In essence, we provide consulting services with every ultrasonic testing investigation and report – and it’s free.  Included in the cost of our ultrasonic pipe testing fee are recommendations to correct or alleviate the problem if possible, or whatever additional discussion or advice is requested relative to our findings.  Any questions regarding our results and how they have been reached are just a phone call away.

For most initial contacts where a question or concern about corrosion activity has been raised, various issues have likely been discussed at length prior to our involvement.  Corrective steps may have already been initiated.  We frequently find, however, that prior discussions have been based upon nothing other than conjecture, incorrect information, presumptions, and speculation to conditions which may or may not exist.  Add to that confusion the recommendations of different sales representatives, each presenting their own product or service as the solution to the problem.

Often, completely inaccurate opinions and statements of fact have been introduced to further cloud any possible resolution to the problem.  Add into that mix politics, and the always present interest to focus blame in some other direction.  For that reason, we always recommend approaching the issue raised with a fresh perspective, independent outlook, and most importantly – hard core data.

• Misunderstanding And Worse
  

We have been involved in many investigations sparked by someone tapping on the side of a 12 in. condenser water riser with their college graduation ring and identifying it ready to burst.  Or where thread leaks at every single pipe section has been blamed upon the lack of a dielectric fitting at a refrigeration chiller drain line.  Arguments by filtration representatives that “scientific research” has identified the most ideal and effective location for a water filter take-off at the very top of a 24 in. main, while utterly absurd and contrary to the laws of physics, are commonly believed in the absence of hard opposing facts.

Certified experts recommending that galvanized steel pipe should be butt welded together above critical financial data centers in order to improve fire protection system reliability actually create a new and greater failure threat.  In most investigations, we find that the $125,000 installation of water filtration equipment, upon which the hopes of solving a corrosion deposit problem rests, is improperly installed and virtually worthless; this evidenced by the fact that the holding tank for the blowdown has only captured a coffee cup amount of rust after two years of operation.  Yet astonishingly, no one seems to either recognize the contradiction presented by the physical evidence, nor to the reality that what has been proposed will not provide the slightest benefit to the property owner.

Also common throughout the building industry, similar to most others in fact, is the interest to make a problem disappear by throwing money at it, and being able to demonstrate a prompt response – whether or not the right response, or that the actions taken will solve the problem or not.

Given that such misunderstandings often exist, we always recommend a thorough ultrasonic evaluation of any piping system as the first step in any discussion to its condition, remaining service life, vulnerabilities, immediate threats, or corrective actions.  Once that data is available, and once we have been able to assess and translate such information into a comprehensive report, can we then define the extent of a potential problem, the options available towards correction if any, as well as the potential success of those options.

• Multiple Specialties

Every CorrView ultrasonic investigation encompasses the following specialties:

• • • The ability to take accurate, reliable, and verifiable wall thickness measurements

• • • The ability to translate such wall thickness data into a comprehensive and useful final report rather than a meaningless spreadsheet of numbers
      

• • • A firm understanding of corrosion in general, and to its various forms impacting building piping systems

• • • A thorough understanding of the specific forms of corrosion common to each piping system

• • • An understanding of HVAC, plumbing, and fire protection system design and operation
      

• • • Top computer skills enabling us to maximize the benefit and value of our report presentations

• • • A firm understanding of specific areas of vulnerability common to all piping systems under different operating conditions

• • • The ability assess all information together in order to provide the client clear and definitive answers
      

Above all, every ultrasonic investigation is produced independently of any possible outside influence.

• Critical Review

We are occasionally requested to critically review ultrasonic test reports performed by other parties, or more accurately, provide some meaningful interpretation of a spreadsheet of numbers.  In most such examples, we have identified glaring errors in the raw data which then translates to a completely worthless conclusion with no possible reinterpretation.  Wall thickness measurements well exceeding schedule 80 specifications for a low-pressure chill water system defines an error in measurement.  A test report identifying a 0.027 in. average wall thickness at a 24 in. condenser water riser cannot be anything but wrong.  For signed and even PE stamped pipe testing reports showing wall thickness measurements totally beyond the realm of any possibility, the client will almost always intrinsically believe such results, having no other basis upon which to compare or evaluate.

Extraordinarily poor quality to downright incompetent ultrasonic testing services adds more confusion.  In the test report at left, results presented to the client are in the form of a photograph of the pipe with a single wall thickness value written on its side in chalk.  No information is provided as to the piping system it belongs, its physical location within a 500,000 sq. ft. building, the pipe size, pipe schedule, operating conditions, piping material, initial wall thickness, age, or any other those factors critical in making a condition assessment.

Furthermore, one single thickness measurement has no statistical value.  For the developer interested in leaning what pipe should be replace during a major renovation, this report is utterly worthless.

Equally worthless information is presented in this report contracted to determine the condition of condenser water pipe serving an 1,800 ton cooling tower.

As the only documentation of the report being this Gahen Wilson style cartoonist sketch, forwarded to us from a client hoping for some meaningful interpretation, single wall thickness values are added to pipe of unknown size, pipe schedule, and location.  In fact, no useful information is provided to a critical data center facility absolutely dependent upon uninterrupted service.

Once again, providing one single wall thickness measurement for an open condenser water system known to suffer much higher internal pitting negates any possible value to the reader and to critical decision making needs.  While this would be an unacceptable report for even a novice to the industry, the fact that it was produced by a UT Level III firm is shocking.

Here, slightly more information seems available upon first glance, although a closer look shows the data itself substantially inaccurate.  No physical locations are provided to allow the reader to correlate results to the section of pipe tested.  Only 2 decimal places are reported, which greatly reduces the accuracy and significance of the measurement as well as suggests that a lower cost and less accurate instrument was used.  That we were advised to add a zero to the end of each wall thickness measurement to raise it to 3 decimal place accuracy only underscores stupidity.

For one of many examples, a measured wall thickness of 0.70 in. well exceeds the 0.500 in. ASTM specification of even new extra heavy or schedule 80 pipe – a fact any knowledgeable UT technician would immediate recognized before saving and reporting such error.  Notations on the report cite that the client has not provided “Acceptance Criteria” upon which to base a judgement, although no one seeking outside assistance would ever know or be able to calculate such information.

And most of all, further notation to the presence of rust on the pipe results in the company rejecting every single wall thickness measurement it has reported.  Yet for this client looking to know the condition of their piping system, their fee has paid for inaccurate thickness values beyond the realm of possibility as well as a statement by the UT firm itself that their inspection work and resulting report are totally worthless and of no benefit.

As shown for just these 3 of many examples, the introduction and reliance upon incorrect pipe testing results are actually worse than having no data at all, since it will lead all future actions in likely the wrong direction.

• Legal Strategy

A solid ultrasonic testing report must not only stand up to any degree of scrutiny and criticism by experts of an opposing party, but needs to be “bulletproof” as well.  Even a meaningless typo can become a argument of refute or be manipulated to discredit the entire contents of a report in a legal case.  Being informed that a piping investigation may be the basis of future litigation is therefore extremely important before the investigation begins in order to ensure that every possible question, argument, and avenue of opposition escape has been tightly sealed.

Very few legal conflicts relate to black and white issues, and often in involve multiple events.  Chemical water treatment providers are typically blamed for all corrosion problems although many other contributing issues exist.  The failure of a never used by-pass line which has filled with debris to produce a severe under deposit corrosion condition can be disprove the fault of the chemical company by a finding of normal corrosion activity everywhere else.  Fully understanding and documenting the issue, therefore, is absolutely critical.

• Phone Conference

We are always glad to discuss any corrosion problem by phone, and at no charge.  Having some factual information such as piping size, where a failure occurred, a history of operation, and any other relevant details about the property and piping system is always helpful.  Photographs are especially useful, and will always shed light on the issue.  For larger and more extended involvements, a reasonable hourly fee can be established.

© Copyright 2023 – William P. Duncan, CorrView International, LLC