In-Service Inspection of Thermoplastic and GRP
Condition assessment of plastic and GRP assets while they remain in service, tracking how the material is degrading over time so you can plan intervention before it fails.
About in-service inspection
Thermoplastic and GRP assets deteriorate gradually. Environmental stress cracking, UV degradation, chemical attack, delamination and fatigue all develop over time, and the point at which a tank stops being fit for service is rarely obvious from a single look. What matters is the trend, how far the material has moved since it was last assessed.
In-service inspection provides a practical means of tracking that trend without taking the asset offline. Using close visual inspection, ultrasonic thickness measurement, hardness testing and spark testing of linings and welds where accessible, we assess the condition of the shell, joints, fittings and any lining, and compare it against the design and against earlier surveys.
Because plastics fail differently from steel, we look for the mechanisms that a steel-focused walk-round would miss, and we record them in enough detail to support the next assessment as well as this one.
Inspection scope
An in-service scope is set by the material, the stored product, the service history and the mechanisms most likely to be at work. A typical scope includes:
- Close visual inspection of the shell, joints and fittings
- Screening for environmental stress cracking and crazing
- Assessment of UV degradation and surface embrittlement
- Assessment of chemical attack against the stored product
- Ultrasonic thickness measurement of walls and floors
- Hardness testing to track material condition over time
- Spark (holiday) testing of linings and welds where fitted
- Comparison against design data and previous inspection records
- Review of degradation rates and remaining life
Tracking condition over the life of the asset
Part of the EEMUA 225 approach
EEMUA 225 treats inspection as a recurring activity across the life of the asset, and in-service surveys are how that is delivered.
Keeps assets available
Condition is assessed without taking the tank offline, so storage capacity is not lost to inspection alone.
It is the trend that counts
Repeat surveys turn single readings into a degradation rate, which is what tells you when intervention is genuinely due.
Reporting and recommendations
Every in-service inspection produces a clear report setting out the findings, the condition of the asset and the degradation mechanisms observed, with recommendations prioritised by risk.
Where earlier records exist, we report the change since the last survey and what it implies for remaining life, so the recommendation to monitor, repair or replace is grounded in the trend rather than a single snapshot. Reports are written by the inspector who carried out the work.
Related inspection services
Need to check a plastic or GRP asset in service?
Speak with our team about in-service inspection and how it fits your integrity programme.