Our Services
Ultrasonic - Non-Destructive Pipe Testing
Ultrasonic Testing is a method of measuring the pipe wall thickness through the use of high frequency sound waves. The high frequency sound waves travel through the pipe wall until they encounter a boundary with another medium (e.g. air or water) at which point the sound waves reflect back to their source. By analyzing the reflections it is possible to measure the thickness of the pipe wall with a high degree of precision along with find internal flaws.
Testing is performed by evaluating the entirety of the piping system at standard distances taking “test points” around the circumference of the piping.
Benefits of this testing procedure include but are not limited to non-destructive in nature, building and piping systems can remain active during testing with no downtime or loss in productivity and provides a better overall view of the entire system vs traditional sprinkler testing methods as performed under NFPA minimum requirements.
Analysis and Reporting
Ultrasonic testing by itself has no inherent value. The data collected requires a skilled assessment that takes into account various pipe schedules, sizes and age to transform the raw data collected into a clear and accurate characterization of the internal conditions of the pipe tested.
Analysis is complete utilizing truVUE’s proprietary life predictor algorithm and a report will be provided for our clients use. The reporting includes an executive summary, detailed assessment of individual test locations, report summary, recommendations and the raw Ultrasonic Test data. Included in each project is a scheduled conference call or in person meeting to review and discuss the report.
The key component associated with the report is “Actionable Data”. This data, using truVUE’s proprietary life predictor algorithm, can be utilized to plan, budget and eventually remediate systems as necessary to restore system integrity.
Mitigation Planning
The ultrasonic investigation has identified the potential for piping failure of the fire protection systems in the facility or water testing demonstrated MIC related bacteria within the incoming water supply for the fire protection systems. Based on the results of the testing, and the history of replacement, it seems clear that a corrosion problem exists within the facility. Now what?
At truVUE we have a licensed Fire Protection Engineer on staff, and our technicians have been involved in fire protection system design and analysis for more than 15 years. Given these resources, we can work with your engineering firm or sprinkler company to help ensure they are properly informed as to the findings of our assessment and we can work together to create a remediation plan that is right for your system.
Water Sample Testing
Laboratory analysis on the water samples in an effort to identify the presence of organisms which would contribute to microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC).
There are multiple types of bacteria or fungi that can contribute to the presence of MIC in a system. Understanding the type of foreign presence will allow mitigation of the system properly.