Inspection Archives - Page 2 of 9

FAQ: Inspection Company Employee or Independent Contractor; Does It Matter When Engaging a 3rd Party Inspection Services Firm?

Facility owners frequently rely upon 3rd-party quality assurance (QA) verification of all forms of steel and concrete fabrication, coatings application, non-destructive testing (NDT), and cathodic protection (CP) system installation and maintenance. While specific reasons for engaging 3rd-party QA services vary, in general, facility owners want to know that their projects are being constructed in shops […]

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Holiday Detection and Dielectric Strength Issues

2 Comments / Coating Standards, Inspection, Pipeline Coatings / By KTA Staff

Introduction When applying coating system to structures such as bridges, tanks, and pipelines the main goal is to apply a continuous film to help prevent structural deterioration throughout the life of the structure. Unaddressed discontinuities can result in undercutting corrosion of the substrate, where the integrity of the structure could be prematurely compromised. This article

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What is a “Dust-Free Surface?” ISO Method Versus Practical Evaluation

4 Comments / Inspection, Surface Cleanliness / By KTA Staff

When a coating system fails prematurely, it is rarely because of the coating itself. Either the surface preparation was inadequate, the surface was contaminated, or the coating was mixed or applied incorrectly. As the old adage goes, a house is only as strong as the foundation it is built on. When it comes to coatings,

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quality of coating application leak detector

Localized Assessment of Air Leakage in Building Air Barriers

Buildings, Commercial, Concrete Walls, Inspection, Instruments / By Ken Trimber

ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Energy Standard 90.1-2010 and the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code require that building envelopes be designed to limit uncontrolled air leakage into and out of buildings. Air leakage in buildings is controlled at the time of construction by installing air barrier systems. ASTM E1186-17, “Standard Practices for Air Leakage Site Detection in Building Envelopes

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Coating Adhesion Testing using Knife/Tape Methods

5 Comments / Coating Standards, Inspection, Instruments / By KTA Staff

Introduction Adhesion is an important physical characteristic of applied coating films and systems, and testing is frequently used as an indicator to whether an adequate bond exists between the substrate and primer (first coat) and/or between coats in multiple coat applications. Adhesion testing may be a requirement of a coating specification, or may be used

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Changes to the 2015 Edition of the AASHTO/AWS D1.5 Bridge Welding Code

Bridges, Inspection, Instruments, Weathering Steel / By Cindy Rice

Background/Introduction The AASHTO/AWS D1.5M/D1.5 Bridge Welding Code: 2015 published by the American Welding Society (AWS) covers the welding requirements for The American Association of State and Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) welded highway bridges fabricated from carbon and low-alloy constructional steels. This code covers welding fabrication requirements applicable to welded highway bridges. The code is applicable

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Surface Profile Measurement Options on Rough/Pitted Steel Surfaces

Bridges, Inspection, Instruments, Steel, Surface Profile / By KTA Staff

Introduction Surface profile is defined as a measurement of the maximum peak-to-valley depth generated by abrasive blast cleaning and impact-type power tools. These operations effectively increase the surface area and provide an “anchor” for the applied coating system. The surface profile depth must be compatible with the total coating system thickness; typically, the thicker the

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The Sky is Falling! Or is it Paint Chips? Failure of a Dry-Fall Coating Applied to the Interior of Previously Painted Metal Decking

2 Comments / Coating Failure, Inspection, Roofs, Steel / By KTA Staff

This Month’s Case Was Selected From Several Investigations Related To Failures That Occur When Applying Coating To The Underside Of Metal Deck Panels (Fig. 1). This Case Focuses On An Adhesion Failure Of Coatings Applied To Previously Painted Deck Panels. A paint contracting company was hired to apply an epoxy ester dry-fall coating to portions

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surface preparation to primer prep-to-prime

Window of Time – Surface Preparation to Priming

2 Comments / Coating Application, Inspection, Specifications, Surface Preparation / By Doug Reardon

Introduction Coating specifications and contract documents often contain stipulations for the maximum length of time a prepared steel surface can remain uncoated. We’ll refer to this as the “prep-to-prime window.” This brief article highlights common requirements, discusses the purpose of the requirements, presents industry references, questions the variability in the time periods, and explores a

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Using Scanning Probe Technology to Measure Coating Thickness

Coating Standards, Dry Film Thickness, Inspection / By Bill Corbett

Introduction Coating thickness measurement is one of the most common quality assessments made during industrial coating applications. SSPC-PA 2, Procedure for Determining Conformance to Dry Coating Thickness Requirements is frequently referenced in coating specifications. As SSPC-PA 2 has evolved over the past four decades, a number of procedures and measurement frequencies are referenced in both

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