February 8, 2012

Five Year Old $273 Million Dollar Bridge In Toledo Under Investigation For Corrosion Threat

Filed under: CP Remote Monitoring,remote monitoring — Tags: , , , , , , — Ariel @ 9:45 pm

Built between 2002 and 2007, the Veteran’s Glass City Skyway cost $273 million dollars and used the most cutting edge designs and materials, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t immune to manufacturing defects, or tainted materials. This bridge over Muamee River opened five years ago and has already had its share of issues, but this may be the most disturbing yet with far reaching implications.

The transportation department has been advised that the grout prepared at a Marion, Ohio, plant owned by the Sika Corporation contained excessive chloride compounds. The normal industry limit for chlorides in grout for use with steel cables is 0.08%, this grout had in excess of 0.5% at its highest levels. The most prevalent chloride in the grout is sodium chloride, a salt we are very familiar with as our own table salt. Sodium chloride is known to increase the corrosive strength of water and oxygen on steel; it is also know to speed the process of corrosion dramatically.

It is suspected several dozen projects across the United States have used this same chloride containing grout. Increased threat of corrosion discovered on several bridges due to high level of salts in grout used.

Ironically the function of this grout on this Skyway is to protect steel cables from road salts, water, and the oxygen that would normally be the primary causes of rust. However, the salts contained already in this grout may cause the steel cables to corrode prematurely. This accelerated corrosion won’t begin right away, but over time we can be sure tiny cracks will develop in the grout and the chlorides will be carried to the cables along with water and oxygen, beginning the process of corrosion that will weaken and cause damage to the bridge.

It is unknown how many infrastructure projects used the impacted grout, but it is clear many roads, bridges throughout the Midwest will have their long-term service life affected.

Issues with corrosion can happen with the best planned and best funded projects. A structure doesn’t have to be aging to require steadfast attention and monitoring of corrosion.

Corrosion monitoring systems in cases such as this could be invaluable to protecting the public good.

February 1, 2012

Texas Family Injured In Propane Tank Explosion

Filed under: Propane Industry,Propane Monitoring — Tags: , , , , , , — Ariel @ 9:38 pm

A Dallas family is lucky to have their lives after an explosion rocked their home last month. A leaking propane tank is to blame for the devastated house and extensive injuries sustained by Darryn Huffman and his 19 year-old son, Shelby.

Both men received 3rd degree burns and eye damage due to the heat of the blast. Both father and son are expected to make nearly full recoveries after receiving skin grafts and ongoing physical therapy.

Huffman used the propane tank in his home-based jewelry business. Unaware there was a leak, Huffman opened the door to his home workshop and the leaky tank immediately ignited.  Both father and son walking through the doorway were knocked to the ground by the fiery blast and remained sedated in the Intensive care unit for weeks.

Though they are both now on the road to recovery, this family will bear the scars and the limited movement caused by this explosion for the rest of their lives.

Any worksite or home that relies on the convenient fuel of a propane tank has the danger of an explosion such as this one. Although unlikely, taking precautions to prevent such a disaster could save lives, quality of life, and major property damage.

We, at Borin Manufacturing, provide propane monitoring products with features such as: an internal self-monitoring fill level, protection against tampering (magnetic field detection), an internal, self adjusting real-time clock, a visible fill-level control during fill process.

Economic and easy monitoring products are available for your household or organization, because you cannot afford to not pay attention to your propane tanks.

January 24, 2012

Wrongful Death Suit Filed In Allentown Natural Gas Explosion

Filed under: remote monitoring — Tags: , , , , , , — Ariel @ 9:46 pm

The Allentown natural gas explosion that killed 5 people last year is back in the headlines this week after families of the deceased have filed wrongful death lawsuits against the utilities provider UGI.

The deadly explosion and subsequent fire last February devastated a block of homes near the corner of 13th and W. Allen in Allentown, Pennsylvania. 8 homes were destroyed and 47 others were damaged.

The suit filed against UGI Tuesday on behalf of the bereaved families alleges that in 1992 The National Transportation Safety Board warned UGI in a letter that it was necessary to replace miles of corroding gas pipelines in Allentown. This letter was sent following a previous blast in 1990 that resulted in one death, this previous explosion was less than one mile from the sight of last year’s explosion.

The suit filed by Bethlehem lawyer Christian Perrucci on behalf of the affected families does not name the amount sought, though it is clear that is a greater amount than can be sought in arbitration.

One family was not represented in this lawsuit. The family of William and Beatrice Hall reached a settlement with UGI in June , the amount of that settlement has not been disclosed.

Proper monitoring of outdated infrastructure, such as these corroding pipelines could have given UGI a greater warning that these repairs were in fact necessary, potentially saving lives millions of dollars in damaged property, and the reputation of their company. With all of the available corrosion protection and monitoring systems now available, tragedies such as this one in Allentown should become a thing of the past.

January 19, 2012

Michigan Oil Spill Report Delayed, But Corrosion Confirmed

Filed under: CP Remote Monitoring,remote monitoring — Tags: , , , , , , — Ariel @ 6:37 pm

The federal report that was to detail the causes of the 2010 spill in Southern Michigan that leaked 800,000 gallons of oil from Calgary, Alberta-based Enbridge Inc.’s pipeline that runs from Griffith, Indiana, to Sarnia, Ontario in Canada. This staggering amount of oil was spilled into the Kalamazoo River an hour drive east of Grand Rapids. The cleanup efforts are still underway this year, nearly 7 months after the initial spill.

Though the release of the report will be delayed pending further inquiries, the first round of testing conducted on the ruptured pipe indicated corrosion as a probable cause of the spill. This unfortunately comes as no surprise to federal officials who have been monitoring the pipeline, installed in the 1960’s, as a potential spill risk.

Documentation of warnings sent to Enbridge from The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration warning about safety code violations including a lack of proper monitoring for corrosion are expected to be a major point of the report. This could greatly affect popular opinion on Enbridge’s proposed northern gate pipeline, which has yet to be approved by Canadian authorities.

Proper monitoring of pipelines can reduce the risk for these kinds of catastrophic spills greatly. The cost of cleanup, penalties, and reputation damage related to ruptures such as the one caused to Enbridge Inc.  by this rupture can be avoided if pipes are outfitted with cutting edge remote monitoring systems.

Safety standards mandating corrosion monitoring are in place to protect companies’ interests as well as for the protection of the environment. The current estimate for cost of cleanup for this spill is $700 million, though further penalties are expected to be incurred as deadlines set by the environmental protection agency are not likely to be met.

January 10, 2012

Debate Heating Up Over Proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline

Filed under: cathodic protection,remote monitoring — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Ariel @ 7:48 pm

Debate is heating up over Enbridge, an Alberta based company, and their proposed $5.5-billion Northern Gate Pipeline project. The proposed pipeline would deliver crude from Alberta’s oilsands to the major port city of Kitimat, B.C. The crude would then be exported to the Asian markets from there.
Environmentalists contend that the history of pipelines imply that spills are inevitable and virtually unpreventable. Over the years, there have been a significant number of pipeline spills to justify their deep concern. Including a recent spill where Enbridge had to pay $700-million to clean over 1 million gallons of oil from the Kalamazoo river in Michigan.
The Alberta Energy and Utilities reported in 2007 that Internal corrosion was the most prevalent cause of pipeline failure at 57 per cent followed by external corrosion at 12 per cent.

To address the very valid concerns of environmentalists and to prevent a costly (and reputation tarnishing) spill Enbridge has vowed to use the highest grade steel available for their pipeline, as well as to employ an extensive corrosion protection program including a protective coating to the steel and cathodic protection to protect the steel from electro-chemical corrosion.

In looking to corrosion as the biggest threat that will face the proposed pipeline, and building a network of preventative measures and close monitoring, Enbridge hopes to prove the assertions of concerned environmentalists wrong. Enbridge hopes to prove that with cutting edge technology and well laid plans, that include redundant safety measures, devastating spills do not need to be “inevitable” at all.

January 5, 2012

Busy London Overpass Closed Due To Corrosion On Cables

Filed under: CP Remote Monitoring,cathodic protection,remote monitoring — Tags: , , , , , , — Ariel @ 6:41 pm

Transport for London announced the Hammersmith Flyover would be closed until further notice due to a serious structural defect. The flyover, or as we would call it overpass, is a high-traffic key route from Heathrow Airport to central London. The overpass was built in the 1960s and has been under periodic inspection over the last two years . Initially engineer crews believed the structure had years of strength left before any major maintenance work would be needed. However, the internal steel cables that hold spans of the concrete structure together have been severely weakened by corrosion due to the penetration of water.

TfL crews are working around the clock to assess the extent of the damage. In a statement to the British press Leon Daniels, TfL’s Managing Director of Surface Transport, said: “Our team continues to work night and day alongside the world’s leading structural engineers to fully understand the extent of the flyover’s structural problems.”

The corrosion of steel reinforcements is a threat to aging infrastructure all over the world. Though very strong, the steel cable used for suspension bridges, cable stayed bridges, as well as the internal cables in many structures is very sensitive to corrosion. This sensitivity to corrosion poses a serious threat of failure in these cables, the results of which can be at best very costly, and at worst disastrous.

Careful monitoring of these aging structures can save valuable time and money for municipalities whose budgets are already stretched thin, and can prevent major inconveniences such as this surprise open-ended shutdown of a major traffic artery.

December 27, 2011

Corroded Cables Replaced On World’s Longest Floating Bridge

Filed under: CP Remote Monitoring,CP Test Stations,cathodic protection — Tags: , , , , , — Ariel @ 7:28 pm

The floating bridge of highway 520 in Washington State is nearing retirement after being continuously in service since 1963. With three years remaining until a new bridge can be in place state officials are racing to replace corroded cables, 15 of the 58 anchor cables which range in age from 18 to 33 years old. These large steel cables connect the bridge pontoons to anchors on the lake floor. These corroded cables pose a serious problem as they have the potential to snap in a windstorm. These cables prevent sudden movement of the bridge, and provide a stable surface for cars and without them drivers would find the bridge nearly impossible to navigate. If one or more of these cables snapped in a windstorm it could mean long term bridge closures which would be devastating to residents who rely on the bridge. More than 60,000 vehicles cross this span over lake Washington every day. This bridge stretches 1.5 miles from Seattle to Medina and is the longest floating span in the world.

New pontoons will arrive on Lake Washington in 2014, but for many of these weakened corroded cables, that is not soon enough.   As the first few cables were retrieved out of the waters of Lake Washington and their rusted, frayed, splintered shreds were wound around spools and taken away, crews were impressed with just how frayed and corroded some of the cables were.

An aging infrastructure nationwide means many states and municipalities are dealing with corrosion issues, which cannot afford to be ignored. In many cases close monitoring can save millions of dollars by allowing workers to keep old bridges in safe working order until their replacements are ready.

December 2, 2011

Corroded Pipelines Near Stanford University

Filed under: cathodic protection — Tags: , , — admin @ 12:28 am

Recent testing found a small pipeline problem near Stanford University. To be more specific, the pipeline is located near Hanover Street on Page Mill Road. Corrosion was the reported cause of the problem. The pipeline experienced a deterioration of the protective coating on the pipe which lead to a hole developing. The Pacific and Gas Company reported that workers were able to apply a protective sleeve around the affected area. They also reapplied a new protective coating over it as well.

Another section of the pipeline was also assessed. This section was very close in proximity to the previous repair described. In order to fix this section, workers needed to cut out the section of pipe and weld in a new piece. The cause for this damaged pipeline was reported as unknown.

Both sections of pipelines were finally tested by operating under pressures that were 1.5 times the maximum pressure limit. Both sections of the pipeline ran into problems during these last final tests. However, further repairs were made and both pipe sections eventually passed the required tests.

An associate of the Stanford office of Land, Buildings Real Estate stressed the importance of these testings. He also stated the importance of gas pipeline system safety.

PG&E was unable to uncover records of previous tests done on the pipelines. These initial tests were then ordered by the California Public Utilities Commission due to the lack of testing proof. Under code, PG&E is required to test all sections of undocumented pipeline. Until the tests are processed, the pipes are required to operate at reduced pressures. More testing is required by PG&E and will continue throughout the winter season.

November 24, 2011

Underground Propane Tank Regulation Code

Filed under: Propane Industry,cathodic protection — Tags: , , — admin @ 12:42 am

After January 1, 2001, a new amendment of the national LP-Gas Code will require all underground propane tanks to be equipped with a cathodic protection system. The new code will also require that the cathodic system be routinely tested. A system must be tested when a propane tank is first installed to prove that it is functioning. Then, assuming that it passes, a future test will be required 12 to 18 months later. A single test every 36 months will then be required if both of the initial tests pass. If a test ever fails during any 1 of these 3 periods, then the owners of the tank must begin the testing all over again from the first initial test after repairing the propane tank and its anti corrosion system.

The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services have actually created a survey online in order to get feedback from propane companies and owners. They have publicly stated that they are curious to know what propane owners think about the new safety standards. Regulators have welcomed all ideas, including even the more elaborate ideas. Their main concern is to find out what is most important in relevance to the use of propane tanks.

For the most part, it has been said that most propane companies are aware and have accepted these new standards. However, many customers of propane companies are not aware of these new requirements. Many are oblivious to the technical aspects of underground propane tanks, and inspectors are aware of this problem. Regulators hope to work with public to figure out how they can get propane tank customers to follow the rules.

You can visit www.NCStandards.org to give your input on the topic. You can also contact the division via telephone for a physical copy of the survey.

November 15, 2011

PG&E Natural Gas Leak

Filed under: cathodic protection — Tags: , , — admin @ 8:37 pm

A small leak was found on a pipeline in Palo Alto, California last week. Pacific Gas and Electric said this was most likely due to corrosion. Corrosion was found on the outer walls of the pipe. The pipeline is a 24 inch pipe that transports natural gas. The leak was found during a pressure test on the natural pipeline.

The leaking of this particular pipeline is of significance because the leaking section of the pipeline actually exploded last year in San Bruno, California. The explosion killed 8 people and damaged approximately 38 homes. Although there are concerns that an incident like the explosion in San Bruno could occur again, PG&E officials insisted on the integrity of the pipelines. They described the San Bruno event as isolated. An uncompleted welding job was reported to have caused the disaster in San Bruno.

The recent leak resulted in a landslide that affected the flow of traffic on the freeway for 4 hours. The Palo Alto pipeline was last checked two years ago. There have also been reasons to believe that the pipeline may have been damaged by another person. There have been future plans made to repair the leak.

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