2011

www.SoniTechNDT.com
Tim Frederick

Preventative Maintenance for Fire Sprinkler Systems

Common fire sprinkler piping corrosion issues and preventative maintenance inspection technologies
 Table of Contents

Table of Contents .............………………………......................................................................................... 1

Introduction .........................................……………....................................................................................... 2
Overview of Problem ...............................………………................................................................... 2
The New Solution................................................................................................................................. 2

Fire Sprinkler Corrosion Issues ............................……………………................................................... 3

Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (MIC) ..................................................................................... 3
Other Corrosion Concerns ……………………................................................................................... 4

SoniTech’s Cost Saving Preventative Maintenance Program ...................................................... 4

Risk Mitigation ................................................................................................................................. 4
What is Preventative Maintenance .....................…............................................................................. 5

Non-Invasive Inspection Technologies................................................................................................ 5

Comparison of Technologies ……………………………………………………………………………… 5
The SoniTech NDT Cutting Edge Solution ………………………………………………………………… 6
Patented Guided Wave Pipe Corrosion Detection.............................................................................. 6
Conventional Ultrasonic Thickness Measurements .................................................................... 7
Alternative Inspection Techniques...................................................................................................... 7

Analysis and Reporting............................................................................................................................. 7

Return on Investment .......................................................................................................................... 8

SUMMARY REMARKS...............................................................…................................................................. 8

REFERENCES ............................................................................................…............................................... 8

www.SoniTechNDT.com 303-552-1099 info@SoniTechNDT.com Page 1

 Introduction

Overview of the Age Old Problem

Corrosion of Fire Sprinkler piping can lead to potentially hazardous system malfunctions, as well as costly
water damage and repair costs. In addition to “typical” corrosion issues, Microbiologically Influenced
Corrosion (MIC) rapidly accelerates corrosive growth, which can quickly lead to serious problems in buildings
1
less than five years old , and in a most extreme case, has been witnessed in stainless steel pipe only three
years old.

Recognizing that pipe systems are the only non-redundant system in most Mission Critical Facilities, it’s easy
to see how these systems are the Achilles’ Heel of the industry. Facilities commonly incorporate redundant
systems such as backup servers, backup power supplies, and multiple connections to the internet, but have
only one pipe system with one layer of pipe protecting their business assets.

As the “red headed stepchild” in Mission Critical Facility Management, inspections for MIC and Corrosion are
often overlooked until expensive problems such as damaging leaks occur or the corrosion is so prevalent that
large areas of the entire Fire Sprinkler system have to be replaced. This corrective after-the-fact maintenance
approach is a costly reactive strategy. The usual task of the maintenance team in this scenario is to effect
repairs as soon as possible, oftentimes outside normal business hours, raising expenses even further. Costs
associated with corrective maintenance include repair costs (replacement components, labor, and
consumables), logistical expenses, lost production, and lost sales.

The New Solution

SoniTech NDT believes that an ounce of prevention equals a pound of cure, which is why our non-destructive
service detects and maps potential for failure BEFORE significant damage occurs, when mitigation costs and
logistics are at a minimum…all with little to no interruption to daily operations.

A proactive approach to fire sprinkler maintenance is available using completely noninvasive technologies
that form the basis of a Preventative Maintenance approach. This new approach provides a cost effective
means of detecting the presence and monitoring progression of corrosion, and creating a digital record of the
system state that can be used to treat or schedule replacement of localized sections of the system in the
most economical fashion, on your schedule, and before leaks or operational failures occur.

Figure 1. Typical Sections of an inspected Fire Sprinkler System

www.SoniTechNDT.com 303-552-1099 info@SoniTechNDT.com Page 2

 Fire Sprinkler Corrosion Issues

The most common Fire Sprinkler Pipes are engineered and

constructed using steel pipes sized according to specific
hydraulic requirements, typically ranging from 1.0 inch
diameter to 10.0 inch diameter pipes in Schedule 5, 10 or 40.

There are numerous types of corrosive reactions that can

occur with steel, and while there are various methods for
combating or trying to slow the corrosive activity, nothing stops
it completely. One may think corrosion in Wet fire sprinkler
systems will not be a problem IF all of the air is removed from
the system, but that is not true, especially if MIC is present in
the water supply. Even a small amount of trapped air or oxygen
dissolved into the water can cause the onset of corrosive
activity, even in a galvanized or chemically treated system.
Figure 2. Corrosion in Fire Sprinkler Pipe
Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (MIC)

MIC is the term used for corrosion influenced by microbes in water. The primary concern is that the influence
of these microbes is often at an extremely accelerated rate of corrosion, destroying perfectly good pipe in just
a few years. MIC is not caused by a single microbe, but is attributed to many different microbes that react
with metal pipe, even in chemically treated systems. MIC is often categorized by common characteristics
such as byproducts (i.e., sludge and tubercules) or the compounds they affect (i.e. sulfur oxidizing). In
general, all MIC microbes fall into one of two groups based upon their oxygen requirements; one being
aerobic (requires oxygen and thrives in dry pipe systems), and the other being anaerobic (requires little or no
oxygen and thrives in wet pipe systems).
Microbiologically induced corrosion becomes problematic when steels are in constant contact with nearly
neutral water that has a pH between 4 and 9 and a temperature between 50° and 122°F (10° and 50°C) and
is more pronounced if the water is stagnant or slow-moving, such as in fire sprinkler systems
Although there have been regions of the United States, such as the Phoenix and Las Vegas areas, where a
large number of MIC cases have been reported and documented, there is presently no indication that MIC is
confined to any specific geographical area. Reports of MIC have been received from throughout the entire
1
United States and also from abroad .

Figure 3. MIC Nodules in both Dry and Wet Fire Sprinkler Systems
MIC frequently occurs concurrently with other corrosion mechanisms, thriving in small crevices such as joints
and micro pits, and is difficult to distinguish from other forms of corrosion. This is in part due to the fact that
microbes help create conditions under which other corrosion mechanisms can occur, such as crevice
1
corrosion, pitting, and under-deposit corrosion .

www.SoniTechNDT.com 303-552-1099 info@SoniTechNDT.com Page 3

 Other Corrosive Concerns

In a dry or pre-action system, water often collects in low spots in the piping after the pipe is periodically
2
flushed (per NFPA requirements for Dry systems ). Humidity in the air can also condense into pools within
the pipe system. As the water collects and sits in the pipe, corrosion can begin to rapidly eat through the wall
thickness, which is of particular concern dry systems due to the thinner schedule pipes they typically employ.
Wet systems can have similar issues, particularly when poor installation or angled ceilings leave high spots
where air pockets and dissolved oxygen can collect, leaving a ripe environment for corrosion to develop.

Figure 4. Wall Loss and Pitting in Fire Sprinkler System Piping

SoniTech’s Cost Saving Preventative Maintenance Program

Risk Mitigation

The risk of MIC or Corrosion in fire sprinkler piping can be broken into two general categories:
1. Loss of life or property damage caused by fire that spreads due to an operational failure
2. Significant property damage caused by a leak from corrosive pitting
Almost any facility that is required to have a fire sprinkler system is subject to the first risk in some degree,
but several types of facilities heavily rely on the sprinkler system to extinguish or slow the spread of fire.
These include highly populated buildings (i.e. airports, convention centers, stadiums), distribution hubs, ships
at sea, correctional facilities, manufacturing plants, and power plants (fossil fuel and especially nuclear).
The potential of fire sprinkler leaks may not seem especially risky or life threatening, but for facilities housing
sensitive inventory (food processing, paper goods, etc) or sensitive electronics and equipment (clean rooms,
data centers, telecommunications facilities, etc), even a minor leak can produce potentially catastrophic
financial losses.

Figure 5. Leaks in Mission Critical Facilities like Data Centers, Clean Rooms, Hospitals, Distribution Centers,
and Manufacturing Plants could be disastrous

www.SoniTechNDT.com 303-552-1099 info@SoniTechNDT.com Page 4

 What is Preventative Maintenance?
Preventative Maintenance refers to care and servicing by personnel for the purpose of maintaining equipment and facilities in satisfactory
operating condition by providing for systematic inspection, detection, and correction of incipient failures either before they occur or before they
3
develop into major defects. Maintenance can either be performed according to fixed preventive schedules or when a certain change in
characteristics is noted, much like putting new tires on your car every 80k miles regardless of condition or when they show wear/damage.
Periodically inspecting fire sprinkler systems for the presence of MIC or Corrosion allows the facility manager to accurately monitor the condition of
the system, treat systems at the onset of corrosion to extend pipe life, or schedule localized replacement of bad pipe and significantly reduce the
risk and costs associated with corrective maintenance.

Non-invasive, Ultrasonic Inspection Technologies

All Ultrasonic Inspection Methods are NOT the same
Do you think you know Ultrasound? Several “flavors” of Ultrasonic Testing are available today, including one cutting edge highly effective method.

SoniTech NDT’s Proprietary Traditional Traditional

4
Quantity of scans per day
Area covered per scan
point
Type of data
Level of Precision
Pipe Clearance
Technology Strengths
Technology Limitations
Localized Guided Wave (LGW)
150 to 250+
10' to 20' span, full circumference
Quantitative and Qualitative
Very High
3" x 6" section on pipe surface
exposed for scan head, pipe can be
near a wall or other structure
Accurately cover large areas of almost
any kind of metallic pipe in a short
period of time. Little to no disruption to
client’s daily routine.
Must be able to touch the pipe with
scan head at each scan point. Upper
o 7
temperature threshold of 200 F
Ultrasonic Thickness (UT)
150 to 250+
pinpoint area
Quantitative
Very High
1" diameter area exposed for
transducer and 1½” clearance from
pipe to wall or other obstructions, at
each scan point
Highly accurate in a pinpoint area,
offering wall thickness accurate to
0.003". Little to no disruption to
client’s daily routine.
Easy to miss areas of wall loss.
Cannot detect corrosion buildup or ice
obstruction. Very time consuming to
cover large areas. Must be able to
touch the pipe at each scan point.
Long Range Guided Wave (GWUT)
10 to 15
5
20' to 300' , full circumference
Qualitative
6
Moderate
24" wide area around entire
circumference exposed, and 3"
minimum clearance to walls or other
obstructions
Efficient for long straight runs of
welded pipe. Can scan runs that go
underground or through walls etc.
Great for corrosion under insulation
Only provides general information.
Cannot scan through grooved
couplings. Sensitivity diminishes with
distance, bends, or pipe walls that are
not pristine. Time consuming and
expensive.

www.SoniTechNDT.com 303-552-1099 info@SoniTechNDT.com Page 5

 SoniTech NDT’s Cutting Edge Solution
SoniTech has developed a comprehensive inspection service and Preventative Maintenance program for
facility managers and building owners, derived from its unique patented scanning technology. The basis of
this program is a completely portable noninvasive Ultrasonic inspection system that provides a quick and
accurate representation of the interior of your pipe system, while it remains fully operational.
SoniTech will detect and map the presence of corrosion and MIC, ice plugs, air pockets trapped in a wet
system, or water pockets left behind in a dry system. Sonic’s proprietary software compiles the analyzed
results and develops a detailed report that ties the measurements to copies of the facility’s blueprints.
With this data, you can easily implement a cost effective Preventative Maintenance program for your Fire
Sprinkler Pipe system. The density of inspection locations and the frequency of inspections can be
customized for your individual requirements and should be chosen based on the risk associated with a leak
or system operational failure, history of the system, and condition of the sprinkler system water supply.

To assure the greatest accuracy, SoniTech NDT collects redundant data using both Localized Guided Wave
and conventional Ultrasonic Thickness Measurements to quickly, simply, and accurately detect and monitor
anomalies within a fire sprinkler system.

Patented LGW Pipe Corrosion Detection

SoniTech’s unique patented Localized Guided Wave system is

2
NFPA approved and identifies areas of pipe that show
indications of internal corrosion or other issues. The scanning
head is placed on the exterior of the pipe, which excites guided
Ultrasonic waves that propagate the circumference of the pipe for
about 8 seconds per reading.

The measured signature is then compared to that of brand new,

pristine pipe that have been stored in the software for all possible
pipe diameters and schedules, for both “Wet “and” Dry” systems.

Figure 7 below illustrates the clear difference between an

inspection point from an area of good pipe as compared to an
area of bad pipe. The upper wave represents the baseline and
the lower represents the pipe condition at that point. The more
corrosion (presence of nodules attached to the interior of the pipe
or amount of wall thinning) the more the signal is affected.

Figure 6. Guided Wave Scan Head

Figure 7. No Corrosion (left) versus Corrosion Indication (right)

www.SoniTechNDT.com 303-552-1099 info@SoniTechNDT.com Page 6

 Conventional Ultrasonic Thickness Measurements

In addition to random redundant checks, areas of pipe

that show indications of corrosion with the more sensitive
and efficient Localized Guided Wave signatures are
investigated further with highly accurate wall thickness
measurements made around the circumference of the
pipe.

Alternative Inspection Techniques

Some areas of pipe may be inaccessible and therefore

cannot be measured using the Ultrasonic techniques
described above. SoniTech can employ alternative
methods for inspecting hard to reach pipe, which may
include long range guided wave or a digital video
borescope. Borescope should only be a used as a last
resort, as it is a destructive testing method that requires
system shut down and cutting into the pipe to perform the
inspection. This may be appropriate for limited use in
high-risk areas but is too intrusive and expensive for a
general recurring inspection of an entire facility
Figure 8. Conventional Ultrasonic
Thickness Measurements
Analysis and Reporting
The measurements are permanently stored for each location and a report showing the current level of
corrosion can be reproduced using sprinkler system blueprints. Each scan point has a unique identifier
number marked on the pipe (see Figure 1 above) which corresponds to the same number within the report.
All scan points are overlaid on maps or architectural drawings (when applicable) and the report will include
one full page of raw data for each scan point collected.

Figure 9. Corrosion measurements are tracked and mapped for each location

www.SoniTechNDT.com 303-552-1099 info@SoniTechNDT.com Page 7

 Return on Investment

Calculating the Return on Investment with a Preventative Maintenance program versus a traditional
Corrective Maintenance program for a fire sprinkler piping system is difficult at best, and requires assessing
the risk of both types of system failure mentioned on page 4, and estimating the total cost of such a failure
(emergency mitigation and logistical costs, lost inventory, lost equipment, lost production time, loss of key
accounts/customers during down time, and of course the risk to human life). Additionally, one must factor the
expense of unnecessarily replacing “good pipe” when implementing a Corrective Maintenance plan.

Once these costs are estimated they need to be weighed against the cost of a Preventative Maintenance
program, which includes periodically inspecting the system using SoniTech NDT’s non-invasive Ultrasonic
LGW technique, and using that data to make an informed decision as to exactly which areas, if any, are in
need of immediate attention and which areas still have “good pipe”, allowing your Fire Sprinkler System to
perform exactly as designed. This is a key component in an effective Reliability Centered Maintenance
(RCM) program.

Studies by some of the largest and most technologically advanced companies such as General Motors and
3M have shown that average rate of return for a Preventative Maintenance program ranges from 7 to 1 to as
high as 35 to 1, depending on the industry. In other words, for every $1 spent on Preventative Maintenance, a
company will save anywhere from $7 to $35 versus Corrective Maintenance.

Summary Remarks
There are four general approaches to maintaining any system: (1) Predictive Maintenance; (2) Reliability
Centered Maintenance (RCM); (3) Corrective Maintenance; and (4) Preventative Maintenance (staying
informed as to the condition of your system and repairing only the questionable areas before they fail).

Because of the expense of replacing entire Fire Sprinkler Systems and erratic unpredictable nature of MIC
and corrosion, neither Corrective Maintenance (knee jerk reaction) nor RCM (without accurate data on the
condition of the inside of your pipe) are good choices.

Until recently, most facility managers and building owners had little choice but to wait for corrosive problems
to arise (leaks, system failure, etc.) before implementing costly corrective maintenance in a total reactionary
mode. Under these circumstances, pipe is often replaced unnecessarily (at a very high cost), or corroded pipe
is left in place to cause future costly problems.

Now, with SoniTech NDT’s Preventative Maintenance Program, the presence of MIC and corrosion can be
quickly identified and tracked to provide cost-effective risk mitigation for both leaks and operational failure of
the system. Facility managers and building owners now have the means to create a database (see Figure 10)
with the current level of corrosion and MIC in their fire sprinkler system piping and use this information to
proactively schedule replacement of only the pipe deemed unacceptable, in an informed and economical
manner.
Please visit www.SoniTechNDT.com for more information

References
1
FM Global Property Loss Prevention Data Sheet for Internal Corrosion in Automatic Sprinkler Systems. May 2001.
2
NFPA 25 2008 Edition Chapter 14 Section 14.2.1 and Annex D Section D.3.5
3
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preventive_maintenance
4
Quantities shown for LGW and UT are typical estimates. Scan quantities can be influenced by access issues or other
factors, either in a positive or negative manner
5
50’ to 100’ is typical. Actual distance covered by GWUT greatly diminishes when scanning pipe that is not pristine or
scanning through bends, welds, underground, etc.
6
Cross sectional differentiation must be 10% to 25% or more to be detected, and GWUT does not penetrate into branch
lines or work well around “T” fittings.
7 o
Surface temperature cannot exceed 200 F, however boiler/steam pipe or other high temp process pipe can be inspected
if the system is shut down and allowed to cool

www.SoniTechNDT.com 303-552-1099 info@SoniTechNDT.com Page 8