Paper No.

CORROSION2004
04064
Web-Enabled Corrosion Control Management Systems

E.C. Dangleben, R.W. Dively, D.T Greenfield

EDG & Associates, Inc.
PO Box 1613
LaPorte, TX 77572

ABSTRACT

Presently, lack of clear and consistent standards, engineered processes and performance
monitoring of corrosion control systems plague the evaluation, planning and execution of
maintenance actions. These circumstances have led to uncoordinated maintenance
activity, poor communication of requirements, inconsistent performance in the field and a
gap between stated maintenance philosophies and real world realities.

Given the cost of corrosion-related deterioration of vital infrastructure, there is a clear

need for implementation of a system that addresses present inadequacies. This system
should be web-enabled so that it can communicate with the myriad enterprise applications
already used by organizations tasked with maintenance responsibilities. This paper
discusses some of the important issues to be addressed in using the technology available
in supporting maintenance painting programs by presenting a case study.

INTRODUCTION

The problem addressed with any web-enabled management systems is fundamentally

connecting people making decisions with the data required to make the most informed
decision. And, as the need for productivity increases, more and more of the problem
involves connecting databases to databases. Given the exponential increase in the cost of
the design process (the "n-squared" effect) with increasing number of nodes, simplicity
becomes a valued attribute. With simplicity comes the problem of deciding how much
and what kind of data is required to support the decisions being made. Too much data
increases the cost of "feeding the machine". Too little data may compromise the integrity
of the decision-making process.

There are a variety of proprietary PC-based systems in use to manage maintenance

painting programs. Generally, these systems suffer a common p r o b l e m - how can the

Copyright
2004 by NACE International. Requests for permission to publish this manuscript in any form, in part or in whole must be in writing to NACE
International, Publications Division, 1440 South Creek Drive, Houston, Texas 77084-4906. The material presented and the views expressed in this paper are
solely those of the author(s) and not necessarily endorsed by the Association. Printed in U.S.A.

1
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Government work published by NACE International with permission of the author(s). Requests for permission to publish this manuscript in any form, in part
or in whole must be made in writing to NACE International, Publications Division, 1440 South Creek Drive, Houston, Texas 77084-4906. The material
data contained within them be effectively transmitted to the decision maker. Put another
way, the access to the data contained in these systems does not focus on where economic
value will be created in the near term. Such systems are characterized by:

Labor intensive efforts to gather, organize and keep up to date. In some cases a
great deal of "swivel-chair" effort is involved.

Inability to facilely transmit the data in a network environment. Most large

companies have IT policies that necessitate complex protocols before the data
from such programs can be accessed or distributed beyond the local hardware.

Lack of a standard lexicon to describe facilities, condition assessment and

corrosion control systems and maintenance work actions.

Lack of integration between the applications and other Enterprise-wide

management systems.

Ideally, the technology known as web services architecture focuses on connecting

applications and data with each other, eliminating unnecessary human intervention. The
practical limitations to this ideal include decentralized decision centers, diversity of
platforms, and ever-changing business environments. These challenges are daunting, but
some basic principles of design can aid in the response, including:

• Simplicity

• Modular architecture

• Open standards

• Avoidance of single platforms and applications

Given that maintenance painting programs are fairly arcane to most people, this paper
presents an example case study of the development of a system following the design
principles listed above. The major challenges confronting the designer of the databases
and the programming connecting them being:

• Describing the facilities protected

• Describing condition

• Describing paint systems and their performance

• Bringing data together for meaningful decisions

There are a myriad of database systems that are compatible with web services
architecture 1. There are also a variety of development tools to serve as the interface
between the databases and the web environment (HTML) where human interaction is
required or desired 2. These technologies will not be covered in this paper.

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Modular architecture in design allows for ease in modifying system programming and
interfaces for customer specific results. The final determination of the optimum system
may, in fact, be a chimera.

DESCRIBING THE FACILITIES PROTECTED

The description of the protected facility must contain enough data to generate useful
management reports. However, the effort involved in collecting, reviewing, modifying
and storing this data should not be ignored. Once a facility is deemed important enough
to manage over time, the most costly effort (not including the maintenance actions
themselves) is maintaining condition data to the extent required for meaningful results.

The process of obtaining information on the protected facility involves an effort over
time, from the initial determination until the facility is retired. Periodically, some form of
condition assessment, using either an inspector or some type of evaluation equipment,
must be conducted. Each additional item documented and stored adds not only to the cost
of gathering the data, but to the cost of storing, manipulating and managing the data. In
our example, the basic information required in terms of paint systems includes:

• Descriptors: Written and graphic items to uniquely identify the facility being
protected.

• Total area: Used to generate costs for maintenance.

Repair area: Used to generate costs for maintenance encompassing less than the
total facility area.

• Condition grade: Assigns specific maintenance actions based on condition.

• Paint system: Attaches costs and performance data.

A sample of a database for describing the protected facility, in this case a welded steel
storage tank is given below.

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 Element Det:ails

• : ~......................................................... ~ .................._!ii ii ii!i~il iii:ililil lil iil i i iii! ~,

P il:;31~:3:

............................
~i~iiii{~ili
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

St:.:'uzl:u re: D:,_,.manst:..'~ tio.q Pmd:u-..~i. Y:ermin~l:bT.~ank-,~

•G : a d : e : El

I n S:e,"v:.;~# Date: 111.,'19~i30

g~a l.a i Ar..e a: 19400

Re p:a ir A,.'e a: 4 :"3%.

E'v':e.:nt Da l:e: 1 OZ2:5Z2#30:3

Eve:n t Type: 1

C3 ~tmg S ysls3 m: C2A

',.Cri~i..:::;,~i {1:~"rl~: 141

A.atu.'-a ~ :Ou:.st: .$:3B.8:00

lns p:e:~l:.;.an Dat:e: 4,"17 ?2 O0:3

I nsp:e:.al.:a ..."N~:me:

I nspe.:cl.imq C,a:;.,,'!p.a:r~y:

P h,s n :e:

We M:ed SI:B:B:i :inte-rnai/f:!,aal:in,.:l :rg.:uf tank. sl:.~.,.~s 9:5,30-0 b b:~:~ of p remium g:asg/~ he.

The number of data elements actually collected by the inspector in the field, besides the
administrative elements such as the date, is essentially two, the Grade and the Repair
Area. Given the means of establishing the Grade and Repair Area, discussed below, the
collection of the required data becomes greatly simplified. Granted, at the initial
inspection or the planning phase, significant, but relatively "static" data (e.g., Total Area
and Coating System) will require definition. The data collection process, although
amenable to paper format, becomes well suited to the use of electronics such as personal
data assistants (PDA). Use of a PDA will also greatly simplify the subsequent transfer of
data, including the possibility of automated quality assurance controls.

Insuring integrity and consistency of condition data is a major concern to the manager.
Historically, condition evaluation has been based on a numeric system based on visual
standards using some type of "measles" chart as an aid 3. Disparate organizations
conducting an evaluation of a facility may have a large spread in results using these
standards, prompting a need to establish a more "objective" system of describing
condition.

DESCRIBING CONDITION

A rapid, reliable means of describing condition aids in the simplification of the process.
To this end, one of the solutions has been the development of Photographic Assessment
Standards, such as the example in the figure below.

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 i :~ i~~i~,i~:!iid:i~i~i;iiiiii

8i:!~N¢~. ..~
C:o.i~d;itlon Carachi~eristi~c:s Co,n41Rior~ C a ~ r a c t R e r i i s t i c : s
• Relali'~ly new ~ , s t ~ n , Ught chain r~g
• Critical ilen~ i:o~il:te . b ~ l i z e d damage
• No maintenance necessary . Minor spot repairs
• Repair arsa less ~ n O. 1% • Repair area less Iha n 1.0 %

Condition A Condition B

;::.%i:.::iiii::ii:i '*::<i! ,~..,...-....~-,.~,,:.~,

i;i}!iiii
C.o-i~d:ff~lon C.8 r a ¢ h t e r~isti;c:s C . o n ~ d R i o n C:a~rach~:er~lstic:s
• ~,bderate chall4 r,g • Moderal~. spot repairs
• Locali-~d damage • ~-,alisfactory ~ystem adlnesion
• I',b=lerate spot repairs . R i m e r slarting 1o sl-~# lhough
• Repair area less I~.~ n 7% • Repairarea less than 15%

Condition C Condition D
...........................
...

~!,i¸ ! .:~:/ii:4i:::~i:;~ii,i~i~i~ii!~iiiii;iiiiiii;iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii{iiii

Conditiion C~'~r a ¢ h t ~ r:is t i;c:.s C . o , n ~ d R i o n Ca~rachti~.rilstic:s

• Extensi,,.'e spot repair~ • ,L3ystern r o t I:,erf~rrning funali,m
• Sali~faclort s~,stem adhesion • Unsati,factor,/wstr=m adi-c=~ien
• R i m e r generally e~ident • Cornl:lete rest,:fation required
• Repair area leas it-e n 22% • Repair area greater iifn n 33%

C:ondition E C:ondltion F
Item qgjpe: Large Pipeline This will be used d e ~ : r i b e the F~arame~rs .of the compopnent ii=<elf.
Also dise.us~ed ,MII I-,e the use of Ihe smaller l:-h.~l,Js in hell:ir~g to
C c~ tings C m d i t i m
delermine the general condition as~ssrnent '~9 lue. This vdll Le used
Ph~lra ph ic A s s ~ m 0 n t Standard de~,:ribe lhe pararnelers

In this example, six degrees of condition are described using photographs of the actual
facility being evaluated. This allows a rapid determination of condition by the inspector.
The photographic assessment standards were produces by electronically altering the
image with a series of overlays describing the various grades. Being electronically based,
this method can be used to generate grades automatically using image interpretation
software, if so desired.

In the example above, each Grade has a corresponding repair area to be used in
generating management reports. A separate determination of Repair Area is also possible
during the data acquisition phase. The photographic assessment standards may be
produced in hardcopy format or in portable electronic format for storage in a PDA, or
other portable inspection tools.

Each Grade can also be associated with a particular maintenance action, such as:

• Grade A: Represents a condition that requires no immediate maintenance action.

Grade B Represents a condition that requires touch-up maintenance within three

years.

Grade C" Represents a condition that requires touch-up maintenance within one
year.

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 Grade D" Represents a condition that requires touch-up maintenance followed by
a refresher topcoat within three years.

Grade E" Represents a condition that requires touch-up maintenance followed by a

refresher topcoat within one year.

• Grade F" Represents a condition that requires system replacement within one year.

Maintenance actions associated with each Grade may be modified, depending on the
requirements of a given manager's maintenance philosophy. The Grade associated with
each protected facility thus serves as the primary means of determining the type and
priority of maintenance actions.

DESCRIBING PAINT SYSTEMS AND THEIR P E R F O R M A N C E

Maintenance painting becomes necessary when a predetermined level of deterioration

becomes manifest. The level of deterioration that prompts maintenance actions varies
between programs and is usually described in some form of "maintenance philosophy".
There are basically three types of maintenance painting, excluding the "do-nothing"
option:

1. Touch-up" Isolated areas of deterioration are treated and coated with a

maintenance system.

2. Touch-up/Overcoat: In addition to Touch-up, a refresher topcoat is applied.

3. Replace: The system has come to the end of its useful service life and replaced.

Each of these maintenance actions has costs associated with them that can be estimated to
varying degrees of accuracy. The management challenge is to determine which option
provides the most cost effective solution, as well as determining which paint system is
most effective in a given corrosion environment.

Another important attribute of the paint system is its life e x p e c t a n c y - how long will the
systems last before maintenance becomes necessary. Here, as with cost estimates, there
are a variety of sources available for this type of data.

From design standpoint, it appears that the following data requirements can adequately
describe the paint system and associated costs and service life:

• Description of the system surface preparation

• Description of the system components

• Costs for various maintenance actions

• Parameters describing a deterioration rate.

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The first two items are descriptors and are not used in operations on database elements.
The last two items will be acted upon, typically "dynamically', as the data is transferred
from the database to the end user (another application or person). A sample of database
elements is given in the figure below.

Pa i nt Sy:st e ms Deta i l:s

:~-7;~:,, ::-~i - -::;~:;;ii-:-/@~. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

......................:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~.... A ::::::...........
============================================================================= ::::~:~. .-2~-:~:
. . . . . . .......:22-:........:::~.~!!~!!~ii!!i~ii~/:~!i~!i!~!~!~i~:!!~i~!!~!~i~i~!~!!!!!I!i
~ ! ~ a ~ a~a~a~:a~a~.~:~.,.~.,.~.~
•S u:rt:~:a:-'.,.. P r e p : S S P C - S P 1 0 .@ 1 . 5 - 2 : 3 ,'r.,i;s

P.riim~:: Ep..~xy M a sl:i:s :~/2 7 - 10 .,'..'ni}:~

Se:c~and G o a l : Epoxy M,:~slis .@ 7 - 1:0 mi~s

T h rid C o a t :

Fiqis:h Coat:: Aiip:h.atic U r ~ l h a n e @ 1.5 -2.~9 mi~-s

l:ri.sta~;ed Co:sl.: 2.1

T o u c h Up Oa:~t: 4.1 5

R:ef,.-.e-::i~ C.a:.~i: 1.4

:Rs,.:sl:o r~ Go:st: :3.75

E ;~.p:#:cl:ed L.f[:e: 8

P e d~.~ma n:.~e C;o n sl.a :nt A. 0 .~05

P e rf,o ~:.,..'.~.lri:ce C:-~rvsl.~m 1 B O. 1

C o a t:::ng U s e
Ap,p ii:sa t~o:n to c a r b o n s~e ~i ~ i e m e n l:s a b:.av:e th :e sp:ia 5h z'.an e :i..q a n :o fl:s h o ~e :envirgn m ~ t n .

This sample has four associated costs that will be used by the server side programming to
forecast budgets. Costs can be expressed in a variety of formats, frequently in terms of
cost per square foot, so that area data collected for the facility can be easily translated in
budget figures. Cost calculations are fairly straightforward.

There are three parameters used to establish and monitor deterioration rates in this
example; Expected Life, Performance Constant A and Performance Constant B.
Performance prediction rests on the particular model used.

Models for deterioration are invariably statistically based. A given model is described by
a mathematical function or series of mathematical functions. In the example above, the
stored parameters may be used in manifold functions, although the most popular are
based on extreme value statistics and use some form of an exponential function to
describe the deterioration rate.

BRINGING DATA TOGETHER FOR MANAGEMENT ACTION

The collected and stored data discussed above remains useless unless there exists
programming to query the database, manipulate the data and pass the results to either
another application or to the decision maker (typically in the form of a report) in a format
that serves a particular economic function. The economic function typically attempts to
answer the following two basic questions:

• What types of maintenance should be performed?

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 • When is the most opportune time for maintenance to be performed?

• How much will the maintenance cost?

What options exist if budget restraints limit the amount of maintenance that can
be performed?

Given that the facility, condition and system data discussed above resides in an accessible
database and that data has been updated to remain useful, the web-enabled management
system provides the framework to generate a variety of management reports focused on
these questions. The reports fall into one of the following categories"

Work Forecast: Data on the facility and condition can generate work
forecasted for the upcoming year and the out-years, providing managers
with the tools to logically budget resources for the maintenance work
required.

. Cost of Deferring Work: Should work requirements exceed present

resources, the cost of deferring work can be calculated and aid the
manager in decisions as to which work can be deferred at lowest cost.

o Performance of Systems" Monitoring condition over time can provide data

on the performance of systems in various corrosive environments. This
allows managers to effect changes in system materials and processes to
increase the system's service life.

° Allocation of Resources: Given the fact that certain facilities may have
short remaining useful economic life, maintenance resources can be
shifted from these to facilities whose service life may be extended by
judicious maintenance actions.

CONCLUSIONS

Use of web-enabled systems has several advantages over platform-specific applications in

managing painting programs. Access to data is not restricted to a particular computer or
network system. Managers can access the data and reports desired from any location
having a web browser and Intemet connectivity. Additional advantages include the
ability to:

Standardize communication amongst the various enterprise applications presently

used to operate complex systems (e.g., transportation, oil and gas production)

Engineer customer-specific process to organize and monitor the infrastructure

being protected.

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 Implement standardized terminology and processes for describing and modeling
deterioration of corrosion control systems.

• Implement consistently applied processes for assigning condition evaluations.

Implement standardized processes for allocating resources across a diverse range

of infrastructure types.

The goal of this or any other management system is to generate economic value. Without
the tools discussed in this paper, maintenance management quickly deteriorates to a
condition where jobs are selected to fill the budget, and this approach has been proven to
result in an inefficient use of resources 4.

REFERENCES

1. M. Jasnowsld, Java, XML and Web Services, Hungry Minds, 2003.

2. Ibid.

° D 610, Standard Test Method for Evaluating Degree of Rusting on Painted Steel
Surfaces, ASTM, 2001

4. J. Hagel, Out of the Box, Harvard Business School Press, 2202