SI Appoints New Leadership

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Structural Integrity Associates, Inc. (SIA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Battaglia as Vice President, Nuclear and Chief Nuclear Officer. Mr. Battaglia has served the prior three years leading the Project Management Office and Nuclear Business Development areas at SIA. During his 25-year career in the nuclear industry, Mr. Battaglia has held a variety of leadership roles that span operations and business development. Of Mr. Battaglia’s many operational accomplishments, building and leading the Westinghouse Balance of Plant Engineering Department, and leading the commercial deployment of a new alloy 600 mitigation technology in the US., are exemplary. In addition to his operational experience, Mr. Battaglia’s business development expertise has consistently enhanced the position of the business in the markets he has served.

Mark W. Marano, President and CEO of SIA, commented, “Mike’s blend of operational and business development backgrounds will bring a holistic approach to the implementation of the long-term strategic vision for SIA’s Nuclear business. His reputation of being highly engaged, not only with clients but with the entire staff at SIA, cements my confidence that this transition will go smoothly and pave the way for growth.”

Mr. Battaglia holds a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh.

News & Views, Volume 52 | Understanding the Effects of Hydrogen Blending on Pipeline Integrity

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OIL & GAS SAFETY & RELIABILITY

By:  Scott Riccardella, Owen Malinowski & Dr. Pete Riccardella

Structural Integrity Associates is focused on evaluating the impact of hydrogen blending on pipeline integrity and establishing a roadmap for our clients to maintain the safety and integrity of their aging natural gas steel transmission pipelines.

Hydrogen is widely recognized as a viable, clean alternative energy carrier. Recent advances in technology for clean hydrogen production, as well as renewed governmental and organizational commitments to clean energy, have intensified interest in utilizing the existing natural gas pipeline infrastructure to transport hydrogen from production sites to end users. Energy companies are pursuing strategic pilot programs to evaluate the capacity of their natural gas transmission and distribution pipeline systems to safely transport blends of natural gas and hydrogen. These pilot programs demonstrate the commitment of energy companies to facilitate environmentally responsible energy production and consumption while identifying and investigating potential challenges to pipeline safety and integrity associated with hydrogen blending. 

KEY ELEMENTS OF THE EVALUATION INCLUDE

  • Completing a critical threat review using a phenomena identification and ranking table (PIRT) process with a team of experts.
  • Developing a statistical model for evaluating accelerated fatigue crack growth (FCG) in a hydrogen blend environment.
  • Developing a statistical model for evaluating reduced fracture resistance (hydrogen embrittlement).
  • Analyzing the impact of FCG and hydrogen embrittlement on the probability of rupture (POR) due to key threats such as stress corrosion cracking (SCC), longitudinal seam weld defects, and hard spots.
  • Implementing a joint industry project (JIP) to adapt SI’s APTITUDE software tool for evaluating predicted failure pressure (PFP) and remaining life resulting from SCC and FCG in a hydrogen blend environment.

CRITICAL THREAT REVIEW
As part of a systemwide evaluation for one of our clients, a large North American Pipeline Operator, a critical threat review using a PIRT process was conducted to comprehensively understand the potential impact of hydrogen blending on steel natural gas transmission pipeline integrity. To ensure a thorough and accurate PIRT was completed, a panel consisting of experts in metallurgy, fracture mechanics, hydrogen effects on steel properties, and pipeline operations was assembled. A vital part of the process was a series of meetings conducted with the pipeline operator, systematically identifying and ranking the importance of various phenomena that could adversely affect the safety and reliability of energy transportation through the operator’s existing transmission pipeline system.  

Figure 1. FCG rate curves in hydrogen (solid lines) versus air (dashed lines).

The PIRT panel reviewed all known pipeline integrity threats and identified potential unknown or unexpected threats that could be influenced by the presence of hydrogen in the operator’s transmission pipeline system. The process also assigned priorities for future research that may be needed to support that objective.

ENHANCED FATIGUE CRACK GROWTH
Significant research exists on the effect of hydrogen on FCG of pipeline steels and was referenced in this exercise. To gather the most relevant information possible, the project team compiled and analyzed data from numerous client-specific FCG tests of samples taken from the pipeline system in the targeted environment. These sample systems were exposed to equivalent hydrogen blend levels of 5%, 10%, 20%, and 100%. Over 2,200 data points were compiled and analyzed to develop trend curves and associated statistical variability. Data exhibited a significant increase in FCG rates (Figure 1) at relatively low hydrogen blend levels. ASME Code Case 2938 was reviewed and empirically fit with the analyzed data. 

 

Figure 2. Fracture toughness reduction as a function of hydrogen partial pressure for different pipe grades.

HYDROGEN EMBRITTLEMENT
Hydrogen is known to have an embrittling effect on carbon steels, such as those used in gas transmission pipelines. When an internal pipe surface is exposed to high-pressure hydrogen or a high-pressure mixture of hydrogen and natural gas, hydrogen gas can disassociate into hydrogen atoms, which can then be adsorbed into the steel and lead to material property degradation (such as reduced fracture resistance). Dislocations and defects in the steel can also act as hydrogen traps, leading to even higher hydrogen concentrations at the location of already vulnerable manufacturing defects and service-induced cracks. Reduced fracture resistance at such sites could increase the adverse effect on pipeline integrity by leading to more frequent pipe failure events.

Based on available data from the literature and input from the PIRT expert panel, the project team developed trend curves of percent reductions in fracture resistance due to hydrogen exposure (knockdown factors) relative to fracture toughness in air. From this analysis, a reasonably conservative approximation, including statistical variability, was developed for the region of interest (hydrogen/natural gas blend levels up to 20% – Figure 2). Additional research and data analysis are currently underway that may further validate the relationship and better study this effect at low hydrogen partial pressures, as well as confirm the knockdown effect on lower toughness pipeline materials, such as electric resistance welded (ERW) seam welds.

PROBABILISTIC FRACTURE MECHANICS
SI has developed Synthesis™, a Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics (PFM) tool that calculates the probability of rupture (POR) for various cracks and crack-like defects that have caused oil and gas pipeline failures. The software incorporates statistical distributions of all important parameters in a pipeline fracture mechanics calculation that uses a Monte Carlo analysis algorithm that randomly samples from each distribution and runs millions of simulations to estimate the probability of rupture versus time. To evaluate the impact of hydrogen blending, Synthesis has been adapted to incorporate the effects of hydrogen on pipeline steel properties (enhanced FCG and hydrogen embrittlement) and thus the ability to compare PORs with and without hydrogen blending. The modified software was then applied to several pipelines in the operator’s system to determine the POR ratio between various hydrogen blend levels and pure natural gas. Additionally, Synthesis can evaluate the effects of various mitigation measures, such as hydrotests and In-Line Inspections, that could be applied before injecting hydrogen (Figure 3). The calculated PORRs will allow the operator to prioritize pipelines and associated mitigating actions that may be more or less favorable for hydrogen blending.

Figure 3. Improvement in POR and PORR for different integrity assessments.

APTITUDE™ JOIN INDUSTRY PROJECT
SI has also established a JIP to adapt the APTITUDE PFP software program to handle some additional challenges presented with blending hydrogen with natural gas. Advancements include modifications that address enhanced FCG and hydrogen embrittlement. Further research to close gaps identified during the PIRT process is also being pursued through PRCI and other forums. Availability to join the JIP still exists, but space is limited – Please contact us if you would like to participate.

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SI Appoints New Leadership

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News & Views, Volume 52 | Online Monitoring of HRSG with SIIQ™

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Figure 1. Typical components that are monitored with the pertinent damage mechanisms in mind.

A CASE STUDY ON IMPLEMENTATION AT A 3X1 COMBINED CYCLE FACILITY (ARTICLE 1 OF 3) 

By:  Kane Riggenbach and Ben Ruchte

SI has successfully implemented a real-time, online, damage monitoring system for the Heat Recovery Steam Generators (HRSGs) at a combined cycle plant with a 3×1 configuration (3 HRSGs providing steam to a single steam turbine).  The system is configured to quantify and monitor the life limiting effects of creep and fatigue at select locations on each of the HRSGs (e.g. attemperators, headers, and drums – see Figure 1).  The brand name for this system is SIIQ™, which exists as a monitoring solution for high energy piping (HEP) systems and/or HRSG pressure-part components.  SIIQ™ utilizes off-the-shelf sensors (e.g. surface-mounted thermocouples) and existing instrumentation (e.g. thermowells, pressure taps, flow transmitters, etc.) via secure access to the data historian.  The incorporation of this data into SI’s damage accumulation algorithms generates results that are then displayed within the online monitoring module of SI’s PlantTrack™ data management system (example of the dashboard display shown in Figure 2).  

Figure 2. Example dashboard of the health status and ‘action’ date for a variety of components.

This article will be part of a series discussing items such as the background for monitoring, implementation/monitoring location selection, and future results for the 3×1 combined cycle plant.  

  • Article 1 (current):  Introduction to SIIQ™ with common locations for monitoring within HRSGs (and sections of HEP systems)
  • Article 2: Process of SIIQ™ implementation for the 3×1 facility with a discussion of the technical foundation for damage tracking
  • Article 3: Presentation of results from at least 6+ months, or another appropriate timeframe, of online monitoring data

BASIS FOR MONITORING
The owner of the plant implemented the system with the desire of optimizing operations and maintenance expenses by reducing inspections or at least focusing inspections on the highest risk locations.  The system has been in place for a few months now and is continuously updating risk ranking of the equipment and ‘action’ intervals.  The ‘action’ recommended may be operational review, further analysis, or inspections.  This information is now being used to determine the optimum scope of work for the next maintenance outage based on the damage accumulated.  Like many combined cycle plants, attemperators are typically a problem area.  Through monitoring, however, it can be determined when temperature differential events occur and to what magnitude.  Armed with this information aides in root cause investigation but also, if no damage is recorded, may extend the inspection interval.

HRSG DAMAGE TRACKING
Many HRSG systems are susceptible to damage due to high temperatures and pressures as well as fluctuations and imbalances.  Attemperators have been a leading cause of damage accumulation (fatigue) through improper design/operation of the spray water stations (Figure 5).  In addition, periods of steady operation can result in accumulation of creep damage in header components (Figure 6) and unit cycling increases fatigue and creep-fatigue damage in stub/ terminal tubes and header ligaments (Figure 7).  Monitoring the damage allows equipment owners to be proactive in mitigating or avoiding further damage.

Traditionally, periodic nondestructive examinations (NDE) would be used to determine the extent of damage, but in HRSGs this can be challenging due to access restraints and, in the case of the creep strength enhanced ferritic (CSEF) materials such as Grade 91, damage detection sensitivity is somewhat limited until near end of life.  Continuous online monitoring and calculations of damage based on unit-specific finite element (FE) models (sometimes referred to as a ‘digital twin’) with live data addresses this issue.

Figure 4. Examples of damage observed by SI on attemperators.

Reliable life consumption estimates are made by applying SI’s algorithms for real-time creep and fatigue damage tracking, which use operating data, available information on material conditions, and actual component geometry.

Figure 5. Examples of creep damage observed by SI on header link pipe connections (olets).

SIIQ tracks trends in damage accumulation to intelligently guide life management decisions, such as the need for targeted inspections, or more detailed “off-line” analysis of anomalous conditions. This marks a quantum leap forward from decision making based on a schedule rather than on actual asset condition. 

Figure 6. Examples of creep/fatigue damage observed by SI at tube-to-header connections.

Figure 7. Examples of online monitoring alerts generated from SIIQ

SIIQ can be configured to provide email alerts (Figure 7) when certain absolute damage levels are reached, or when a certain damage accumulation over a defined time frame is exceeded. In this way, the system can run hands-off in the background, and notify maintenance personnel when action might be required.

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News & Views, Volume 52 | An SIIQ™ Primer

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POWER PLANT ASSET MANAGEMENT

SI’s technology differs from most systems by focusing on MODELING OF DAMAGE MECHANISMS (e.g. damage initiation and subsequent rate of accumulation) affecting components that, if a failure were to occur, would impact safety and reliability.

Figure 1. Typical architecture for connection to data historian.

SIIQ™ is part of the next-generation approach for managing assets through online monitoring and diagnostic (M&D) systems. The advancements in sensor technology, signal transmission (wired or wireless), data storage, and computing power allow for ever more cost-efficient collection and analysis of ‘Big Data.’ 

The online monitoring module of SI’s PlantTrack™ data management system can retrieve operating data from OSIsoft’s PI data historian (or other historians, for that matter – see above for typical architecture).  Access to data from the historian is critical for moving beyond the stage of detecting adverse temperature events from the local surface-mounted thermocouples.  Examination of pertinent data from select tags (as seen in Figure 3 of the article beginning page 29) is reviewed by SI experts to help derive a more optimal solution to mitigate further events.  The benefit of the real-time monitoring is to detect improper operation and diagnose prior to damage progressing to failure.  Continuously monitoring the condition allows for early remediation and potentially avoiding a failure that would result in loss of unit availability and possible personnel injury.  Further, if monitoring indicates no issues are occurring, it may justify deferring a costly inspection.

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Structural Integrity Associates and C2C Technical Services Announce the Formation of SI Solutions in Partnership with Jumana Capital

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CHARLOTTE, NC – Structural Integrity Associates (“SI”) www.structint.com, a leading specialty engineering consultant in the power and utility industry, and C2C Technical Services (“C2C”) www.c2ctechnicalservices.com, a leading electrical engineering and electrical field service company, are pleased to announce the formation of SI Solutions, LLC (“SI Solutions”) in partnership with Jumana Capital (“Jumana”) www.jumanacapital.com, a Houston, TX-based private investment firm specializing in partnerships with entrepreneur led companies.

SI was founded in 1983 in San Jose, CA, as an engineering and consulting firm dedicated to the analysis, control, and prevention of structural and mechanical failures with a core focus on critical equipment and structures in the power generation and utility infrastructure. Living true to the motto, “Powered by Talent and Technology,” SI has established itself as an innovative and responsive resource for answering any challenge ranging from R&D to engineering, metallurgy, fabrication, and non-destructive evaluation (NDE).

Texas City, TX-based C2C provides electrical engineering and specialty field services, including automation, instrumentation, electrical services, and technical staffing services for critical infrastructure maintenance within the renewables, petrochemical, and refining sectors.

SI Solutions will be a leading provider of mission-critical power and infrastructure engineering, testing, and maintenance services focused on existing assets.  The platform will have more than 500 employees and nine offices, serving customers across the U.S. and internationally.  The leadership team of SI Solutions will be comprised of the management teams of both SI and C2C, including C2C founders Charles Roachell and Craig Miller. Mark Marano, the former COO of the Westinghouse Electrical Company, came out of retirement to become the CEO of SI in February 2020 and will be the CEO of SI Solutions, in addition to remaining the CEO of SI. The CFO of SI Solutions will be Michelle Digilormo; Cam Tran will serve as Executive Director of HR.

“The SI Solutions platform with SI and C2C is the perfect fit for both companies.  The combination enhances both platforms’ ability to grow and better serve client needs through additional investments in research and development, technical capabilities, field service offerings, and geographic reach. I am very excited about the future of SI Solutions,” said Mark Marano, CEO of SI.

“We are proud of what we’ve built at C2C and are excited to continue to drive growth in this next chapter”, says Charles Roachell, founder and co-president of C2C, “we believe our partnership with SI creates a best-in-class engineering and specialty service platform, led by a culture of safety and best practices. We will deliver the highest quality services to our customers and employees. We are excited to take the next step in building our platform”.

“The cultural fit of SI and C2C is unmatched in the industry”, says Craig Miller, founder, and co-president of C2C. “We value our highly skilled employee base and believe the combination of SI and C2C will create excellent opportunities for our employees to continue their professional and personal development. SI Solutions has an extremely bright future that we’re thrilled to be a part of”.

Chris Martin, Chief Investment Officer and Managing Director of Jumana Capital remarked, “SI Solutions is extremely well positioned to help meet the growing needs for asset management, compliance, maintenance, repair, and upgrade within the power generation, utility infrastructure, chemical, refining, and critical structures sectors in the United States and abroad. We are building something extraordinary and are excited for what the future holds for SI Solutions”.

 

Media Contact
Chris Sydor
Manager of Marketing and Communications
Structural Integrity Associates, Inc
info@structint.com
704-977-1361

High Energy Piping (HEP) Seminar 2023

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January 31ST – February 2ND 2023

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Our High Energy Piping (HEP) Seminar for the Power Industry will be held over 2.5 days (January 31st – until noon on February 2nd) in Austin, TX. During this time, we’ll share our comprehensive expertise on specific topics geared towards being proactive with regards to managing these assets. As the energy landscape has shifted and the call for more flexible operation has increased, it’s important that strategies are in place to ensure personnel safety and unit reliability are maintained. SI aims to provide attendees with a rich educational experience surrounding the following technology areas to provide a holistic review of component health:

THIS SEMINAR IS ESPECIALLY RELEVANT FOR

  • Plant Managers
  • System Engineers and Managers
  • Corporate Piping Engineers
  • Metallurgists
  • Engineering and Maintenance Managers
  • Anyone interested in gaining knowledge of high energy piping systems is welcome

INSTRUCTORS

  • Ben Ruchte – Director, Senior Metallurgist
  • Kane Riggenbach – Senior Consultant, Analytical Services
  • Steve Gressler – Technical Director/Account Executive

COURSE TOPICS

Development and Management of an HEP program

  • Elements of a program
  • Components and systems included
  • Code requirements
  • Best practices

Stress analyses (explanation of the intricacies, when, what, and how to apply)

  • Creep redistribution
  • Creep lifetime prediction
  • Creep crack growth
  • Fatigue: aspects of cycling (operational data needs)

Metallurgical analyses (lab tour of SI’s Materials Lab, which may include an interactive review of samples)

  • Piping damage mechanism
  • Industry issues
  • Grade 91 refresher/update

Application of NDE (new techniques, post-processing methods, when, what, and how to apply)

  • Code versus serviceability examinations
  • Post-processing methods
  • Spray-on transducers
  • Technique and component matching

Continuous monitoring and data management

  • Data to be managed
  • PlantTrack™
  • Online monitoring damage tracking

EVENT DETAIL

Event Date
Tuesday, January 31st – Thursday, February 2nd

Duration
8:00am to 5:00pm Tues. and Wed. 8:00am to 12:00pm on Thurs.

Individual Price
$1,195

Location
Lone Star Court
10901 Domain Drive Austin, Texas 78758
Telephone: 512-814-2625

We have negotiated a rate of $199/night plus taxes, you must book before January 10th to receive group rate. For reservations call 855-596-3398 and mention “SI HEP Seminar” to receive the group rate. Or you can book online using our booking link HOTEL REGISTRATION.

REGISTRATION CLOSED 2023

Structural Integrity Associates | Wireless Sensor Node Featured Image

High Energy Piping Monitoring

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High Energy Piping Monitoring

SI moves beyond the pilot application of a High Energy Piping monitoring program designed to reduce operational risk and optimize maintenance activities.

Structural Integrity Associates | Wireless Sensor Node 6.17ESI has successfully implemented the initial application of an integrated monitoring solution that provides insight into damage evolution and operational risk using real-time data and automated engineering intelligence. This solution will assist in the optimization of maintenance activities and downtime, helping utilities get the most out of their O&M budgets.  “This is a decisive step toward a more modern asset management approach that will lower O&M cost for our clients,” said Steve Gressler, Vice President, SI Energy Services Group, a division of Structural Integrity Associates, Inc. (SI) focused on power plant asset integrity.

Informed by decades of material performance knowledge, the SI team has refined a proprietary risk-ranking method to optimize sensor placement and deliver a high-value monitoring platform supported by the PlantTrack™ asset data management platform.  The integration of monitoring information into the platform further enhances equipment asset integrity data to simplify stakeholder decision making.   The SI solution incorporates various sensors working on a distributed wireless network to feed real-time data to SI’s state-of-the-art algorithms and is also capable of integrating with existing plant data historians to pull in other valuable operational data. The outcome is a cost-effective damage monitoring approach to focus resources and the timing of comprehensive field inspections.

“The architecture enables asset managers to obtain real-time feedback, alerts, and trends that clearly link actual operating conditions to the lifecycle of critical components.,” said Jason Van Velsor, Director of Integrated Monitoring Technology at SI.

“We have supported clients with asset integrity insights for decades and now offer enhanced monitoring technology that will help automate risk management for high energy piping and help obtain the most value out of field inspection and other maintenance activities during outages.”

Unique Features of the SI Solution include:

  • Design and application of a monitoring program that focuses on safety and reliability and is consistent with guidance contained in the ASME B31.1 regulatory code.
  • Expert assessment (or Gap Analysis) to optimize monitoring including health checkups to validate optimum monitoring for plant operation.
  • Decades of material analysis insights as algorithms to expertly inform decision making.
  • Customized automated alerts to notify operators of abnormal or undesirable operating conditions affecting the life of high-energy components.

Contact Steve or Jason to learn more (info@structint.com)

News and Views Volume 49, Attemperator Monitoring with Wireless Sensors 02

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News and Views Volume 49, Attemperator Monitoring with Wireless Sensors

SI Presents at PRCI AGA & ASME

Pipeline Integrity Activity and Plans for 2022

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Authors: Scott Riccardella and Andy Jensen

2021 marked another successful year for the Structural Integrity (SI) Oil & Gas team with several exciting pipeline integrity projects, industry presentations, training events and research programs.  Some of the key highlights include:

  • Continued regulatory consulting support of new pipeline safety regulation (known as Mega-Rule 1 or RIN 1) for nearly all our gas transmission pipeline clients.
  • Commencement of a systemwide pipeline integrity project to evaluate the impact to pipeline safety and reliability from blending hydrogen with natural gas (at various blend levels) for one of the largest U.S. gas pipeline companies.
  • Several industry presentations and training seminars on fracture mechanics evaluation of crack and crack-like defects in support of Predicted Failure Pressure (PFP) Analysis and Engineering Critical Assessments (ECA).
  • Completion of a PRCI study on state-of-the-art technology and a technology benchmark evaluation of X-Ray Computed Tomography to characterize Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) on full circumferential samples.
  • Development of a Neural Network algorithm and application of Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics to provide insight on the risk of SCC for a large interstate natural gas pipeline operator.
  • Development of an alternative sampling program for Material Verification when using In-Line Inspection tools including development of regulatory submittals.

2022 is also shaping up to be a similarly busy and exciting year.  Below are some of the events, conferences and presentations SI has currently planned (most of which represent ongoing or recently completed projects):

  • At the PRCI Research Exchange on March 8th in Orlando, FL, SI is presenting on two recent projects:

Insights in the Evaluation of Selective Seam Weld Corrosion

This paper will review a statistical analysis of ERW Fracture Toughness and specific challenges in evaluating Selective Seam Weld Corrosion (SSWC).  It also reviews the results of an engineering critical assessment performed on a pipeline system in which several SSWC defects were identified. Fracture Toughness Testing and Finite Element Modeling were performed to develop insights that were used to support Predicted Failure Pressure analysis and subsequent prioritization and remediation activities.

Title: Evaluation of X-Ray Computed Tomography (XRCT) for Pipeline Reference Sample Characterization

This presentation will review the feasibility of utilizing XRCT for nondestructively characterizing full-circumference pipeline reference samples for subsequent qualification and performance improvement of inline inspection and in-the-ditch nondestructive evaluation technologies, procedures, and personnel. This presentation will cover the state-of-the-art in XRCT, reviewing theoretical and practical concepts, as well as empirical performance data, that were evaluated and analyzed to determine the feasibility of using XRCT for this application.

  • SI has two papers that will be presented at the American Gas Association – Operations Conference the week of May 2nd in New Orleans, LA:

Alternative MV Sampling Program

SI will present technical justification in support of PHMSA notification with regards to the following:

  • Alternative sampling for Material Verification Program (per §192.607).
  • Expanded MV Sampling Program that will achieve a minimum 95% confidence level when material inconsistencies are identified.

A Framework for Evaluating Hydrogen Blending in Natural Gas Transmission Pipelines

Operators are establishing programs to blend hydrogen with natural gas.  Structural Integrity (SI) is supporting a local distribution company to ensure safe and reliable blending and transportation in existing pipeline infrastructure.  SI will present a reliability framework to identify pipelines that are best suited at different H2 blend levels.

  • SI will present at the 2022 ASME – International Pipeline Conference on the following topic:

Probabilistic Analysis Applied to the Risk of SCC Failure

This paper will discuss a model developed and applied to evaluate the probability of Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) failure in a large gas pipeline system spanning approximately 5,600 miles.  A machine learning algorithm (neural network) was applied to the system, which has experienced over 500 prior instances of SCC.  Subject matter experts were interviewed to help identify key system factors that contributed to the prevalence of SCC and these factors were incorporated in the neural network algorithm. Key factors such as coating type, vintage, operating stress as a percentage of SMYS, distance to compressor station, and seam type were evaluated in the model for correlation with SCC occurrence.  A Bayesian analysis was applied to ensure the model aligned with the prevalence of SCC.  A Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics (PFM) model was then applied to relate the probability of SCC existing to the probability of rupture.

Alumni Achievement Award

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Structural Integrity’s Own HonoredGordon NACE 2021 | Corrosion in the Nuclear Power Industry” for ASM Handbook

Awarded to an alumnus/a for exceptional accomplishment and leadership in the nominee’s professional or vocational field, which brings distinction to themselves and honor to the university. The contribution(s) need not be publicly renowned but should represent important creative effort or accomplishment with significant impact and value.

Barry Gordon is one of the country’s leading experts in corrosion and materials issues in the nuclear power industry.  Upon completing his undergraduate and graduate degree in metallurgy and materials science, he began his career with Westinghouse Electric’s Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory before joining GE Nuclear Energy in San Jose. Currently, Barry is an associate with Structural Integrity Associates, Inc. His professional accomplishments include four patents, more than 85 technical papers and reports, a PE in Corrosion Engineering and a Corrosion Society Fellow. He has served as an expert witness before the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards and Atomic Safety Licensing Board. He also chaired and co-authored “Corrosion in the Nuclear Power Industry” for ASM Handbook, Volume 13C.

Active outside of his professional pursuits, Barry was the president of the Los Gatos Bicycle Racing Club, principal timpanist with the Saratoga Symphony. Barry’s relationship with his alma mater includes supporting two scholarships at CMU, serving as the San Jose chairperson of the CMU Admission Council and being an active member of the Andrew Carnegie Society and a lifetime member of the Order of the May.