Regular condition assessments of FRP composite assets are vital in order to prevent failure in water and wastewater systems – here’s why.
Many companies operating in the water and wastewater sectors are making a renewed commitment to predictive maintenance for FRP tanks, piping and pressure vessels as they understand that this approach to asset management will pay off significantly in the long run.
Predictive maintenance monitors the performance and condition of equipment under normal operations over time to determine its fitness-for-service and reduce the likelihood of failures.
Regular inspections are integral to predictive maintenance for three key reasons:
- To track changes in FRP assets over time and keep owners informed of the condition and remaining service life of their assets.
- To provide engineering data that can be used for ongoing fitness-for-service assessments, especially when any changes to processes or operating conditions are being considered.
- To identify needed repairs or remediation at an early stage so the work can be planned and completed in a cost-effective and timely manner.
The three-year rule
As a leading FRP engineer and manufacturer, RPC Technologies has the exclusive licence to a unique technology called UltraAnalytix® NDT inspections – a world-first proven non-destructive, non-intrusive inspection system for FRP composite assets.
Since deploying this technology, RPC gained extensive, first-hand experience working with FRP composites and the unique ways they deteriorate, so the team recommends that inspections of these assets take place every three years to ensure optimum safety and return on investment. The mechanical properties of FRP laminates change during normal service – in fact, fairly rapid changes happen to new equipment during the first three years of operations.
Assessing those changes early on provides baseline data and a good window for predicting what the future looks like in terms of repairs or replacement needs for that equipment.
Unlike damage to steel, which is relatively predictable and linear, damage to FRP is non-linear. The changes that occur in response to mechanical and chemical forces in FRP laminates are more complex and often invisible. Small changes in the polymer due to creep can have a major impact on reliability.
In addition, the three-year inspection interval represents about half the time that it takes for chemical damage to cause failures in the most common types of reinforcement used in FRP laminate, and polymer damage always occurs before reinforcement damage. The UltraAnalytix system detects and analyses polymer damage as a proxy for overall FRP condition.
Finally, a lot can happen in three years. Unexpected changes in service conditions due to over-pressurisation, accidental impacts, damaged or faulty supports, poor installation or repairs, can cause unseen degradation that weakens FRP and potentially leads to failure.
RPC Technologies has unmatched experience and unique knowledge of FRP that can help companies plan and budget for a predictive maintenance program that provides a clear, ongoing picture of the current condition and mechanical integrity of their FRP assets without shutting down operations, cleaning out processing equipment and risky confined space entry.
This RPC predictive maintenance plan will give asset owners and managers the accurate data they need to anticipate and schedule necessary repairs during planned shutdowns, while avoiding the expense and potential danger of an unexpected failure or replacing assets prematurely.
For more information, visit rpctechnologies.com
