The company specializes in corrosion control and non-destructive testing. Jim Lary is a NACE certified corrosion engineer and Vice President at Corrpro Companies, Inc. The company can retrofit existing water lines with galvanic anode cathodic protection systems designed to extend the life of these pipe systems and minimize failures. The company provides pipeline evaluation, maintenance and consulting as well as installation and maintenance of cathodic protection system. This process reduces breaks, saves the cost of needless repairs and extends service life.Ĭorrpro?s Break Reduction/Life Extension program collects field data, examines leak histories and uses computerized technology to identify weaknesses or hot spots. The higher energy level of the anode allows current to discharge to the pipe, causing the anode to corrode instead of the pipe. To protect pipes, galvanic anodes are strategically placed on existing cast and ductile iron water mains. In fact, government agencies have mandated cathodic protection on buried gas and oil pipelines since the 1970s, and on steel underground storage tanks since the 1980s. The technology of cathodic protection has been successfully applied to a wide variety of buried metallic structures for years. However, the pipe?s matrix and thinner wall make it vulnerable to pitting corrosion attack. Any increase in the external or internal stress on brittle, corroded pipe can quickly result in a break.ĭuctile iron pipe, introduced to water systems in the 1950s and still in use today, was intended to offer better quality than cast iron. However, the pipe fractures easily because it lacks the strength and ductility of the original iron. Pipe that has turned to graphite often retains the appearance of sound pipe, leading casual observers to mistakenly believe the pipe has remained corrosion-free for many years. When the metal corrodes, it loses the iron constituent, leaving behind the graphite. Older cast iron pipe consists of flakes of graphite (carbon) in an iron matrix. Many factors contribute to corrosion-induced water main breaks, including soil conditions, coupling to dissimilar metals, seasonal temperature changes, soil stress, road de-icing salts, seismic action and stray electrical currents. Unfortunately, these pipes are susceptible to corrosion and subsequent breakage. The majority of water piping installed in the 20th century was cast or ductile iron, which was expected to provide water utilities with 50 to 100 years of trouble-free service. An older pipe can continue to operate as long as corrosion is controlled. Most people believe that old age is the primary contributor to iron water main breaks. In the course of one year, 250,000 main breaks will cost North America more than $1 billion. Polybutylene pipes, used from the 1970s through the 1990s, are extremely prone to breakage. It is estimated that an average of 700 water mains will break in cities and towns across North America in an average day. Lead pipes, used in the early 1900s, have a life expectancy of 100 years, but they can leach lead into your drinking water, a serious health hazard.
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