Challenge:
After several years of service in a corrosive environment at a refinery, many concrete piping supports were found to be in a state of deterioration, with cracked and spalled concrete, and exposed and corroding steel reinforcement. An investigation of all of the concrete pipe supports at the refinery was needed to determine the extent of the deterioration, to evaluate whether the deteriorated structures remained fit for purpose, and to provide recommended repair or replacement options for those supports that were no longer sound.
Resolution:
Our engineering team performed a site inspection of all of the piping supports at the refinery, representing miles of pipeway length, to determine the extent of the deterioration. Each pipe support frame was analyzed in a generic sense to determine whether the amount and location of the observed damage warranted repair or replacement of the support. Repair design concepts were provided where required.
