Geoffrey E. Clarkson
UTComp Inc.
Cambridge Ontario, Canada
The central case study in this paper covers structural evaluation of an atmospheric storage tank used
for ferric chloride at a wastewater treatment facility in the City of Ottawa, Canada.
ABSTRACT
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.
The paper was presented at the Water Environment Federation’s Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC) in 2015.