air Force fuel tanks.

Life Extension of An Aging Offshore Oil Pipeline

This technical article presents the life extension approach to maintain safe operation of an aging offshore wet crude pipeline. The approach includes the evaluations of corrosion threats, pipeline integrity, and effectiveness of corrosion control practices.

New Modeling Approach for Predicting Corrosion Under Insulation

Building information modeling aims to streamline the inspection of piping insulation by identifying and flagging high-risk areas, which inspectors can use to cover more ground while increasing the likelihood of finding corrosion.

Concrete Treatment Stops Microbially-Induced Corrosion in Wastewater

The Penetron Group has developed an antimicrobial concrete admixture to provide permanent protection for the lift station’s wet well structures from microbially-induced corrosion (MIC).

U.S. Navy Patents Fiberoptic System to Detect Corrosion

The U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center patented its process for applying a “smart” fiberoptic system between a metal surface and its protective coating, which they believe can detect the beginnings of corrosion at the microscopic level.

Australian University Leads Project to Self-Heal Concrete Using Sludge

Self-healing concrete, in the form of microcapsules filled with water treatment sludge, could offer a solution to halt what researchers say are unprecedented corrosion levels in Australia’s aging concrete pipelines.

U.S. Officials Back Denver Water’s Lead Reduction Plan

Denver Water is receiving $76 million in funding from the U.S. Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to accelerate its lead-service line replacement plan, which was recently approved and found to be effective by the Environmental Protection Agency.