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Industrial Corrosion – When Do You Call in Backup?

When you see corrosion that appears to be worthy of attention, what do you do? Relax and remember that just because it looks bad doesn’t mean it is!

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Corrosion of steel in industrial settings is so commonplace that “it’s been like that for years,” is a typical refrain.  Staff in charge of maintaining infrastructure need to be judicious with their budgets, but breakdowns in structure can lead to significant problems that endanger production capacities, facilities, and employee safety.

So when you see corrosion that appears to be worthy of attention, what do you do?  Relax and remember that just because it looks bad doesn’t mean it is!

Unless it is.

And that’s the problem with corrosion:  visual inspections are simply ineffective at telling you how much life your steel still has.  The good news is that a trained professional can quickly tell if your steel can still do the job you need it to, with little effect on the bottom line.  We have specialized equipment, Olympus 38DL PLUS Ultrasonic Thickness Gauge, that can accurately measure the thickness of sound steel.  With these measurements, a structural engineer can determine if the metal is in jeopardy of failing.

To be safe, remember this:  When in doubt, check it out!