Industrial Chimney Inspections & Testing
Monitoring your industrial chimney is imperative to its efficiency, performance, and safety. This includes having regular industrial chimney inspections by trained professionals. An inspection held every 6 to 12 months can ensure that your unit is working properly and at its peak performance. It will also help identify potential problems before they turn into expensive, unplanned outages or worse – structural failures.
Industrial Access has been providing complete & thorough industrial chimney inspections for plants & facilities across the country for nearly two decades. Our experts perform structural and chemical attack analysis, video & photograph recordings, and then provide detailed & concise inspection reports to ensure you fully understand the functionality and condition of your chimney.
Beyond Class I, II, and III inspections, we also perform a number of non-destructive tests and petrographic testing to determine the structural integrity of your industrial chimney.
Non Destructive Testing (NDT)
Non-Destructive Testing methods allow our professionals to examine the condition & strength of a structure in a manner that does not affect its usefulness or performance. No physical samples are removed and no damage is done to the structure in any way, keeping its surface intact. These tests are used to establish baseline measurements to compare to subsequent, periodic readings of the material’s surface hardness, temperature, density, and thickness. It will allow plant owners and managers to determine when the structure could be in danger or future failure if not repaired or replaced.
Industrial Access performs the following NDT methods:
- Ultrasonic Thickness Testing (UT)
- Schmidt (Swiss) Hammer Testing
- Infrared Thermography
- Laser Surveys
- Hot Camera Inspection
Petrographic Testing
Petrographic analysis is performed on concrete structures like industrial chimneys to help identify potential deficiencies in the integrity of the concrete. When a concrete structure begins to deteriorate, spall, crack, or corrode, Petrographic testing can identify chemical and physical irregularities in the concrete which can cause structure failure.
A Petrochemical analysis should be performed if your industrial chimney has experienced any of the following issues:
- Dusting
- Blistering
- Corrosion of Rebar – Reinforcing Steel
- Delamination
- Shrinkage Cracks
- Discoloration
- Acid or Sulfur Attacks (Chemical Attacks)
- Fire Damage
- D-Cracking
- Chlorides
- Aggregate Popouts
- Surface Scaling
There are a number of conditions and factors that can affect the speed of corrosion in concrete industrial chimneys, including depth of concrete to rebar, moisture damage, waterproof coatings, and carbonation. If your chimney has received low strength test results, a Petrographic analysis will provide more in-depth details about the security of the structure and whether immediate repairs should be performed.
Industrial chimney inspection & testing should be included in your regular maintenance plan to prevent expensive, unplanned outages and identity small problems that can be fixed before they turn into large and costly repair services. Our rope access professionals provide complete industrial chimney inspections and structural testing, including NDT & Petrographic analysis, for chimneys constructed with concrete, brick, steel, or fiber reinforced polymer. Contact us today to find out how we can help keep your industrial chimney safe, efficient, clean, and working at peak performance.