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Cetec has completed many investigations of failures in fire protection systems, both sprinkler and hydrant type. Buildings built from the 1990s, for example, appear to be showing a trend of early failure within 7 years following installation. In contrast, a building from the 1970s can have their fire piping last at least 25 years.

There are several factors that influence the service life of the fire piping:

• Pipe Wall Thickness
  Since the 1990s there has been a shift to thinner walled piping. For a given corrosion rate thinner pipe would perforate in less time.
   
• Welded Seam Pipe
  For a given pipe diameter and wall thickness a welded seam pipe is more likely to fail compared with a seamless pipe. If corrosion occurs in a pipe then the welded seam tends to be preferentially corroded and perforates first. This is regardless of the pipe wall thickness.
   
• Pipe Material Type
  The common use of galvanised pipe may be responsible for quicker failure of the pipe from corrosion. In soft water systems; e.g. Melbourne and Sydney, galvanised pipe shows a relatively higher tendency for corrosion. Black steel may be a better choice.
   
• Pipe Quality
  The manufacturing source of the pipe and the metallurgical quality is important.
   
• Pipe Installation
  Ensure a proper clean out of the pipe prior to beginning service to remove metallic debris or foreign matter that if left behind could initiate a problem that reduces the service life.
   
• Predictive Maintenance
  Implement a program to monitor the condition of the piping while in service. In this way pro-active measures can be taken to minimise potential damage. Suitable methods include visual inspection and documenting of faults and failures, a routine of ultrasonic thickness testing at selected locations or examination of pipe sections.

The corrective action to a failure of the fire protection system is about more than just replacing the failed pipe. A better understanding for the cause of the failure is paramount.

Cetec, as an independent technical service provider, can help Facility Managers with their building management needs. We can provide you with a customised plan for the predictive maintenance of corrosion of piping systems. We offer a corrosion coupon monitoring service, corrosion failure analysis and ultrasonic thickness measurement capability.

Please contact us here for a free consultation about your needs.