Non-Destructive Condition Assessment of Fiberglass Reinforced Structures

Fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) is used in wastewater processing for tanks, scrubbers, piping, ducting and other equipment. FRP often provides better corrosion resistance at lower cost than stainless steel. For some applications, regulators require structural evaluation of containers or piping for public health and safety purposes. In addition, most asset management programs require periodic inspection and evaluation of the remaining service life. Traditional inspection of FRP does not provide results that calculate the remaining service life of the asset. In the case of piping and ducting, traditional methods are very limited and often no inspection occurs. UTComp has developed and proven a non-intrusive and non-destructive test method that provides objective data that is used to evaluate the current condition of FRP, including piping and ducting up to the largest storage tanks and provides prediction of the remaining service life. An overview of this technology is presented followed by case studies.