UTComp founder and CTO Geoff Clarkson is leading the project team developing a new part for the API 579-1 / ASME-FFS-1 Fitness For Service standards to include fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites for the first time. This blog post is part of a series that will...
FRP Blog
UTComp announces licensing agreement with VED s.r.l.
UTComp is pleased to welcome VED s.r.l. to our growing network of UltraAnalytix® NDT licensees. Established in 1970 and based in Italy, VED provides asset inspection and management services as well as composite equipment production (tanks, pipe, structures),...
FRP Corrosion Barrier Assessment: Best Practices Guide
Resistance to corrosion is a key advantage of fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) materials. It makes FRP an ideal choice for tanks, pipes and other equipment in industries like pulp and paper and chemical processing where corrosion is an everyday challenge. However,...
ASME Standards for FRP Piping and Tanks
FRP design standards keep getting better — what about predicting FRP reliability after it’s in service? Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites have come a long way since they were first used for vessels and piping in the chemical processing industry in the...
40 years of failure analysis of polymeric composite materials
The use of polymeric composite materials, including fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP), has grown dramatically since inventors like Goodyear and Dunlop and Michelin began combining rubber with textiles to make the first tires for bicycles and wagons in the 1800s. Today,...
UAX assessment for FRP composite reliability
For many years, ultrasound has been the go-to non-destructive testing (NDT) technology for inspecting steel pipes, tanks and vessels. However, ultrasonic testing of equipment made from fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites is more recent. Below we discuss...
Assessing FRP composites in water system infrastructure
UltraAnalytix NDT is a proven, cost-effective way to assess FRP water infrastructure for Fitness for Service and Remaining Service Life.
UltraAnalytix NDT validation for FRP composite assets
To prove our system, we’ve conducted more than 500 tests over the years — some blind, some in the lab — comparing UTComp technology with destructive inspection methods.
FRP damage mechanisms overview
Preventing failures and optimizing the service life of any structure is the result of a balance between the service loads applied and the actual capacity of the structure. This is the basis of Fitness for Service or Suitability for Service evaluation. Failure...
Fitness For Service of FRP pipe
Assessing fiberglass reinforced polymer pipe Piping made from fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites has a long record of success safely transporting hazardous materials such as corrosive acids where steel and other alloys are unsuitable or cost prohibitive....