Visual Indicators of

Corrosion
Neal Murray
Sr. Project Manager/ Electric Power Research Institute
Chair – IEEE Corrosion Working Group 12
Chair - NACE Corrosion Committee TEG 368X
Tall, Dark, & Handsome
Estimated Cost of Corrosion
 Cost of Corrosion Update

• $600M USD – Federal Study

• Transmission & Distribution
• $1B USD – 20% Sectional Loss, Reject Criteria
• Transmission Only
• $2.3B USD – 10% Sectional Loss, Reject Criteria
Transmission Only
•
Average of $18.4M to $40.1M USD per Utility
Differential Aeration Cell or
Oxygen Concentration Cell
Stress Corrosion
Fatigue Corrosion
A-C Stray Current Corrosion
Internal Corrosion
Microbiologically Induced
Corrosion - MIC
AcSEC Accounting Standards Executive Committee

“Statement of Position on Property, Plant and Equipment”

AKA: SOP on PPE

Focus: To Keep Entities from Capitalizing Various Costs

Result: Many Items Can No Longer Be Capitalized

 Uniform Systems of Accounts
“Accounting for Pipeline Assessment Costs”

Docket No. AI05-1-000

FERC Ordered that Assessment be Treated as an Expense

Corrosion & Punishment: Can you be held
legally responsible?
Monday, March 17
8:00 to 8:45 a.m.
 Working Group 12
€ Engineers Guidance
€ Inspections
€ Assessments
€ Protection
€ Process Evolution
Corrosion Committee
Representation
 Current Inspection Techniques

Visual - SSPC VIS II Coupons, Pit Gauge Atmospheric Zone

Visual – Direct Inspection Methods

Soil Diagnostics, Acoustic

Technologies, Chemical &
Electrochemical Technologies

Steel Pole Internals – 4th Zone

Transitional Zone
Below Grade Zone
 e

Anode e
e

Cathode
Cathode
Corrosion Cell
Risk Based Inspection
€ Health Industry
€ Aviation
€ Consumer Credit
€ Petro Chemical Processes
€ Power Generation
Risk Based Inspection

€ Probability of a Failure

€ Consequences of a Failure
Failure Probability Factors
€ Current Condition
y Inspection Effectiveness
€ Operation in Relation to Design
y Reconductored
y Grade Change
€ Recurring Repairs
y Historical Data
Failure Consequence Factors
€ Safety of Public, Workers and
Environment
€ Cost to Repair or Replace
€ Lost Revenue
€ Number of Potential Outages
€ Duration of Outage to Repair
€ Damage to Other Facilities
 Corrosion Risk Factors
€ Visual Observation
€ Soil Resistivity
€ Soil Type
€ Water Table Tier 1
€ Soil pH
€ Voltage Potential
Inspection
€ ReDox Potential
€ Stray Current
Tier 2 Inspection

€ Quantify Damage
€ Prioritize Action
€ Specify Repair or Replace
€ ReEngineer Corrosion Management System
Acoustic Measurements Using
B-Scan
Sectional Loss – Correct for Blind Areas