During the operation of a large-scale Healthcare facility, the facility manager observed water leaks at different locations/sections of the existing copper pipe system.

CETEC was engaged to conduct an in-depth investigation with the goal of assessing the extent of corrosion present and to determine the factors that contributed to the faults in the pipe system.

Project Details

Services:

• Materials Failure • Failure Investigation • Materials Testing

Sectors:
• Healthcare Facilities • Potable Water Copper Pipes

Location:
Australia

Our Work

• Obtained pipe and water samples from key areas of interest at the considered site
• Conducted in depth laboratory analysis on the water samples and copper pipe
• Commented on the severity of corrosion and factors that could have contributed to the failures observed in the pipe system.

Project Highlights

Microscopic examination of sections of the pipe revealed striations on the pipe surface, corrosion deposits and pitting .

Based on the areas examined via Optical Microscopy, SEM-EDX was conducted on suitable locations of the pipe pieces to determine chemical composition of areas near the pits.

Water Quality testing was also conducted that yielded several results that indicated that the water was outside optimal conditions. Various indices all indicated that the water present in the system were outside the performance range for the selected plumbing materials.

Our Impact

• Identified the extent of corrosion present on the piping system.
• Identified that the quality of water present in the system was outside optimal parameters.
• Proposed potential remediation methods.