Fiberglass Tanks
Fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) tanks present unique inspection challenges. As fiberglass tanks age, structural defects appear in the layers of fiberglass and resin from which the tanks are built. Common fiberglass tank inspection methods rely entirely on visual inspection, leaving owners at the mercy of the inspector’s experience. FRP tank owners often retire their tanks early, at significant expense, because inspectors struggle to provide good estimates of a tank’s remaining life.
TSP is advancing the FRP inspection industry in two important ways:
- Our inspectors are certified SP8310 Inspectors by the Fiberglass Reinforced Plastics Institute (FRPI). SP8310 requires inspectors to prove high levels of knowledge, experience, and capability specific to the inspection of fiberglass tanks.
- Our inspections include UltraAnalytix™, a patented method for evaluating fiberglass assets. UltraAnalytix uses ultrasonic flaw detection to gather data about the fiberglass structure of the tank and analyzes the data with powerful software to determine the tank’s condition and estimated remaining service life.
Advantages of UltraAnalytix™
- Can be performed while tanks are in service. No plant or equipment shutdown required.
- Maintains structural integrity of FRP. Testing is non-destructive and non-intrusive.
- Finds sub-surface flaws.
- Generates numerical results for tank integrity and remaining service life.
- Allows ongoing upgrade of safety factor or structural integrity.
- Minimizes confined space entry.
