Special Emphasis Programs
Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI)

MISTRAS provides comprehensive corrosion under insulation (CUI) prevention and mitigation programs, including integrated inspection, maintenance, and monitoring solutions.

Without an effective corrosion under insulation (CUI) protection program, the resulting damage can be difficult to detect, harder to manage, and comes with a devastating cost. Our certified technicians use non-destructive testing (NDT) technology to identify and locate CUI damage in tanks, piping, vessels, and any other insulated assets within your facility.

CUI Special Emphasis Programs

MISTRAS Group has the resources, knowledge, and subject matter experts (SMEs) to implement and manage a customized CUI program that is designed to meet the needs of your facility.

MISTRAS utilizes industry expertise in engineering, inspections, light mechanical services, at-height work, and data management to provide a comprehensive CUI program, encompassing:

• Prevention
• Early Detection
• Mitigation
• Preventative Maintenance
• Reporting and Data Management

Our customized CUI programs are broken down into five steps.

Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI) Discovery

SMEs conduct a thorough review of the current operating conditions of a facility before the next steps of the process are planned. This analysis gives a basis for further inspection and testing, allowing technicians to understand facility processes and identify any preliminary risk factors or warning signs.

Visual & Qualitative Inspection

Technicians will then conduct preliminary visual inspections to get a first look at potential problem areas. Based on these initial inspections, MISTRAS’ inspectors select the most effective qualitative NDT inspection method, including:

• Guided Wave Ultrasonics (GUL)
• Pulsed Eddy Current (PEC)
• Radiography (RT)
• Real-Time Radiography (RTR)
• Visual Testing (VT)

For insulated assets in at-height or confined locations, MISTRAS may deploy rope access, scaffolding, or unmanned system teams to conduct initial visual and certain qualitative inspections.

Inspection Preparation

Keeping on-site personnel to a minimum, one of MISTRAS’ small mechanical service units prepare areas for quantitative inspection, through combinations of insulation removal, corrosion mitigation, and surface preparation. This same team can also perform the same services in combination with rope access for at-height assets.

Quantitative Inspection

Technicians quantitatively determine corrosion severity by utilizing a combination real-time radiography (RTR), neutron backscatter, phased array (PAUT) and conventional ultrasonic (UT) inspection techniques. MISTRAS’ technicians select one or a variety of inspection techniques based on several factors, including:

• Whether corrosion is localized or general
• Radiation concerns in small spaces
• Access to the asset.

MISTRAS experts will select the inspection method that best fits the needs of the individual asset, so results are collected quickly, accurately, and cost-efficiently.

Reporting of Results

With MISTRAS technicians performing every step of the process, data is collected and recorded in its entirety, without risk of losing data while transferring it between inspection, consulting, and mechanical contractors.

We deliver the project’s report using AutoCAD drawings to the owners. We can also input findings straight into a facility’s Inspection Data Management Software (IDMS), including MISTRAS’ proprietary PCMS software.