Large Scale Guided Wave Testing

(GWT) of Aboveground Tanks

InterSpec is the first company in the world to successfully utilize Long Range
Ultrasonic Testing (LRUT) on an Aboveground Storage Tank (AST). The insulated
stainless steel tank measured thirty-five feet in diameter and thirty-six feet tall.
The inspection, completed in 2012, was able to quickly assess the condition of
the tank and determine suitability for continued service.
The inspection procedure was developed with a focus on identifying environmentassisted cracking, particularly Chloride Stress Corrosion Cracking (CL-SCC).

Area of
large crack and test coupon.
The need for non-destructive testing (NDT) was initiated by the owner/operator
after the discovery of a leak as a result of a large crack on the tank. This crack
was located at fifteen-feet above the shell to bottom weld. At the time, it was
assumed to have been localized or isolated to a small section of the tank. Rapidly
identifying any other SCC was paramount to minimize down time and to
determine fitness for continued service. The insulation jacket on the exterior of
the tank and process residue on the interior provided limited inspection
opportunity using conventional visual or penetrant testing methods. The size of
the tank would have also required extensive non-destructive evaluation (NDE)
time to identify the defects with these methods.

Sensor installed
Data acquiring (vertical sensor)
Guided Wave Testing (GWT) was used to perform the nondestructive evaluation
of the tank and determine the extent of the stress corrosion cracking. The
inspection procedure was tested using a small section of tank coupon with known
defect sizes.

Marking defect (Green Paint) orange

Close up of cracks
marker is plate and weld marker
Required cleanliness at the sensor location, downstream product residue, and
crack geometry were shop tested with the coupon. The Magnetostrictive Sensor
(MsS) based equipment was used to generate a non-dispersive guided wave for
long-range ultrasonic inspection of the tank shell. Using fundamental shearhorizontal mode, sixty-five dual directional signals were generated and their
reflections detected using a Magnetostrictive (Wiedemann) effect on the shell. A
probe with with a predetermined center frequency was selected to generate the
ultrasonic guided waves in the shell. Two vertical inspection areas along the
interior of the shell were selected to inspect the tank with Long Range Ultrasonic
Testing. The test areas for each scan were a two-inch wide section of probe, ten
inches in length. The two vertical probe locations provided a 360 degree view of
the shell for discontinuities. Low beam divergence angle of the probe provided a
focused beam at targeted sections of the shell plates for defect detection. Each of
the test locations were identified by the plate number and assigned a letter
designation (A through E). Each letter signified a volumetric scan that extends in

a positive and negative direction of the probe. Using the data from the GWT,
cracks were located and marked on the interior of the shell using green paint.

Close up of crack.
Utilizing LRUT, Interspecs team was able to identify numerous CL-SCC
throughout the tank. A complete API-653 report was provided along with
recommendations. Documentation, such as API 579/ASME FFS-1, was
referenced for guidance in determining fitness-for-service based on qualitative
engineering evaluation of the tank. The remaining life of unrepaired sections with
SCC flaw mechanisms cannot be reasonably established with certainty. That is
because reliable crack growth rates cannot be established for the tank when
there is a dynamic process environment. Changing stresses due to product, other
environmental loading such as wind and snow load and temperature change
gradients in the tank are all factors that will affect crack growth. More significantly
is the corrosive environment that is generated under the insulation in the
presence of an aqueous solution. Another assessment methodology such as
leak-before-break (LBB) analysis that uses a sign of a leak to address and
prescribe repairs may not be appropriate because leaks cannot be readily
identified with insulated structures. Additionally, the flaw may grow faster in the
surface direction than in the depth direction. Catastrophic failure was also a
concern.
Based on the inspection and the data acquired, it was determined the tank was
not safe for continued use. The extent and severity of the cracks on the shell did
not lend itself to selective replacement or repair of the affected areas.
The inspection plan did account for horizontal (X) and vertical (Y) sensor
installation and screening of defects in both planes. Since circumferential stress

or hoop stress has higher magnitude, vertically aligned cracks were anticipated
and would be easily identified with vertically oriented sensors.
(Red line indicates sensor location. W1 W6 indicate vertical shell butt-weld
reflection. After screening out multiple reflections, trailing reflections and known
geometrical features location of cracks are visible circled in green)
InterSpec continues to adapt advanced technology to deliver fast decisionprompting results.
The project produced a cost effective method and procedure of identifying
Chloride Stress Corrosion Cracking (CL-SCC) and other structural anomalies on
tanks and pressure vessels.