Corrosion of structures in electric power transmission and distribution lines is a primary cause of in-service equipment degradation. When a power transmission structure corrodes to the point where it starts experiencing structural corrosion and material loss, the risk mitigation practices cannot be effectively applied and the structure repair/replacement remains as the only viable option.
If corrosion is not addressed at its early stages, shortly it can affect system reliability and will lead to expensive repair and replacement of corroded structures, beside substantial costs of power shut down, possible environmental damages, injuries, and fatalities. Accordingly, corrosion inspection and risk assessment is the key to identify corrosion related issues and take initiatives for properly risk mitigation actions.
Here are services we provide for corrosion risk assessment and corrosion mitigation of T&D structures
* Drone Inspection and Thermographic Imaging for Tower Condition Assessment
* Paint Coating Selection for Above Ground and Underground Applications
* Custom-designed cathodic protection systems with deep well design for tower facilitie* Monopole Fatigue, Fatigue Sensor and Fatigue Mitigation
* How Team Matergenics differ from other inspection companies
* Why stray current is an important issue in corrosion and How to detect it?
* Corrosion Engineering Training
We also provide GIS Corrosion Mapping: Atmospheric and Soil Corrosivity, Remaining Life Modeling and Estimation for Underground Assets
MATERGENICS’ corrosion inspection for transmission structure, including line and substation assets, involves three different stages:
Prior to site visits and field measurements, based on the project requirements, pre-assessment (desk study) must performed to complete the following tasks:
Our professional inspectors collect the key corrosion indicator data at each structure footing, and perform site-specific tests to characterize the service environment, including:
All inspection findings and recommendations are included in a comprehensive report, that includes:
All inspection findings and recommendations are included in a comprehensive report, that includes:
We also provide the following services:
* GIS Corrosion Mapping and Drone Inspection and Thermographic Imaging for Tower Condition Assessment
* Paint Coating Selection for Above Ground and Underground Applications
* Custom-designed cathodic protection systems with deep well design for tower facilities
* Remaining Life Modeling and Estimation for Underground Assets
* Monopole Fatigue, Fatigue Sensor and Fatigue Mitigation
* Why stray current is an important issue in corrosion and How to detect it?
* Corrosion Engineering Training
Our condition assessment considers:
Inspection Overview and Procedures
The overall condition of the tower structural members, climbing facilities, fasteners, and other components are evaluated as outlined in this section. Visual and physical checks are performed to ensure that the tower and subsystems are structurally sound and functional.
Tower load bearing members , conduits, ladders, stairways. fasteners, and all load bering primary and secondary members will be checked, documented and severity of corrosion will be reported by our experienced climbers and NACE certified corrosion engineers. Corrosion mitigation: coating selection, surface preparation and application of coating per SSPC and NACE specifications will be provided for the Client’s review.
Physical inspections and UV thickness measurements are performed to determine steel member thickness using Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge. All corners of the towers are checked at the ground level and at any location that appears questionable with a three-point check that covers the leg and the braces on either side of it Coating thickness is also checked at these points using an Elcometer 456 Coating Thickness Gauge. ASTM A-123A is referenced for coating thickness requirements. Galvanized Thickness and protective organic coatings are measured as well.
Concrete foundations and anchoring hardware are visually checked for wear and damage.Concrete hardness tests are performed using Digital Concrete Test Hammer. Two hardness measurements are taken per foundation corner – one set of four readings on the top of the foundation (vertical reading) and one set of four readings on the side (horizontal reading).
MATERGENICS provides corrosion inspection/monitoring services, and corrosion risk assessment for different types of telecom structures including:
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If corrosion is not detected and mitigated at its early stages, shortly it will lead to expensive refurbishment of corroded members, while in a longer time it can affect tower safety and increased risk for injuries, and fatalities. Periodic corrosion inspection and risk assessment is a cost-effective method to bring certainty to core asset safety. Team Matergenics can assist you on these tasks. At your request we can provide a comprehensive. presentation on our approach and experience in this important field
We can assist you with the following important tasks:
Team Matergenics is able to provide many unique services to assess the corrosion risk and to determine the remaining life of towers and anchors. We are also able to provide best-in-class CP design for helical anchors and special situations where installation of galvanic anodes is not feasible. What distinguishes us from our competition are the following:
Items 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are unique to team Matergenics and we do not know of any other firm performing these tasks. Please see the onsite photos attached to this document for examples of our work.
MATERGENICS’ corrosion inspection for telecom structure, involves three different stages:
Prior to site visits and field measurements, based on the project requirements, a desk study must performed to complete the following tasks:
Our NACE certified inspectors collect the key corrosion indicator data at tower base and anchor footings, and perform site-specific tests to characterize the service environment, including:
Collected samples during site visits must be examined in a controlled environment to identify:
All inspection findings and recommendations are included in a comprehensive report, that includes:
Engineering analysis and repair recommendations.
Matergenics is able to design, install, test, and monitor cathodic protection systems that prevent any further corrosion and extend the life of buried assets for at least 15 years. Compared to oil and gas industry, the tower industry as a whole is behind on implementation of CP method of extending in-service life of the assets. The oil and gas pipeline industry has been using this method successfully for many years to prevent failures and reduce inspection and maintenance costs.
PhD-level NACE-certified engineers in Matergenics have developed an advance simulation tool to design best-in-class anode bed designs for optimum protection of tower foundation regardless of structural materials and designs.
Matergenics offers innovative cathodic protection solutions to telecom utility companies. Our engineers and technicians are NACE certified professionals and use the latest technology to deliver best-in-class services to our clients.
Matergenics’ engineers and technicians are NACE certified experts in material selection, application, and inspection of coating system specific to below-grade and above-grade members of telecom towers.
We design and Install Cathodic Protection Systems for Tel-communication Towers Based on Corrosion Engineering Principles and By NACE Certified Technical Personnel.
We understand budget limitations and can provide options to fit your budget if you wish.
Another effective way to protect structures against corrosion attack is to use a coating film to shield it from the environment. However, not all coatings are created equally. Matergenics has several coating experts that are equipped to test and analyze coating quality based on common coating failure modes.
Proper coating system and Adequate surface preparation per SSPC and NACE standards are extremely important for atmospheric high elevation zones of the telecom tower. To improve the protection level at foundations of telecommunication structures, Matergenics recommends partial coating application along with CP system installation. This results in improved protection at both deep and shallow burials, also extends the lifespan of anodes. Answers to the following questions are keys for a successful coating application:
ASTM, SSPC, and NACE test procedures are followed to assure that the selected coating will survive and protect the structure as intended. These tests include:
Considering our expertise, Matergenics is the only company that can select coatings that work with cathodic protection systems to guarantee maximum protection to extend the life of any structure.
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Use our online SERVICE REQUEST FORM or send the same information to info@www.matergenicsinc.com, and let us know how we can help you.