Cathodic Protection Commissioning for Your Construction Site

New construction is popping up all over. The downturn from the global pandemic is finally in the past, and new developments ranging from massive brand investments to new infrastructure are on the horizon.

While all these startups and new buildings are essential to the economic lifeblood of the U.S., special consideration for a location’s overall safety and longevity is crucial. Having the right cathodic protection in place from the beginning reduces the threat of corrosion to metal structures like pipelines, storage tanks, and transportation infrastructure.

If you’re looking to develop a new building, facility, or manufacturing center, CP commissioning as early as possible helps mitigate the risk of costly repairs and potential loss of life.

What is Cathodic Protection, and Why Is It Necessary?

Cathodic protection is a safety and information measure. It is a corrosion protection method specially designed for metal surfaces resting in soil or water. You often find the need for CP in pipelines, tanks, and reinforced concrete from shipping facilities at a dock to local water purification centers.

CP works by applying electrical current into the protective layers around pipelines. This system rebuffs or slows the electrochemical reactions which cause corrosion and rust. With such protection in place, you mitigate the risk to assets from structural deterioration.

The problem is that soil, water, and other contaminants are common. Without protection, these materials expedite corrosion from impacting any metal structure. That will eventually lead to expensive leaks, productivity failures, and repairs that threaten the reputation of your business.

The Role of Cathodic Protection in New Build Areas

Creating a start-up from scratch involves keeping a lot of balls in the air at the same time. You have concerns about marketing, funding, and employee management. The issues surrounding locations vulnerable to corrosion are often left off the priority checklist.

In reality, anytime you’re installing underground or submerged metal structures, you are exposing the materials to environmental elements. Using cathodic protection from the beginning at new construction sites safeguards all the time and money invested in the business.

Industries ranging from energy to water treatment, manufacturing, and tech startups all require CP to protect assets and meet current regulatory compliance. You don’t want to have a once-in-a-lifetime idea for a business only to get stuck in court for years over missed legal issues due to environmental hazards from a corrosive pipeline.

Key Components of CP Commissioning for New Sites

Once you’ve contacted a reputable and experienced team like ours at Dreiym Engineering, you’ll move through the crucial steps of involving cathodic protection from the start. While every unique location will have its own series of steps, the general outline in commissioning a CP system involves:

• Site Assessment: Conducting a thorough analysis of current soil corrosivity, pH levels, and any other concerning environmental factors that may require a CP system integrated into your site systems.
• CP System Design: Different facilities require unique systems. Based on the assessment, the engineering team you hire will design the appropriate infrastructure for the CP system, such as proper anode placement, rectifier sizing, and ensure compatibility with any legacy systems.
• Installation: Moving from design and installation requires following all safety concerns, local and regional requirements, and communicating with the rest of your construction team leaders. That willingness to collaborate reduces downtime in the rest of your construction site.
• Testing & Calibration: The system is now energized and the engineers make adjustments to ensure proper operation. All gradients are measured and tracked so you have complete peace of mind protection is in place.

When the system is energized, an initial report is generated that details the “baseline” performance you should expect for future measurements. Ongoing support is offered (or should be) by the engineering firm you hire and suggested preventive maintenance is scheduled for future-proofing of your CP system.

How to Assign Cathodic Protection During the Construction Phase

New construction is challenging. Just take a look at the recent Samsung facility being built in Taylor, TX. This is a $17 billion investment where construction is in parallel to a wide array of supporting chemical and gas supplier facilities. Imagine the number of considerations that have to take place – at the same time – so all safety measures are assured.

The trick to meeting CP concerns is to involve teams like ours at Dreiym Engineering as early as possible. Even if you’re still in the initial planning phase, experienced engineers can offer insights that will save you time, money, and potential delays.

The team you choose should offer reliable lines of communication and smooth scheduling with anticipated CP installation. They should monitor all aspects of the commissioning process so any unwanted issues that arise are managed as quickly as possible.

Without that early involvement, you will likely run into the everyday challenges of assigning cathodic protection in and around new construction sites. This may include environmental factors like the moisture content of a location or if historical contamination will be a significant problem.

Logistical issues like hard-to-reach areas or planning the asset allocation of local contracts also become a concern. Tight construction timelines are always top of mind. You want an experienced CP commissioning solution willing to work closely with your construction leads to avoid delays, regardless of what part of the project you’re currently facing.

Long-Term Benefits of Cathodic Protection Commissioning

The good news is that using a team like Dreiym Engineering proactively addresses cathodic protection over the short and long term. Preventative maintenance is scheduled so you can avoid expensive emergency repairs, extending the lifespan of your pipelines and metal structures for as long as you can.

Having a trusted team with strong local connections certainly helps with all the various regulatory oversight typical to a construction site. Considering how many industries like energy and water have multiple levels of environmental compliance, the benefits from proper CP installation cannot be emphasized enough.

Finally, you get the benefit of long-term productivity. It only takes one previous example of a pipeline bursting or corrosion causing leaks to demonstrate the dangers of lacking preventative maintenance. No one wants a shutdown that could have been easily avoided by hiring Dreiym Engineering for your CP needs.

Avslutning

Building a new start-up facility or constructing supportive structures to ensure your business remains on track with productivity is crucial to success. If you have metal structures, tanks, or pipelines, you need to assign cathodic protection commissioning as early in the construction phase as you can. This will help mitigate risk, ensure compliance, and protect the expensive assets being built.

For over 30 years, we have provided the expertise necessary to protect builds and structures of all kinds. We are frequently brought in as legal experts to give testimony on what could have been prevented. That insight is precisely how we can offer you the peace of mind that your structure will hold up for a long period – especially with proper maintenance. Contact our Dreiym Engineering team today to discuss your new build needs.