pigging the diesel pipeline between pearl harbor...

________________________________ © 2005-2014 CorrDefense Online Magazine

Volume 10, Number 2 Retrospective 2014 Retrospactive

Pigging the Diesel Pipeline between Pearl Harbor and the Red Hill LandmarkNavy uses ultrasonic ‘smart pig’ technology to evaluate integrity of 63-year-old fuel line By Cynthia Greenwood

Years before the Japanese attacked the Pearl Harbor fleet in 1941, the U.S. Navy recognized that the aboveground fuel storage tanks near the harbor were a vulnerable enemy target. Searching for a way to replace them, the Navy devised a plan to create an underground fuel storage facility that would serve as an invisible lifeline for battleships during World War II.

The Red Hill Underground Fuel Storage Facility is considered a modern engineering marvel. It is hidden several hundred feet below Red Hill, a mountain of volcanic rock located 7.5 miles north of Honolulu between the Moanalua and Halawa valleys. Built between 1940 and 1943, the facility is made up of 20 huge, capsule-shaped tanks situated vertically underground. To construct the complex, the Navy used advanced mining techniques and employed thousands of laborers to carve out the tank farm’s intricate series of shafts, domes, and tunnels out of the volcanic rock. (See "The Challenges of Pigging the Pipeline at Red Hill.")

Each storage tank, which holds 12.6 million gallons, is 250 feet high and 100 feet in diameter— large enough to contain a 20-story building. To access the fuel from the tanks, the Navy constructed four pipelines inside an underground tunnel that connects them to a harbor-side pumping station 2.7 miles west of the Red Hill site. During the Second World War, the Navy used the tanks to store fuel oil, jet fuel, aviation gasoline, and diesel fuel.

The 32-inch, 18-inch, and 16-inch fuel lines, enclosed inside the harbor’s 3.5-mile Lower Tunnel near the underground pump house, carry fuel from the Red Hill Fuel Storage Facility to Pearl Harbor. The 32-inch line (bottom left) underwent an internal inspection in November 2005, Photos by Cynthia Greenwood, CorrDefense.

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Today, Red Hill continues to supply the Pearl Harbor fuel depot, which is a vital transfer point and last stop for most Navy warships traveling from points such as Puget Sound and San Diego to conflict zones in the Persian Gulf. Aircrews from Wheeler Air Force Base in central Oahu, Hickam Air Force Base, located between Pearl Harbor and the Honolulu Airport, and the U.S. Coast Guard depend on Red Hill fuel.

"We're the one-stop fuel shop for DoD on the island," said Lt. Commander Tom Gorman, Bulk Fuels Director at the Navy Fleet and Industrial Supply Center (FISC). "If we weren’t here, each Service would have to figure out how to get fuel separately. Our shop has consolidated this requirement for everyone, and it’s a success economically as well as environmentally."

The Challenges of Pigging the Diesel Fuel Line

For 20 years the Navy has run clean diesel fuel at a high velocity through a 32-inch pipeline encased inside the tunnel that connects the tank farm to numerous fueling piers at Naval Station Pearl Harbor. Since the pipeline was built, the Navy has maintained it through visual inspections and external spot checks using ultrasonic testing methods.

"Without that diesel pipeline, you lose the capacity to serve your Navy ships," said Tom Tehada, Cathodic Protection Technical Expert in the Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center (NFESC). This fall, the diesel fuel line will be examined internally for the first time using ultrasonic ‘smart pig’ technology. The Navy will fund the project using a $2.9 million grant from the Corrosion Policy and Oversight Office (in the Office of the Secretary of Defense) and the Defense Energy Support Center.

"We'll send ultrasonic pulses through the line so we'll know where any anomalies from corrosion are located," said Terri Regin, Fuel Facilities Subject Matter Expert at NFESC, who oversees the inspection.

The inspection project presents several technical challenges for Regin and the contractors supplying the equipment. "You rarely come across an old pipeline that is truly piggable," she said. This fuel line is no exception. One of the most difficult parts of Regin's job has been locating a pig that will negotiate the miter joints–pipe sections welded together at an angle–which occur throughout the pipe's entire 2.7-mile length.

"Ultrasonic pigs have only recently been perfected to allow us to go around mitered and tight-radius bends," Regin explained. For this pipeline, this ultrasonic pig is

preferable to older pig technology, which runs on magnetic flux and requires bristles to touch the pipe wall. "Ultrasonic pigs aren't required to touch the pipeline," she added.

An entrance to the Lower Tunnel provides access to the Red Hill fuel storage tank farm.

The 32-inch, 18-inch, and 16-inch fuel lines inside the harbor tunnel near the underground pump house carry fuel down the 3.5-mile harbor tunnel from the Red Hill Fuel Storage Facility to Pearl Harbor. Photo courtesy of 14th Naval District, Pearl Harbor.


Initially, the inspection crew will run several foam pigs through the line, at three miles per hour, to remove the debris. "We're not expecting a whole lot of debris in the line," Regin said. Next the crew will pump fuel slowly through the line to move the ultrasonic pig through the series of miters and pipe supports located every 40 feet, at each of the tunnel's 20 concrete walls.

The process is challenging, Regin explained, because the ultrasonic pig is not long and runs very slowly. "The trick is–how do we pump fuel at such a slow rate? We'll throttle down the valves along the pipeline, if necessary. We estimate that it will take 18 to 24 hours to run the pig through the line. We'll have to take the pipeline out of service for about a week for all of the pigging."

Reaching the actual pipeline presents another obstacle for inspection crews. Because it rests inside a tunnel underground, it is not easily accessible. To install the pigs' launcher and receiver, Regin and her team will have to transport their equipment via a two-mile rail line using industrial ‘golf-style' carts. "I'm pretty claustrophobic, but I'm usually okay in there, as long as you keep the lights on," Regin said.

After the initial foam pigs clear out debris from the line, Regin's crew will have to handle and dispose of the contaminants properly. The use of welding to modify the line will also be a sensitive undertaking, she pointed out. "We'll bring in marine chemists, and the fire department will give approvals. We'll be observing all safety standards. The last thing we want is to have a fire in there," she said.

Balancing Safety without Interrupting Navy Operations

Taking the fuel line out of service while the line is being pigged creates difficulties for the Navy, Gorman said. "We never really looked at the inside of the pipe, because we knew it would impact our operations."

For security reasons Regin remains circumspect about exactly when the inspection will occur. She estimates that construction for the project will happen in October 2005. The pigging process will occur sometime afterward. "This is an operational facility and we have to make sure Navy operations occur. If some type of interruption occurs, we will have to wait on this project."

If the fuel lines connected to the Red Hill site should ever experience a major leak, they could contaminate the Pearl Harbor Aquifer, the main source of Honolulu's water supply.

Regin was first exposed to the Red Hill Storage Facility 10 years ago. At that time there were discussions about pigging the diesel line she is working on now. Besides conducting external spot checks during this period, the Navy has been diligent about inspecting the pipeline, she recalled. "They have also inspected the pipeline coating system and performed routine monthly walk-throughs to keep it safe," she said, adding that the Navy's routine inspections since her involvement in the Red Hill pipeline have conformed to American Petroleum Institute standards, specifically API 570.

The underground pumping station, located 2.7 miles west of the Red Hill site, has 11 pumps. Photo courtesy of 14th Naval District, Pearl Harbor.


"We expect the line to be in good shape," Gorman said. "We don't expect a lot of corrosion inside the pipe. The pipelines are above ground, enclosed, and in a cool climate much like the inside of a wine cellar, so they've kept the same temperature and humidity." Regin agrees. "The pipeline doesn't get rained on, and it's exposed to very little humidity," she said. "It's a benign atmosphere."

Although the Navy doesn't expect to find any problems with the inspection, Gorman recognizes that its time has come. "We have a fresh water plant at the bottom of Red Hill, and if there were any leakage, we would have found it there. There are a lot of aquifers that support this area. If for some reason we had a leak, it could adversely affect the health of the local drinking water."

"It's become an important business to make sure we're not risking the health of the environment or the health of the people directly around the pipeline, while also fulfilling our mission," Regin said.

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© 2005-2014 CorrDefense Online Magazine


The Challenges of Pigging the Pipeline at Red HillNavy Engineers Oversaw Examination of 63-year-old fuel line By Cynthia Greenwood

Since 1985, the Navy has run clean diesel fuel through a 32-inch pipeline encased inside a tunnel beneath Honolulu's volcanic hills. The 2.7-mile-long pipeline runs between the Red Hill Fuel Storage Facility's gargantuan tank farm and numerous fueling piers at Naval Station Pearl Harbor. Since it built the pipeline in 1943, the Navy has maintained it through visual inspections and external spot checks using ultrasonic testing methods. (See "Pigging the Diesel Pipeline between Pearl Harbor and the Red Hill Landmark.")

Naval engineering experts and a key contractor finalized the results of the first-ever "smart pig” inspection of the diesel line in 2005. They worked closely with directors of the Bulk Fuels division of the Navy Fleet Industrial and Supply Center (FISC), which is headquartered on base.

Terri Regin, fuel facilities subject matter expert at Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center, oversaw the inspection, which is a critical supply line for the Pearl Harbor fuel depot. The depot supplies Navy warships headed to conflict zones in southwest Asia, as well as Oahu-based aircrews from Wheeler Air Force Base (AFB), Hickam AFB, and the Coast Guard.

VECO Federal, Inc. (VFI), the Colorado-based contractor who carried out the inspection and supplied the equipment, developed a plan to address inherent

challenges of pigging the line. Mike Denham, the VFI program manager, directed the overall project, while Brad Holm, the VFI project manager, directed the day-to-day activities, including the design, construction, pigging, processing, and final report gathering.

The Navy also asked VFI to make necessary modifications to the line and install auxiliary systems needed to perform the investigation work. VFI handled all pigging operations, including cleaning and inspection runs, Holm said. "In addition, we received off-spec fuel generated by the pigging processes and returned acceptable fuel to the facility. We also developed the pigging and ultrasonic thickness scan completion reports that contained analyses and recommendations.”

The entrance to the Upper Tunnel, located at Adit No. 5, is inside Red Hill, a mountain of volcanic rock above Naval Station Pearl Harbor in Oahu, west of Honolulu. Photo by Cynthia Greenwood, CorrDefense.

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of diesel product became contaminated with this debris

during each pig run,” she explained. "The contaminated fuel could not enter the pump house, ________________________________

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Construction for the project occurred during October and early November of 2005. The pigging process took place in late November, 2005. Regin described a number of challenges that she and VFI's team experienced at the work site. "We sent ultrasonic pulses through the steel wall of the pipeline so we'd know where any anomalies from corrosion were located,” she said. Finding a pig that would negotiate the miter joints, or pipe sections welded together at an angle that occur throughout the pipe, was not easy.

Next, the team installed a temporary launcher/receiver and replaced a reduced-diameter valve with a full-diameter pipe spool piece. Because the pipeline rests inside a tunnel, it was not easy for inspection crews to access it. To install the pigs' launcher and receiver, Regin and her team had to transport their equipment through the tunnel using industrial golf-style carts. The team also took great pains to perform the necessary welding to modify the line.

It was also challenging for the team to locate a 34-inch, full-bore valve that would fit inside the tunnel. Eventually, the group found a 36-inch knife gate valve that was appropriate, but it took 30 minutes just to open it.

Initially, the inspection crew ran two foam pigs through the line at 3 mph to remove the debris. Next, the crew pumped fuel slowly through the line to move the ultrasonic pig through the series of miters and pipe supports located every 40 feet, at each of the tunnel's 20 concrete walls.

The process was difficult, Regin explained, because the ultrasonic pig ran very slowly. "During the planning phase, one of FISC Pearl Harbor's smaller pumps was tested to determine if it would provide the required flow rates,” she said.

"We also tested it to ensure that it would not burn out during the 18 to 24 hours of continuous operations,” Regin said. During the actual pig run, the pump temperature was checked every 15 minutes to ensure it operated continuously. In addition to using a small pump, a valve was throttled down so that the pig ran at its optimum speed. The type of pig used provided continuous real-time data, including the speed and location of the pig and the anomalies detected in the pipeline.

Handling fuel during the receipt of the pigs also proved challenging, Regin recalled. As the pigs moved through the line, they disturbed the loose carbon and fine debris that were inside the pipe. "Approximately 40,000 gallons

The 32-inch, 18-inch, and 16-inch fuel lines, enclosed inside the harbor’s 3.5-mile Lower Tunnel near the underground pump house, carry fuel from the Red Hill Fuel Storage Facility to Pearl Harbor. The 32-inch line (bottom left) underwent an internal inspection in November 2005. Photos by Cynthia Greenwood, CorrDefense.

An entrance to the Lower Tunnel provides access to the Red Hill fuel storage tank farm.

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because it would damage the equipment, nor could it go directly into storage. Instead, the fuel quality was constantly monitored as the pig approached the receiver, and as the fuel changed color, it was diverted to four settling tanks. After the debris settled to the bottom of the tanks, the diesel was tested and then pumped back into active storage.”

To complete the project, Regin and the rest of the team had to spend Thanksgiving in Hawaii, rather than at home. "It was a choice between being away from home during either Thanksgiving or Christmas,” she said. "As it was, the final walkthrough after removing the launcher/receiver was done on December 23, 2005.”

"In the end we found no corrosion where the pipe goes through the concrete wall or sits on supports,” Regin said. "There was also no noticeable internal corrosion. However, we did find some areas of external corrosion where there is water dripping from the top of the tunnel.”

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Editor's Note: Terri Regin provided reporting for this article.

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NAVAIR Spearheads Corrosion Prevention on the Prowler and Seahawk FleetsNew Antenna Gaskets Improve Aircraft Readiness and Accessibility By Cynthia Greenwood

It was dark and rainy around 7 p.m. when the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Constellation conducted flight operations in the Strait of Malacca after leaving Singapore during a scheduled deployment. It was December 2002, and two Navy EA-6B Prowlers named SKYBOLT 500 and SKYBOLT 502 had returned from a routine training mission in the Arabian Gulf.

After landing, the aircrews, assigned to the Lancers electronic attack squadron 131 from Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, went below deck to Maintenance Control for a debriefing.

“The crew of 502 reported that they lost communications in the heavy weather, but 500 reported all was clear,” recalled Jay Shannon, the squadron‟s Quality Assurance Supervisor and a senior aviation structural engineer.

Though both aircraft appeared identical that night, SKYBOLT 500 had been modified with a new gasket sealant designed by Av-DEC, the aviation and electronic parts manufacturer. Shannon and NAVAIR‟s fleet support engineers attributed SKYBOLT 502‟s communication failure to a chronic corrosion and grounding problem where radio antennas attach to the aircraft skin.

After Successful Testing, NAVAIR Modifies Prowler Fleet

Traditionally, Prowler aircrews are accustomed to radio interference or precipitation static (P-Static) when they fly through thunderstorms or desert winds. But on the December 11 flight, SKYBOLT 500 experienced no problems at all, Shannon said. “I remember they radioed during the flight and said, „Hey, I think your gaskets are working.‟”

The Navy’s EA-6B Prowler, a fixed-wing fighter aircraft, supports air strikes and ground troops by interrupting enemy electronic activity. Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy


“It was a great comparison because one of them went „NORDO‟ (“NO R-a-D-i-O”) and one was crystal clear,” Shannon said. The NAVAIR EA-6B Fleet Support Team based in Jacksonville, Florida, who developed the installation design and the data required for Shannon‟s squadron to install and flight-test the antenna gaskets, agreed. Engineers Ronald Headrick and Greg Gross were particularly impressed with the gaskets‟ performance.

The EA-6B Fleet Support Team took steps to secure funding and permission to install the gaskets on the entire Prowler fleet. Gene Pirosek, the EA-6B Deputy Assistant Program Manager for Logistics, anticipates

that 108 Prowlers in the fleet should be outfitted with the gaskets by July of this year.

But the Department of Defense (DoD) use of the Av-DEC gaskets does not stop there. Since 2000, when the Coast Guard first pursued a fix for antenna corrosion and suggested how the Av-DEC material could solve the problem, the Navy, Air Force, and Army have spearheaded testing and widespread implementation, with good results. In 2004 the Office of the Secretary of Defense Corrosion Policy and Oversight Office granted $2 million to help the Services modify their fleets. (See “Antenna Gaskets and Floorboard Tapes Lower Price of Aircraft Maintenance,” CorrDefense, October 2005.)

Antenna Gaskets Erase P-Static and Radar Altimeter Problems

The likelihood of encountering P-Static in conflict zones such as the Persian Gulf is significant, noted Gross in a report summarizing the gaskets‟ performance and benefits. The air is moist, salty, and desert winds carry powder-like sand that increases the “impingement friction on leading edge surfaces as the aircraft flies, which causes tribo-electrical charging of the aircraft skin.” These factors cause P-Static, the report stated.

For the Prowler, the antenna gasket serves as a corrosion block and offers a better conductive path, Headrick said. “Before the Av-DEC installation, satisfying the design requirements of corrosion prevention and conductivity proved to be a challenging goal for EA-6B structural and electronic engineers,” he recalled. “After the installation, corrosion mitigation and current flow are together at last.” In Shannon‟s report to Gross, he reported that SKYBOLT 500 had flown 434 hours in all types of weather while wearing the gaskets, and experienced no P-Static.

Shannon also noticed that the antenna life of the Prowler‟s radar altimeter (RADALT) has improved considerably since they have been equipped with the Av-DEC gaskets, a self-leveling green sealant, and cable connector wraps. “There are two of these in the tail section aft of the arresting gear, and they are subjected to hydraulic fluid, engine, oil, exhaust, and, of course, vibration,” Shannon explained.

“On my last deployment to the western Pacific and Indian Oceans, our squadron never changed any RADALT antennas,” Shannon said.

Gaskets Impress Seahawk Engineers and Maintainers

Five EA-6B Prowlers fly by the aircraft carriers U.S.S. Constellation and U.S.S. Kitty Hawk. Photo courtesy of U.S. Navy.


Joshua Honaker, an engineer based at the Marine Corps Air Station Repair Depot in Cherry Point, North Carolina, has been taking steps since 2003 to obtain data, funding, and authorization to outfit all Navy models of the H-60 Seahawk helicopter with Av-DEC antenna gaskets. Honaker, who works on the H-60 Fleet Support Team, started collecting data on the gaskets‟ performance after testing them on three SH-60Bs —missile-laden helicopters that engage in anti-submarine warfare—based at North Island Naval Air Station near San Diego.

“When we pulled the antennas off the aircraft, they looked the same as they did the day we put them on,” Honaker said. The positive results enabled Honaker to initiate a change to the aircraft‟s airframe, which translates into numerous specification adjustments within NAVAIR logistics, supply, engineering, and technical publications. Honaker took it upon himself to compile a cost-benefit analysis for the Navy while he searched for funding.

To outfit the Seahawk fleet, he worked with Craig Matzdorf, Senior Corrosion Engineer at NAVAIR (Patuxent River, MD), to secure a portion of the gasket grant money from the DoD Corrosion Policy and Oversight Office, which offered more than $400,000 for parts, and the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), which contributed $250,000 for engineering and administrative labor. NAVAIR added $90,000 to help Honaker‟s team complete the project.

“To the maintenance guys, these gaskets are a dream come true,” Honaker said. “They spend 17,000 maintenance man-hours per year just on removing, inspecting and replacing these antennas fleet-wide. That‟s a conservative estimate, and that doesn‟t include cleaning the antennas or repairs to damaged connectors due to excessive removals.”

Honaker expects the first Seahawk model SH-60B to be outfitted with the gaskets in February 2006. Other models to follow suit include the SH-60F, HH-60H, MH-60S, and MH-60R. “With the Av-DEC gaskets, we‟ve pushed our inspection cycle from every 28 and 56 days to a 364-day inspection cycle,” he said. “In addition, new Navy and Army H-60s coming off the Sikorsky production line are now outfitted with the gaskets.”

Air Force and Army Use Antenna Gaskets

In late 2000, the Air Force began examining the gasket material during flight-testing at Patrick Air Force Base. The Coast Guard conducted similar demonstrations at Elizabeth City, North Carolina. After presenting preliminary data about the material‟s effectiveness, and after finishing more lab testing, the Air Force and Coast Guard Corrosion Prevention and Control Offices granted full approval for field use of the gaskets for their aircraft fleets.

“Many of the Air Force‟s aircraft program offices have tested and fully approved the antenna gasket technology since those initial tests were performed,” said Dave Schmidt, Military Programs Manager at Av-DEC.

Dave Schmidt, Military Programs Manager at AvDEC, (left) works with Navy engineer Joshua Honaker to install antenna gaskets on an SH-60B aircraft, which was flown by the HSL45 Wolfpack squadron at North Island Naval Air Station during the Iraq war, in the summer of 2003.


The AMCOM (Army Aviation and Missile Command) Corrosion Office at the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL, evaluated the antenna gaskets for fleet-wide use on the C/MH-47 Chinook cargo helicopter and the H-60 Black Hawk in 2002. Then they showed it to the CH-47 and H-60 program office staff, who examined its merits and approved it for use for all Chinooks and Black Hawks. The Army is now expanding its application to the OH-58 Kiowa, a small reconnaissance helicopter, and the AH-64 Apache.

The Prowler and Seahawk gasket installation projects are only part of NAVAIR‟s good fortune and future plans

for the technology, since corrosion engineers first learned about its effectiveness. To date, NAVAIR is looking into retrofitting its H-1 helicopter fleet with the gaskets, where the FLIR (forward-looking infrared) pod mounts to the front of the aircraft. It also plans to retrofit the E-6, a special communications aircraft built for deployment in the event of nuclear war. NAVAIR‟s fleet of F/A-18 Hornet aircraft—a fighter/attack plane that operates from aircraft carriers or land bases—is also planning to use the gaskets.

NAVAIR representatives are starting to incorporate the gaskets into the new designs of the aircraft fleet, including about 10 new platforms, Matzdorf said. “My vision for NAVAIR is to blanket every piloted aircraft we have with these gaskets where it makes sense,” he added. “But it just takes time.”

For SKYBOLT Prowlers flying in combat in the Arabian Gulf beginning in March 2003 during Operation Iraqi Freedom, communications were critical, Shannon reported. After SKYBOLT 502 went „NORDO‟ alongside 500, the importance of the Av-DEC gasket hit home. “It does affect mission readiness,” Shannon said.

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The H-60 Seahawk helicopter.



Army Maximizes Hawaii’s Natural Resources to Simulate Corrosive EnvironmentsBy Ben Craig

The Hawaiian Islands are known for their natural beauty. Active volcanoes, lush tropical forests, and sun-soaked beaches offer unrivaled appeal to North Americans. In addition to its surfing, snorkeling, helicopter tours, and hiking, Hawaii’s beautiful weather attracts millions of visitors every year.

But something else about Hawaii’s climate has the Army engaged in a protracted research effort to unlock valuable information to help the military improve readiness and reduce maintenance costs for Pacific-based weapons, equipment and facilities.

Since before World War II, the military has had a major presence in the Pacific. Military forces dedicated to performing Pacific theatre operations are responsible for a region covering more than half the Earth’s surface. The Pacific Rim region spans more than 100 million square miles. The region includes Hawaii, Alaska, Australia, China, Japan, Indonesia, Korea, India, and also encompasses the island nation of Madagascar. In such a vast region, military vehicles and equipment encounter a wide range of climates. Some of these climates are severely corrosive and others have seemingly unpredictable elements.

“Anywhere you have salt water, warm tropical temperatures, and moisture and humidity, maintenance is always going to be a challenge,” said Robert Zanowicz, systems engineer with the US Army Corrosion Office at the Army Research Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC). In Hawaii, where the Marines, Coast Guard, and other military Services have a noticeable presence, the impact of the climatic conditions on military’s assets is quite substantial. “The materiel, the weapons, the armaments, and also the infrastructure take a pretty heavy toll in terms of corrosion.” But even for Pacific Rim regions where the climate is not tropical, such as Alaska (a sub-arctic climate), South Korea (a temperate climate), and Japan (mostly a coastal temperate climate), corrosion is a significant problem.

The Army’s Pacific Rim-based corrosion testing takes place in a tropical marine microclimate. Pictured is a corrosion test yard on Coconut Island, Hawaii. Photo by Ryan Sugamoto, University of Hawaii.


The Army has pursued a major research effort since 2003 to develop correlations between climates and the corrosivity of various materials that are used (or will be used) on military equipment and vehicles. This effort, known as the Pacific Rim Environmental Degradation of Materials Research Program (PREDMRP), is based on a systematic and cost-effective approach to evaluating the corrosion performance of materials in many climates found in the Pacific Theater. This approach takes advantage of the natural wonders of the Hawaiian Islands, as well as the research facilities at the University of Hawaii.

It is the ideal location for such an effort, contends Zanowicz, who is the government technical lead for the research program. “All of the climatic conditions in the Pacific Theater are found in the Hawaiian Island chain,” Zanowicz said. Instead of measuring and observing material-environment interactions in all of the distant locations where the military is located within the Pacific Theatre, the program has strategically located test units in the various microclimates of Hawaii, where the data are close by and can be easily retrieved.

Taking Advantage of Hawaii’s Microclimates

Hawaii’s microclimates include frozen alpine, temperate, rain forest, desert, marine, volcanic (which produces acid rain), industrial, and agricultural. These starkly different microclimates exist within mere miles of each other. The island of Oahu, for example, has an arid microclimate on the slopes of the Diamond Head crater, while a rainforest is only five miles away, in the Manoa Valley.

According to the Pacific Rim program’s principal investigator, the island chain’s range of climates is due to its geographic eccentricities. “Hawaii has one of the most spatially diverse climates on Earth because of the

topography and the winds that come on shore,” said Lloyd Hihara, a professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. The spectrum of climates present on Hawaii represents those that might be found on a major continent. “What we do is use the microclimates in Hawaii and the fact that they are all relatively close together to our advantage to test materials under a wide range of conditions,” Hihara said.

Under the Army’s current and previous Pacific Rim research programs, the University of Hawaii has placed corrosion test racks containing an assortment of materials and material system configurations out in the microclimates to measure how various materials interact with the diverse range of environmental conditions. “Placing these corrosion test yards in these microclimate areas sort of mimic those climates that are found in Korea, Japan, and Alaska, so on and so forth,” said Zanowicz.

An Army test yard at Lyon Arboretum in Hawaii tests for corrosion in the rainforest microclimate. Photo by Ryan Sugamoto, University of Hawaii.


There are several other groups performing atmospheric corrosion testing, but this program is fundamentally different, Zanowicz said. “The part of the Pacific Rim program that stands out comprise the corrosion test yards in Hawaii, in that they expose specimens, not only to the standard marine climate, but to those of rainforest and volcanic conditions, which are also extremely aggressive. I do not think that anyone either in industry or in the military has this unique capacity to atmospherically evaluate corrosion the way the Army and UH are doing it,” said Mr. Zanowicz.

Each test unit has several different sensors that measure all of the climatic conditions that the materials are withstanding during the course of the months while they are in the field. The sensors measure temperature, relative humidity, wind, ultraviolet (UV) rays, chloride content in the air, and time of wetness.

Corrosion data is being collected on materials that are used on current Army systems or will be used for future systems. For example, one of the classes of materials being studied is metal- matrix composites (MMCs). Because the Army is moving toward becoming a lighter, faster and more deployable force, MMCs will play a critical role in enabling this transformation. However, the corrosion properties of these materials are not well documented, particularly in Pacific Theatre climates.

In addition to field testing, the University of Hawaii is performing electrochemical laboratory studies, as well as accelerated corrosion tests using weathering equipment. Data generated from these studies can be compared to that collected from the field to see how the accelerated laboratory tests correlate with real-world conditions.

“What we want to do in the long-term is take the information we generate under these programs and integrate it into something that we can use to come up with predictive scenarios and predictive models for different types of materials in the anticipated environments,” said Zanowicz.

Joshua Honaker, an engineer based at the Marine Corps Air Station Repair Depot in Cherry Point, North Carolina, has been taking steps since 2003 to obtain data, funding, and authorization to outfit all Navy models of the H-60 Seahawk helicopter with Av-DEC antenna gaskets. Honaker, who works on the H-60 Fleet Support Team, started collecting data on the gaskets’ performance after testing them on three SH-60Bs —missile-laden helicopters that engage in anti-submarine warfare—based at North Island Naval Air Station near San Diego.

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A test yard at Volcanoes National Park in Hawaii tests for corrosion in the volcanic microclimate. Photo by Ryan Sugamoto, University of Hawaii.

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One of DoD’s Smartest Corrosion Programs is Driven by the Marine TeamPopular with Marines, the Maintenance Program is Worth Emulating By Cynthia Greenwood

Although it is the Defense Department’s smallest armed force—at about 234,000 active duty and reserve troops—the U.S. Marine Corps is larger than the entire British Army. For experts who preserve and maintain thousands of pieces of Marine forces ground equipment, fighting corrosion is uniquely challenging.

While it is true that Marines operate vehicles and weapon systems similar to the Army, they practice amphibious warfare in much harsher saltwater environments. Indeed, the Marine Corps’ four major bases are located on the ocean in North Carolina, California, Hawaii, and Japan.

Before experts began carrying out a Congressional mandate to establish new corrosion prevention policies throughout DoD, the Marine Corps began ramping up an under-funded corrosion prevention program that began more than 20 years ago.

In December 2002, Richard Kelly, the Marine Corps Deputy Commandant, circulated a memo that ordered officials to establish an effective corrosion prevention program for all tactical ground equipment. His aim—to reduce maintenance requirements and costs through ―the development of corrosion prevention and control products, materials, technologies, and processes.‖

Kelly’s memo said the Marine Corps was experiencing a decrease in readiness because equipment was deteriorating, a situation he said was ―affecting the safety of our Marines.‖

The Beginning— Assessing Equipment and Maintenance Needs

Pictured is a row of MTVRs (Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacements) at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, north of San Diego, California. The MTVR and other ground vehicles used by Marines are better preserved under the Marine Corps’ highly structured corrosion prevention program. Photo courtesy of the Marine Corps CPAC (Corrosion Prevention and Control) Office.

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In 2004 the Marine Corps benefited from Congressional funding that allowed officials to raise its corrosion prevention program to a new level. That same year, the Marine Corps’ Corrosion Prevention and Control (CPAC) Program Office developed a corrosion category code rating system of ―one‖ through ―five.‖ The rating system was designed to identify the level of repair required to return an asset to category 1 ―operational ready status‖ with no corrosion. After the rating system was put in place, the CPAC program manager used contracted services to conduct an assessment of all Marine Corps ground combat and support equipment. The assessment provided a base line of the condition and corrosion severity of every tactical vehicle and generator not being used in the southwest Asia theatre of operations.

Marine Corps tactical equipment includes Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles—armored trucks resistant to mines and ambush; Logistics Vehicle Systems (LVSs) used primarily by combat service support motor transport units to haul supplies in large quantities from beachheads, ports, railheads or airfields to combat service support areas; HMMWVs (pronounced like ―HUMVEES‖)—the all-terrain 2 1/2–ton cargo and troop carriers; and Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacements (MTVRs)—seven-ton, six-wheel, all-terrain vehicles.

During this original assessment, all category ―five‖ equipment was considered unsafe and removed from service. From that point on, the severity and extent of corrosion repair under the Corrosion Prevention and Control (CPAC) Office is based on this rating system. In

turn, the system helps the office decide if the equipment needs maintenance and repairs at the organizational or unit level; the intermediate level; or the depot level. The assessment developed further into a Corrosion Prevention and Control Program Management Tool used to track the status of each asset throughout the life cycle.

―By assessing corrosion in this manner, we got a handle on the problem,‖ explained Matthew Koch, who has served as the program manager for corrosion prevention and control at the Marine Corps System Command since 2006. Bernard Friend, a retired Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sergeant, has recently joined the CPAC program as the Operations and Maintenance manager overseeing all support tasking related to the corrosion service teams and Mobile Corrosion Abatement.

A Cohesive Corrosion Program

A corrosion service team member applies corrosion prevention compounds to the interior of an amphibious assault vehicle (AAV). Photo courtesy of the Marine Corps CPAC Office.

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The Marine Corps’ Corrosion Prevention and Control program is far-reaching and multi-faceted. At each base and reserve unit, it combines a comprehensive maintenance program, a system using highly trained contract labor and quality-assurance protocols with tight local monitoring; controlled, sheltered humidity protection for its artillery, tanks, and armored vehicles; and the use of protective covers for everything from Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAVs) to generators and water tanks. Moreover, through a program of testing and research, engineers work with manufacturers and the DoD acquisition community to help design in improvements.

―Through our program, we have not only slowed the rate of corrosion for the Marine Corps ground equipment, we’ve also reduced the mechanics’ time during required maintenance,‖ said Chris Wesenberg, the field service representative (FSR) who provides corrosion program office support to II Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) at Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base in North Carolina. Wesenberg and his counterparts at other Marine Corps installations serve as the eyes and ears of the CPAC Program Office, overseeing equipment and Corrosion Service Teams performing corrosion repair and preventative maintenance.

Field Service Representatives at other Marine Corps installations have similar oversight and authority over maintenance and corrosion prevention. Lee Nadura serves as the FSR at Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay on Oahu, Hawaii. As FSR, Robert Hanke manages equipment maintenance at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, and the Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms, California. Andrew Elliott is the FSR overseeing equipment maintenance for Marine forces on Okinawa, Japan. Colton Bickers, an FSR based in New Orleans, Louisiana, manages equipment for the Marine Forces Reserve centers across the United States. The service teams at Camp Pendleton and Twentynine Palms share responsibility for corrosion prevention at the Marine Corps Air Station at Yuma, Arizona.

Roots of Success—Corrosion Service Teams

A key part of the Marine Corps’ success was put in place in 2005 after the assessment when contractor teams were brought in to do all organizational-level corrosion-related maintenance for each base’s organizational units. These corrosion service teams are mobile, roving from unit to unit mitigating and preventing rust all year long. When stationed at a given unit, their job is to touch each piece of gear and apply CPC (corrosion prevention and control) compounds, touch-up painting, and anything else needed to return the piece to a pristine ―category one‖ state. Each time an item is touched a new assessment is recorded, updating the information being reported in the Program Management Tool. This data is used to nominate candidates into higher-level repair facilities and identify future requirements.

An LVS passes through one of two automated wash racks installed in 2005 at Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay on Oahu, Hawaii. Photo courtesy of the Marine Corps CPAC Office.

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All the CPAC program asks of the Marine units is to provide clean equipment to the corrosion service teams, and while the latter are working, they are not allowed to operate the vehicles. ―By having qualified contract labor in place, we make sure everything gets done,‖ Koch explained. ―The three biggest things that corrosion service teams have provided include an avoidance of higher replacement costs, savings on time during maintenance, and an increased equipment life span,‖ he said.

The corrosion service teams are invaluable to the Marine Corps because they take the corrosion prevention burden off the war fighter. ―In order for our corrosion prevention program to become long-term, it needed to be as non-intrusive on the Marine units as possible,‖ Wesenberg said. The best proof of the success of these teams comes from the regiments themselves, who now have the time to focus on training operations and mechanical repairs of their vehicles.

Each corrosion service team has a quality assurance (QA) representative and an FSR. ―The FSR oversees everything that is done, while the QA oversees that it’s being done in accordance with the Marine Corps technical manuals,‖ Koch said. ―For example, the QA makes sure we’re getting complete coverage with our touch-up coatings according to the technical manuals.‖ The CPAC program office has identified 15,000 assets currently in the inventory of the II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF) that will be serviced repeatedly over the service life of the equipment. This asset collection encompasses equipment at Camp Lejeune, Cherry Point Air Station, and New River Air Station, Wesenberg said.

Protecting Assets Through Dehumidified Storage and Protective Covers

The Marine Corps is committed to protecting as much equipment as possible through its controlled humidity protection program. Sheltering equipment at a relative humidity below 50 percent eliminates rust, mildew, mold, and moisture.

―In 2005 the CPAC Office began building dehumidification shelters on all of its bases. The majority of the building has occurred at Camp Lejeune, Cherry Point, and New River Air Station—comprising II MEF—because the operating forces there saw the advantage of having them and provided the required resources. Today, II MEF has more than 100,000 square feet of dehumidified storage. ―Our goal is to add 250,000 to 300,000 more square feet over the next two to three years,‖ Wesenberg said. In particular, Camp Lejeune has 12 dehumidification structures owned by the 10th Marine Regiment whose sole purpose is to house its Lightweight 155 Howitzer. ―This regiment’s biggest expense is its guns, so the shelters are vital,‖ Wesenberg said.

A corrosion service team member applies corrosion prevention compounds to a logistics vehicle system (LVS) at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune on the North Carolina coast. Marines use the LVS, nicknamed the “Dragon Wagon,” to haul supplies from beachheads, ports, and airfields to combat service locations. Photo courtesy of the Marine Corps CPAC Office.

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The 2nd Tank Battalion benefits from a different type of dehumidification provided by three T-shelters. This unit owns about 54 M1A1 Abrams tanks in which dehumidified air is piped through hoses into the body of the tank, providing a dehumidified environment for optics and electronics that need protection. Instead of dehumidifying the tank exterior, the optics and electronics get the benefit of dehumidification using T-shelters, and the tank itself becomes the dehumidified envelope. Both types of dehumidification shelters are invaluable to the artillery regiments who own the guns, as well as the tank battalions whose tanks can fail if exposed to excessive moisture.

To practice effective maintenance, the CPAC office authorizes Marines to use a variety of protective covers to shelter trailers while not in use. ―The units use the covers as they see fit,‖ Wesenberg said. At Camp Lejeune’s 8th Engineering Support Battalion, a fleet of 26 trailers sport special purpose-built covers that include drain holes, access panels for lift hooks, and Velcro or zippered flaps for data plates. These covers protect the trailers from rain, sun, and moisture. Throughout Camp Lejeune about 2,500 different types of covers are used to protect generators, trailers, water tanks, and water bulls, which are trailer-mounted water tanks. These same practices are used across the Marine Corps to protect equipment from harsh environments.

Improving Platforms and CPC Technology Through Better Engineering

Besides deployed civilians who do routine maintenance to support Marines, the CPAC office employs engineers who aim to improve the quality of new equipment. A key goal of the office is to assist in the engineering of new equipment so that corrosion is mitigated as much as possible, Wesenberg explained.

―We have engineers working with each one of our platforms—the MRAPs, the LVSRs, the HMMWVs, MTVRs, generators, and trailers, everything the Marine Corps has in its motor pool,‖ Koch said. ―Our engineers and service technicians work with the acquisition engineers to improve the language in new platform contracts, influence the testing of prototypes, and to work with the original equipment manufacturers to correct any deficiencies in the equipment.‖

―We’re getting more involved with the DoD Corrosion Policy and Oversight Office to make sure our technicians and acquisition engineers are certified to make good calls in determining the long service life of our equipment,‖ said Koch.

Koch and other corrosion experts have also begun working with NACE International and the DoD Corrosion Policy and Oversight Office to assess the certification requirements of each corrosion service team member to ensure that everyone is properly trained. ―Being the premier organization for corrosion prevention, NACE plans to evaluate their own training courses to see what needs to be developed for the Marine Corps. Then they will work with us to implement a plan.‖

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This MTVR truck has recently been returned to a Category 1 “pristine” condition after being processed through the corrosion repair facility at Camp Lejeune. Photo courtesy of the Marine Corps CPAC Office.

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Army Innovation to Halt Water Seepage at Historic Hirohito BunkerLab Combines Electro-Osmotic Pulse with Dewatering Wells By Orange Marshall

A novel adaptation of an existing technology known as electro-osmotic pulse (EOP) will be used to stop groundwater from intruding into a bunker at Camp Zama, Japan, which was built to protect Emperor Hirohito during World War II. The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) is installing EOP dewatering wells around the bunker as part of the DoD Corrosion Prevention and Control Program funded in part by the DoD Corrosion Policy and Oversight Office.

During World War II Camp Zama was an officer training base for the Japanese army and often hosted Hirohito for military business. The camp is located about 25 miles southwest of Tokyo. When the war turned in favor of the Allied Forces and Japan came within range of its enemy’s bombs, an air raid bunker was constructed at Camp Zama as a shelter for the emperor, his staff, and

family. The bunker is a concrete structure buried into a hillside and consists of three small rooms with a concrete passageway at each end for entry and exit. In addition to an overhead cover of soil, there is an octagonal-shaped concrete slab over the central rooms and a portion of the access passageways.

While Hirohito never had occasion to use it, the bunker serves today as a Japanese national monument and is open to visitors. However, periodically, before any guests can go inside the structure, the Camp Zama Directorate of Public Works (DPW), which is responsible for its upkeep, has to pump out up to an inch of standing water. The hydraulic gradient in the surrounding soil causes moisture to seep through the bunker’s concrete walls, ceilings and floors, resulting in constant standing water in the rooms. In addition to causing an unpleasant environment with foul odors, this water infiltration is corroding metal components and will eventually result in structural damage to the bunker.

This entrance leads to a three-room bunker constructed during World War Two to provide a shelter for Emperor Hirohito in the event of a bombing attack. Photo courtesy of ERDC-CERL.

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The DPW has long sought to stop water from intruding into the bunker, but since it is both a historic structure and a national monument, nothing can be done that permanently affects the appearance of the interior rooms or passageways. Standard dewatering wells were one possible remedy because they are effective in removing excess water from saturated soils. However, they are not effective at removing water from soil that doesn’t reach saturation. This is the moisture held within the inter-granular region and pores of the soil.

ERDC’s Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) and Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory patented a design that incorporates EOP technology with dewatering wells to dry soils, and this external retrofit holds promise as a solution to the moisture seepage in the Hirohito air raid shelter. EOP is based on the

principle of electro-osmosisthe movement of a liquid through a porous medium under the influence of an external electric field. CERL has optimized pulsed electro-osmosis technology for control of water intrusion within concrete and masonry structures and holds numerous patents related to the technology. EOP uses two sets of electrodes: one set is embedded just below the surface of the concrete walls or floors; the other is placed either in the surrounding soil or if the concrete wall is thick, deep within the wall. A pulsing direct current voltage applied between the electrodes produces an electric field in the concrete, which moves water from the dry side (interior) toward the wet side (exterior), preventing moisture from reaching the inner surfaces of the concrete. A typical EOP system uses about the same amount of electricity as a 40-watt light bulb.

By introducing EOP into dewatering wells, the soil can be quickly dried to levels well below the saturation point and maintained at that drier level. The EOP electrodes draw the water into the well casing where it will be pumped out to a nearby storm drain. Between the EOP wells will be a monitoring well that will be used to check the ground water depth. Temperature and humidity sensors will be placed inside the bunker to record interior moisture reduction. Time-of-wetness sensors will also be placed on the floor of the passageway just outside the entry room door to record moisture reduction.

By installing the series of EOP wells external to the bunker, no alterations to the structure itself will be necessary, which will preserve its historic value. The EOP-dewatering well technology has many other applications. They include, for example, drying wet basements and other underground structures such as tunnels to eliminate corrosion of equipment and reinforcing steel; stopping mold and mildew growth while improving air quality; and regulating soil moisture content around structures with expansive soils to stop concrete cracking or curling due to soil expansion and contraction.

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Moisture intrusion into the bunker is causing metal parts to corrode, like this frame on the doorway to the back room. Photo courtesy of ERDC-CERL.


Volume 10, Number 2 Retrospective 2014 Feature

Allied Countries Collaborate to Combat Corrosion U.S. DoD and Allied Defense Ministries Will Tackle Mutual Challenges in 2015 By Cynthia Greenwood

The fight against corrosion and material degradation knows no national borders. The smartest way for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to preserve its assets and infrastructure is join with its allies overseas and solve mutual preservation challenges. This is why DoD’s best corrosion researchers are planning to meet with their counterparts from at least nine allied countries in 2015.

At the 2015 DoD-Allied Nations Technical Corrosion Conference, military corrosion experts from the armed services, the Coast Guard, and at least nine allied

nations will conduct a technical information exchange from August 2-6, at the Wyndham Pittsburgh Hotel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

“Combating corrosion worldwide requires a strong program of international cooperation,” said Daniel J. Dunmire, director of the DoD Corrosion Policy and Oversight Office.

“As we emphasize the importance of international collaboration at this technical meeting, we eagerly seek the participation of military corrosion experts from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, India, Italy, the Philippines, and New Zealand,” Dunmire said. “Thus far, the Corrosion Office has signed international exchange agreements with five of these nations, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. We are currently pursuing agreements with other countries.”

http://events.nace.org/conferences/Dod2015/callforpapers.asp



“The 2015 DoD–Allied Nations Technical Corrosion Conference will continue where the 2013 NATO Seminar & Workshop left off,” Dunmire explained. “The 2015 technical information exchange will strengthen our international partnerships, and allow each nation to more effectively reduce the negative impacts of corrosion on global readiness and safety.”

U.S. Navy researchers who are active on the DoD Corrosion Prevention Integrated Product Team will manage the 2015 conference technical program, and

NACE International: The Corrosion Society will serve as the conference organizer. (See the current Call for Papers.)

The technical presenters have arranged 21 technical sessions for the 2015 meeting, and they are currently seeking abstracts for papers. Click here for a complete list of technical sessions.

In-depth program planning for the 2015 DoD-Allied Nations Technical Corrosion Conference is subject to the receipt of official government approval. For more information about the conference program or related activities, please contact Anthony Eng at [email protected].

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The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has developed a comprehensive strategy to combat corrosion throughout the armed forces. As resources directed toward corrosion prevention become increasingly constrained, acquisition-level management decisions, maintenance practices, and sustainment paradigms become critical to prolonging the life cycle of materiel. Corrosion control and prevention throughout the DoD costs the United States $22.5 billion each year. Consequently, DoD actively seeks new corrosion mitigation and prevention technologies, processes, products, and management systems for those who acquire and sustain military weapon systems and infrastructure.



mailto:[email protected]


Volume 10, Number 2 Retrospective 2014 Feature

United States and Allies Step Up Information-Sharing and Working Groups To Combat Material Degradation on Military Assets

By Cynthia Greenwood

The U.S. and its allies in the United Kingdom, Germany, and France are engaging in a multi-faceted strategy of cooperation as they battle corrosion and material degradation on the world's aging fleet of aircraft, ships, submarines, and ground vehicles. Officials from the DoD Corrosion Policy and Oversight Office and the German, U.K., and French Ministries of Defense (MoD) are collaborating closely to share best practices and corrosion cost data, while also establishing international working groups and data exchange agreements.

The partners advanced their mission of cooperation during a Seminar & Workshop from April 23-26, 2013, at the NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany. "This is the first time that officials and technical experts from all four nations have convened to share corrosion prevention policies, practices, and scientific expertise since the NATO School was founded in 1954," said Daniel J. Dunmire, director of the DoD Corrosion Policy and Oversight Office. "Because the United Kingdom, Germany, and France are vigorously pursuing their own technological solutions to prevent corrosion, it only makes sense that we cooperate to discuss our greatest challenges and the best means of tackling them.” Facing departmental reorganizations, budget cuts, personnel reductions, and a pressing need to enhance the performance of corrosion prevention solutions on aging weapon systems fleets and military infrastructure, the DoD Corrosion Office and its counterparts in Europe are building upon a long history of collaboration to seek new solutions and best practices.

“Corrosion is not a competitive field across each of our borders, so the knowledge that each of the partners brings is tantamount to a common work force,” noted Juergen von Czarnecki, division head of the Bundeswehr Research Institute for Materials and POL-Products. “The existing collaboration among the U.S. DoD and the German, U.K., and French defense ministries is especially important

Corrosion Office Director Daniel Dunmire joined allied defense ministry officials at a Seminar & Workshop at the NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany, to further joint efforts to combat material degradation on DoD and European military assets. Photos by Fernando Jimenez, Bruno White Entertainment.


now from the German standpoint because having available corrosion data and „lessons learned‟ from our partners strengthens our position in the Bundeswehr.”

At the NATO Seminar & Workshop representatives from each defense organization discussed their greatest challenges, including the need to share explicit data and experiences related to equipment, failures, materials, and products that could lead to valuable changes in procurement. “In France, for example, we face a paradoxical situation that requires us to increase the performance of our corrosion systems in a context where many technical solutions are being lost in the wake of environmental regulations that prohibit the use of volatile organic compounds,” explained Jean Pierre Pautasso, senior expert for Corrosion Control and Surfaces Protection in the French MoD‟s Direction Générale de l‟Armement.

In the view of German MoD officials, now is the time for all partner countries to exchange knowledge about corrosion mechanisms that can be put to practical use. “From our perspective in the Bundeswehr,” noted von Czarnecki, “further collaboration among the U.S., France, Germany, and other NATO allies will provide a fruitful exchange of data on failures, new materials, new products, and impressive lessons learned. For example, if we obtain explicit corrosion cost data on specific types of equipment, we can facilitate proactive changes to procurement.”

Allied Discussions on CPC Funding, Policy, and Standards

During workshops focused on CPC policy, standards, and corrosion prevention funding, attendees from each nation advanced their views on a host of common issues and challenges. In particular, participants expressed serious concern over shrinking budget allocations for CPC planning and execution, as well as the need for more funding for technology transition. “Some noted that CPC planning must include corrosion costs across a system‟s entire life cycle,” Dunmire said. “Moreover, true corrosion costs must be included in life-cycle cost calculations that support major acquisition decisions. At one point we discussed the merits of holding an original manufacturer responsible for maintaining a weapon system for the first five years after its delivery. This is the crucial period when severe corrosion-related problems are more likely to appear.”

In the area of policy, DoD and MoD officials and experts expressed a need for an international working group at the DoD and MoD level. “Germany, France, and the United Kingdom desire a European Union public law pertaining to corrosion prevention and control, and all three have

Bundeswehr Division Head Juergen von Czarnecki co-organized the NATO Seminar & Workshop with U.S. DoD Corrosion Office officials and experts from Germany, France, and the United Kingdom from April 23-26, 2013.

Jean Pierre Pautasso, senior corrosion expert in the French General Directorate for Armament, spoke to NATO Seminar attendees about the importance of corrosion prevention to the French Ministry of Defense.


requested U.S. support to help them justify such a new law,” explained Dunmire. Officials also discussed forming a Materials Protection working group. “This initiative has the potential to increase the value of corrosion research across all nations and give future collaborations a greater impact,” said Joseph Plummer, corrosion scientist at the U.K. Ministry of Defense‟s Office of Defense, Science, and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), which supplies the U.K. MoD and broader government with specialist science and technology services.

“Germany, France, and the U.K. have asked the U.S. to share the methodology for the Corrosion Office‟s ongoing cost of corrosion study, and we plan to cooperate,” Dunmire said. Participants agreed that the culture of leadership in their military organizations often precluded strict conformity with specifications and standards. Officials also expressed interest in policies that would a) require that approved CPC plans be in place before the acquisition of new military equipment, and b) ensure that a corrosion manager would be held responsible through the equipment life cycle.

A key part of the Marine Corps‟ success was put in place in 2005 after the assessment when contractor teams were brought in to do all organizational-level corrosion-related maintenance for each base‟s organizational units. These corrosion service teams are mobile, roving from unit to unit mitigating and preventing rust all year long. When stationed at a given unit, their job is to touch each piece of gear and apply CPC (corrosion prevention and control) compounds, touch-up painting, and anything else needed to return the piece to a pristine “category one” state. Each time an item is touched a new assessment is recorded, updating the information being reported in the Program Management Tool. This data is used to nominate candidates into higher-level repair facilities and identify future requirements.

During talks about the efficacy of standards, participants noted that the U.S. does not use NATO standards, and Europeans generally prefer to use ISO (International Organization for Standardization) performance-based standards. Whereas 11 nations have collaborated in the past to produce four allied-sponsored documents, experts observed that these documents are not regularly updated. In addition, some would like policymakers to spend more energy on international military specifications rather than nation-centric specifications. U.S. suppliers noted that when a multi-national market exists for a specific product, it might enhance support for the development and passage of new ISO standards. After the NATO School event, Mr. Dunmire stated that the DoD Corrosion Office would join its industry and academic partners to make certain resources available to its allies, including the DoD Corrosion Prevention and Control (CPC) Strategic Plan, CPC courses, and the Office‟s Cost of Corrosion Study results and methodologies.

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Joseph Plummer, corrosion scientist at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, addressed corrosion-related challenges affecting the U.K. Ministry of Defense.


Volume 10, Number 2 Retrospective 2014 Inside DoD

DoD Partners Unveil New Courses for Military Corrosion Specialists By Cynthia Greenwood

In recent months, the strategic partners of the DoD Corrosion Policy and Oversight Office have stepped up their efforts to meet the training needs of acquisition and maintenance personnel who practice corrosion prevention on military equipment and infrastructure.

SSPC: The Society for Protective Coatings has unveiled a certification program for Aerospace Coating Application Specialists, designed to certify those individual craft workers who have experience in the hands-on surface preparation and coating application of aircraft structure surfaces. In addition, NACE International, The Corrosion Society, has recently premiered a four-hour Basic Corrosion course that distills the causes of

corrosion and the methods of identifying and controlling it. The mini-course is based upon the weeklong course offered by NACE.

The Corrosion Office is also working with the U.S. Marine Corps Corrosion Program Office and NACE International to develop a five-day course on the identification, repair, and maintenance of ground tactical and support equipment. The new course, slated for release in 2015, will include the basics of corrosion control, corrosion prevention and control procedures for tactical ground equipment, cleaning procedures, corrosion assessment methods, the servicing of materials and parts, surface preparation and touch-up paint procedures, and corrosion-related procedures for deployments.

For the above-mentioned new courses and all others listed below, the Corrosion Office continues to cover the tuition costs incurred by DoD personnel and civilian military contractors. Funding through October 2014 is available to personnel interested in enrolling in DoD-sponsored courses offered by SSPC. Renewed funding for courses taught by NACE will become available later this year.

Descriptions of the most popular courses covered by DoD are listed below, according to subject area. Technicians, inspectors, engineers, consultants, architects, and project managers may take

http://corrdefense.nace.org/corrdefense_Retrospective_2014/sspc-aerospace-certification.asp

http://corrdefense.nace.org/corrdefense_Retrospective_2014/sspc-aerospace-certification.asp

http://corrdefense.nace.org/corrdefense_Retrospective_2014/corrosion-office-free-new-course.asp


advantage of a diverse array of courses and certification opportunities related to Basic Corrosion, Cathodic Protection, Corrosion Assessment, Coatings, Coatings Inspection, and Water/Wastewater Facilities.

To learn more about course schedules, content, and individual training providers, please click on a course title and link to the appropriate Web site and course description. (To view all 34 DoD-funded courses sponsored by SSPC, please view the following list of courses on the SSPC Web site.)

General Corrosion Education

Basic Corrosion

Basic Corrosion This course focuses on corrosion and the potential problems caused by corrosion. It provides a basic but thorough review of the causes of corrosion and the methods by which it can be identified, monitored, and controlled. Active participation is encouraged through hands-on experiments and case studies, as well as an open discussion format.

Offshore Corrosion Assessment Training (O-CAT) The Offshore Corrosion Assessment Training course is a five-day intensive program addressing the elements of in-service inspection and maintenance planning for fixed offshore structures. The course also addresses the Minerals Management Services (MMS) A-B-C facility evaluation grading-system requirements for Level I inspection reporting.

Cathodic Protection

CP-1 Cathodic Protection Tester Course This is an intensive six-day course that presents CP technology to prepare students for the NACE Cathodic Protection Tester Certification Examination. Course topics include basic electricity, electrochemistry and corrosion concepts, CP theory, CP systems, and CP field measurement techniques. This course provides theoretical knowledge and practical fundamentals for testing on both galvanic and impressed-current CP systems. It also involves lectures and intensive hands-on training with equipment and instruments used in CP testing. Hands-on training at outdoor facilities (weather permitting) is also provided. The course concludes with both a two-hour written and a two-hour practical (hands-on) examination.

CP-2 Cathodic Protection Technician This is an intensive six-day course that presents CP technology to prepare students for the NACE Cathodic Protection Technician Certification Examination. Course topics include intermediate-level discussions of corrosion theory and CP concepts, types of CP systems, stray alternating-current and direct-current interference, and advanced field-measurement techniques. This course provides both theoretical knowledge and practical techniques for testing and evaluating data to determine the effectiveness of both galvanic and impressed current CP systems and to gather design data. The course involves lectures and hands-on training with equipment and instruments used in CP testing. Hands-on training at outdoor facilities is also included, weather permitting.

http://www.sspc.org/Free-Funding

http://www.nace.org/cstm/education/Program.aspx?id=403af18b-d51c-db11-953d-001438c08dca

http://www.nace.org/cstm/education/Program.aspx?id=403af18b-d51c-db11-953d-001438c08dca

http://www.nace.org/cstm/education/Course.aspx?id=4edf4304-b111-db11-953d-001438c08dca

http://www.nace.org/cstm/education/Course.aspx?id=4edf4304-b111-db11-953d-001438c08dca

http://www.nace.org/cstm/education/Program.aspx?id=2ce9ffdb-8816-db11-953d-001438c08dca





CP-2 Cathodic Protection Technician-Marine Developed for NAVSEA (Naval Sea Systems Command), this six-day course provides theoretical knowledge and practical techniques for testing and evaluating data to determine the effectiveness of both galvanic and impressed current CP systems, as they apply to the marine industry. This is an intermediate CP course.

CP-3 Cathodic Protection Technologist This is an intensive six-day course that presents CP technology to prepare students for the NACE Cathodic Protection Technologist Certification Examination. The CP 3—Cathodic Protection Technologist Course builds on the technology presented in the CP 2—Cathodic Protection Technician Course covering both theoretical concepts and practical application of CP, with a strong focus on interpretation of CP data, CP troubleshooting, and mitigation of problems that might arise in both galvanic and impressed current systems. The course is presented in a format of lecture, discussion, and hands-on, in-class experiments, and group exercises. There is a written examination at the conclusion of the course.

CP-4 Cathodic Protection Specialist This is an intensive six-day course that focuses on the principles and procedures for CP design on a variety of structures for both galvanic and impressed current systems. The course discusses the theoretical concepts behind the design and considerations that influence the design (environment, structure type/materials of construction, coatings), design factors, and calculations (including attenuation). The course involves lecture and in-class discussion and practice with design examples on various structures (i.e., pipelines, tanks and well casings, offshore applications, and steel reinforcing in concrete structures). The course concludes with the written NACE CP Specialist examination.

CP Interference The Cathodic Protection Interference course is a six-day course focusing on AC and DC interference. The course includes in-depth coverage of both the theoretical concepts and the practical application of identifying interference and interference mitigation techniques. Students will learn to identify the causes and effects of interference as well as conduct tests to determine if an interference condition exists and perform calculations required to predict AC interference. The course is presented in a format of lecture, discussion, hands-on, in-class experiments, case studies, and group exercises. There is a written examination at the conclusion of the course.

Coatings and Coatings Inspection

Aerospace Coating Application Certification (ACAS) The SSPC Aerospace Coating Application Specialist Certification Program is designed to certify those individual craft workers who have experience and training in all aspects of the hands-on surface preparation and coating application of the surfaces of aircraft structures, according to the requirements of the SSPC Aerospace Coating Application Specialist (ACAS) Program.

C-1 Fundamentals of Protective Coatings for Industrial Structures This course provides a practical and comprehensive overview for those who are new to the protective coatings industry. It is also an ideal refresher for reviewing the fundamentals of corrosion and the use of coatings as a protective mechanism against corrosion and deterioration of industrial structures.









http://www.sspc.org/ACAS/

http://www.sspc.org/ACAS/


C-1 eCourse Fundamentals of Protective Coatings for Industrial Structures This online course provides a practical and comprehensive overview for individuals who are new to the protective coatings industry, as well as those needing a review of the fundamentals of corrosion and the use of coatings as a protective mechanism. It begins on the 15th of every month.

C-2 Specifying and Managing Protective Coatings Projects This course is designed to sharpen your skills in managing the specific requirements of protective coatings projects.

C-2 eCourse Specifying and Managing Protective Coatings Projects This online management course is designed to sharpen your understanding of overall industry practices, beyond your area of specialization, and put your experience in unison with the most current theories and practices that govern coatings project management. It begins on the 15th of every month in 2009.

C-7 Abrasive Blasting Program C-7 is designed to certify operators of dry abrasive or portable centrifugal blast cleaning equipment. It covers principles of surface preparation, surface cleanliness, surface profile, dust and debris control, and abrasives. The program’s primary focus is the certification of the blasters who demonstrate proper blasting techniques during the hands-on session.

Coating Specification Essentials This course presents an overview of the logical and systematic development of coating specifications, building upon CSI specification writing knowledge. It reviews a wide range of concerns that can affect project success and presents a checklist for developing coating specifications.

Concrete Coating Inspector (CCI) Program Students who take this course will be able to determine incompleteness and/or technical errors in a specification and bring these issues to the attention of the specification writer or a supervisor. The course also reviews how to use concrete coating inspection equipment according to the manufacturer’s guidelines. The certification portion of this program will certify concrete coating inspectors in the process of correctly observing, assessing, documenting, and reporting all relevant job data as determined by the specification and referenced documents. Students completing the technician-level training (first four days only) would be qualified to work under the guidance of a certified concrete coating inspector.

C-12 Airless Spray Basics This course is designed to train marine/industrial applicators to operate airless spray equipment, incorporating the use of a paint simulator for hands-on training. You'll learn the proper technique for airless spray painting by using a program that simulates real life situations and equipment used in the field. There are two course options that allow participants to complete training and certification that meet NAVSEA 009-32 requirements. Click on the link above for details about each course offering.

C-14 MPCAC - Marine Plural Component Program This course is designed to certify craft workers operating plural component spray equipment. It also certifies those applying protective coatings on steel in immersion service by airless spray using plural component spray equipment.

http://www.sspc.org/Coating_Specification_Essentials/

http://www.sspc.org/Coating_Specification_Essentials/


Inspection Planning and Documentation This two-day course is designed to help coating inspectors learn how to plan inspections effectively before the work starts and accurately document results of tests and inspections conducted after work begins. The training will emphasize: a) Careful review of plans and specifications in order to develop a comprehensive inspection plan; b) Use of forms to accurately and legibly document project-specific inspection and test results, non-conforming work, and rework.

Lead Paint Removal (C3) C3 includes background information on the hazards of lead and other toxic metals as well as the current legal and regulatory environment. The course contains specific discussions on protecting workers; compliance with environmental regulations; proper management of waste streams and operations that result in potential exposures to lead; and associated control technology. The course also addresses reading specifications and developing programs to effectively control risks to workers, the public, and the environment. It concludes with a discussion of insurance and bonding issues, and an introduction to other safety and health issues that are encountered on painting projects.

Navigating Standard Item 009-32 This one-day course describes the naval ship cleaning and painting requirements found in Standard Item 009-32. It covers the cleanliness, surface preparation, coating application requirements, and system application instructions for various Navy vessels. Requirements of referenced standards are also reviewed.

Quality Control Supervisor (QCS) This course is designed to provide training in quality management for SSPC - Certified contractor personnel, Technical Quality Managers (TQM), and inspectors employed by SSPC-QP 5 inspection firms. It provides an overview of the quality management aspects of surface preparation, paint, coatings, and inspection operations that a Quality Control Supervisor (QCS) needs to know to ensure delivery of a quality product to customers. It is highly recommended that persons attending the QCS course have recent inspection training (SSPC PCI, NBPI or BCI ) or equivalent formal training, and also some quality-control experience.

Quality Control Supervisor (QCS) eCourse This course is designed to provide training in quality management for SSPC - Certified contractor personnel, Technical Quality Managers (TQM), and inspectors employed by SSPC-QP 5 inspection firms. It provides an overview of the quality management aspects of surface preparation, paint, coatings, and inspection operations that a Quality Control Supervisor (QCS) needs to know to ensure delivery of a quality product to customers.

Basics of Steel Surface Preparation eCourse This course defines surface preparation for steel through a brief review of the steps involved. It then provides an overview of abrasive blast cleaning, hand-and-power-tool cleaning, and water jetting and the associated standards referenced when these methods are used to prepare steel for the application of protective coatings.

Using PA 2 Effectively This half-day workshop summarizes and explains the key highlights of SSPC PA 2: Measurement of Dry Coating Thickness with Magnetic Gages. Students will learn to verify the accuracy of a DFT (dry film thickness) magnetic gage; measure the DFT of a coating with a Type 1 or Type 2 gage; and

http://www.sspc.org/Inspection_Planning_and_Documentation/

http://www.sspc.org/Inspection_Planning_and_Documentation/

http://www.sspc.org/Using-SSPC-PA-2-Effectively/

http://www.sspc.org/Using-SSPC-PA-2-Effectively/


describe and implement the procedure to determine if the film thickness in a given area conforms to the maximum and minimum levels specified.

Coating Inspector Program (CIP) Level 1 This course is an intensive presentation of the basic technology of coating application and inspection over a full 60 hours of personal instruction and practice. This course provides both the technical and practical fundamentals for coating inspection work on structural steel projects.

Coating Inspector Program (CIP) Level 2 This course focuses on advanced inspection techniques and specialized application for both steel and non-steel substrates. The course includes in-depth coverage of surface preparation, coating types, inspection criteria, and failure modes for various coatings, including specialized coatings and linings.

Coating Inspector Program (CIP) Level 2 Marine CIP Level 2, maritime emphasis, includes topics from CIP Level 1 and CIP Level 2, with a focus on coating inspection in the maritime industry. The course provides in-depth coverage of surface preparation, coating types, inspection criteria, failure modes, and case studies from the maritime industry. CIP Level 2, maritime emphasis, highlights the skills and knowledge required to correctly address the inspection requirements of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO’s) Performance Standard for Protective Coatings (PSPC). The course concludes with both written and practical exams.

Coating Inspector Program (CIP) Level 3 Peer Review This course is a detailed oral examination in front of a three-member review board that lasts approximately two hours and is graded on a pass/fail basis. The Peer Review includes a series of questions to test the candidate’s practical and theoretical knowledge of coatings and coating inspection. Candidates are questioned from a random drawing of topics ranging from standards, procedures, ethics, coatings use, inspection instruments, role-playing, and specific case questions. Successful completion of the CIP Peer Review is required to achieve recognition as a NACE Certified Coating Inspector Level 3 individual.

NBPI—NAVSEA Basic Paint Inspector Course The NBPI course is similar to NACE Level I or SSPC C-1, but it was developed by the Navy. This four-day quality assessment course was developed by NAVSEA (Naval Sea Systems Command) to train coating inspectors to inspect critical coated areas as defined by Navy policy documents. These areas include but are not limited to cofferdams, decks for aviation and underway replenishment, chain lockers, underwater hulls, bilges, tanks, voids, well deck overheads, and others. The content of the course is similar in nature to the NACE CIP Level I, but with a particular focus on ship-painting issues. What makes this course valuable is that it also provides both the technical and practical fundamentals for coating inspection work for any steel structure projects other than ships.

Protective Coatings Inspector Program (PCI) PCI Level 2 meets ASTM International Standard D3276, “Standard Guide for Painting Inspectors,“ and has been approved by Lloyd’s Register, RINA, and the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). The objective of this course is to thoroughly train individuals in the proper methods of inspecting surface preparation and installation of industrial and marine protective coatings and lining systems on an array of industrial structures and facilities. There are no prerequisites to attend the PCI Course. However, this course is not an entry-level course.

http://www.nace.org/cstm/education/Program.aspx?id=dcf75ff6-8816-db11-953d-001438c08dca








http://www.sspc.org/Protective-Coatings-Inspector-Program-PCI/

http://www.sspc.org/Protective-Coatings-Inspector-Program-PCI/


Shipboard Corrosion Assessment Training (S-CAT) In this five-day course developed for naval personnel, students learn how to survey and evaluate protective coating systems as part of a maintenance program for marine vessels. This course is intended to provide a foundation in coatings, corrosion, and corrosion control knowledge for assessing the condition of tanks and other structures, and determining the required actions necessary to effectively maintain fully operational status. The course will equip the assessor with practical guidelines for surveying and evaluating the condition of the protective coating system on specific areas of a marine vessel. The desired end result is that assessors use a consistent, orderly, and repeatable process of evaluation that has the confidence of all those involved in the maintenance cycle.

Internal Corrosion Courses

Internal Corrosion (IC) for Pipelines: Basic This course was designed to provide students with the fundamentals of implementing, monitoring, and maintaining an internal corrosion control program as part of an overall Pipeline Integrity Management program. It is an introductory-level course focusing on the internal corrosion of liquid and natural gas pipelines used for transmissions, storage, and gathering systems. The course combines lecture, hands-on field-testing, and case studies. The course concludes with both a written and practical examination. The practical examination includes OQ (Operator- Quality) Covered Task Assessments for the following tasks: (1) Insert and remove internal corrosion coupons, (2) Measurement of corroded area and pit depth measurement (with pit gauge), (3) Measure wall thickness using handheld ultrasonic meter.

Internal Corrosion (IC) for Pipelines: Advanced The Advanced Internal Corrosion for Pipelines course focuses on the monitoring techniques and mitigation strategies required to assess internal corrosion and develop and manage internal corrosion control programs. Data interpretation, analysis and integration, as well as criteria for determining corrective action for high-level internal corrosion problems within a pipeline system, will be covered in detail. The course will be five days in length. Students successfully completing the course examination and who also meet the requirements can apply for certification as a Senior Internal Corrosion Technologist.

For more information about the organizations that provide training for DoD employees, please consult the following Web sites:

NACE International—The Corrosion Society SSPC—The Society for Protective Coatings

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http://www.nace.org/cstm/education/Program.aspx?id=f017dc9e-4853-dd11-889d-0017a446694e

http://www.nace.org/cstm/education/Program.aspx?id=f017dc9e-4853-dd11-889d-0017a446694e

http://www.nace.org/cstm/education/Program.aspx?id=073c976d-b51d-db11-953d-001438c08dca




http://www.nace.org/home.aspx

http://www.sspc.org/



SSPC Offers Aerospace Coating Application Certification Program By Chris Grethlein

The industrial painting trade has become a highly technical profession with increased specialization in a variety of niche areas. This has created a demand for a sophisticated array of coatings provided by qualified craft workers. As such, the time was right for SSPC: The Society for Protective Coatings to address some of the unique challenges of applying advance protective coatings in aerospace

applicationsprimarily commercial jet manufacturethrough the creation of a specialized certification program.

In the fall of 2011 SSPC established the Aerospace Coating Application Specialist Certification Program. SSPC has long been considered a leader in training and certifying those who apply protective coatings to ward off the effects of corrosion and other forms of environmental degradation. (See a list of all SSPC and NACE International training courses aimed at DoD personnel, in addition to funding opportunities.)

The SSPC Aerospace Coating Application Specialist Certification Program is designed to certify individual craft workers who have experience and training in all aspects of hands-on surface preparation and the application of coatings to surfaces of aircraft structures, noted Jennifer Merck, training and technical program specialist at SSPC.

Course Description

Prepared in conjunction with, and offered through Embry-Riddle University, the Aerospace Coating Application Specialist Certification Program is offered as an online course, focusing on developing a student’s proficiency in surface preparation and coating applications. It is largely a practical course. Students must demonstrate their competence by first passing the online exam at the end of the e-course. To attain certification, examiners come on site and conduct hands-on exams in which students must demonstrate their manual proficiencies in the techniques that were taught in the course.

Designed primarily with facility owners, contractors, and certifying agencies in mind, this program may be used to certify Application Specialists who work in this sector.

http://corrdefense.nace.org/corrdefense_Retrospective_2014/DoD-new-corrosion-courses.asp


Opportunities for DoD Personnel to be Certified

Thus far, no one from within DoD has pursued certification in the new program, but SSPC has spoken at periodic meetings of the Corrosion Policy and Oversight Office Training Working Integrated Product Team, and has extended an invitation to all. Under the DoD Corrosion Prevention and Control Program, funding has been provided to train DoD, Army, Navy, and Air Force personnel in SSPC’s C7 Course.

For more information about how DoD personnel may take advantage of attending this course for free, please contact Jennifer Merck at (877) 281-7772, extension 2221, or e-mail: [email protected].

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Corrosion Office Offers Free, Half-Day Course on Basic Corrosion Principles By Cynthia Greenwood

Learning the rudimentary principles underlying the science of corrosion and material degradation has never been easier.

The DoD Corrosion Policy and Oversight Office is now offering a free, portable survey course that covers the principles of basic corrosion. Students can finish the course in four hours. Adapted by NACE International from its weeklong course titled Basic Corrosion, the DoD's half-day Basic Corrosion Course provides a fundamental but thorough review of the impact of corrosion, and the methods by which it can be identified, monitored, and controlled.

The course covers theoretical and practical aspects of corrosion, including the various forms of corrosion and the environments and industries in which it commonly occurs.

“Since we piloted the Basic Corrosion Course in November 2013, we’ve learned that there is widespread interest in it among corrosion practitioners throughout the country,” said Daniel J. Dunmire, director of the DoD Corrosion Office. “The half-day course also serves as an excellent primer for anyone who wants further instruction or advanced certification through NACE or SSPC.”

“We recently completed a course script so that any interested instructoreven those who do not

have corrosion expertisecan teach the course,” Dunmire said. “The new half-day course is unique because it is completely free and can be transported to any military base, facility, depot, or major headquarters command office. NACE is also developing an optional exam and certificate of completion for the course for instructors’ use.

The half-day course is suitable for any person interested in a basic survey of corrosion, including but not limited to military service personnel, engineers, managers, supervisors, technicians, salespeople, and inspectors. Unlike NACE’s six-day Basic Corrosion course, from which the DoD course is

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adapted, the half-day course has no hands-on laboratory component. Those interested in teaching the course can accommodate 25 to 30 people per session.

NACE Instructor Ron Bianchetti piloted the half-day Basic Corrosion Course in November 2013, at the NACE-sponsored Western Area Corrosion Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Anyone interested in securing the materials needed to teach the DoD’s half-day Basic Corrosion Course to his or her respective personnel community should contact Rich Hays, Corrosion Office deputy director, at [email protected].

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Allied Military Officials and Corrosion Experts Convene at NATO School Policymakers and Technical Leads Establish Precedents for Combating Material Degradation on Weapon Systems and Infrastructure By Cynthia Greenwood

The U.S. and its allies are getting serious about battling corrosion on the world's aging fleet of aircraft, ships, submarines, and ground vehicles. Officials from the DoD Corrosion Policy and Oversight Office and the German, French, and U.K. Ministries of Defense (MoD) joined technical experts from government, industry, and academia to discuss how best to tackle material degradation on weapon systems and facilities at the NATO Seminar & Workshop, held April 23-26, at the NATO School in Oberammergau, Germany.

The Pentagon-based DoD Corrosion Office and the Bundeswehr Research Institute for Materials and Lubricants (headquartered in Erding, Germany) co-hosted the event to raise awareness of the work being accomplished to combat material degradation on weapon systems and infrastructure. “The inaugural event established a path forward for the U.S. and its allies, so that policymakers, service leads, and technical experts can more effectively address Corrosion Prevention and Control (CPC) issues and solutions, and ultimately be of service to end-users in various military defense ministries and departments,” said Daniel J. Dunmire, director of the Corrosion Policy and Oversight Office.

The seminar’s key purpose included the exchange of information on the cost of corrosion for various weapon systems and infrastructure; how corrosion prevention and control is being addressed during acquisition and sustainment; the basic types of corrosion; proven corrosion prevention technologies; training, education and certification opportunities; technology corrosion collaboration among universities and laboratories; and corrosion prevention strategic plans and data exchange agreements among NATO and non-NATO allies.

Corrosion Office Director Daniel Dunmire urged military officials and experts from the U.S., Germany, France, and the U.K. to establish new precedents for sharing corrosion-related data to reduce costs and improve procurement practices. Photos by Fernando Jimenez, Bruno White Entertainment.

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“The NATO Seminar and Workshop is part of our Office’s broad-sweeping mission to join forces with our allies to tackle numerous issues pertaining to controlling corrosion on military assets,” Dunmire explained. “This meeting supplements our efforts to secure international exchange agreements with NATO allies, which began in 2007. Our next forum for international exchange will occur at the DoD/Allied Nations Corrosion Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from August 2-7, 2015. At this meeting we hope to attract all military, civilian, academia, and industry partners who work in Program Management, Engineering, Logistics, Maintenance, Academia, Manufacturing, and Supply support.”

Overview of Proceedings

To organize the seminar, Georg Bockmair, Bundeswehr Research Institute division head, worked closely with two members of the DoD Corrosion Office staff, including Jody Tran-Le, program financial manager, and Capt. Anh-Luan (“Lu”) Huynh, program manager. The seminar portion of the event consisted of two days of briefings related to the combating of material degradation of weapon systems and infrastructure. Speakers representing the German, French, and the U.K. ministries of defense discussed the importance of corrosion prevention and control to their agencies.

Corrosion Office Chief Engineer Dick Kinzie briefed attendees about DoD's ongoing cost of corrosion study of weapon systems and infrastructure, addressing how European defense ministries might tailor U.S. methodologies to suit their own needs. Matt Koch, Corrosion Prevention and Control Program Manager, outlined U.S. Marine Corps initiatives to reduce corrosion costs for ground and amphibious vehicles. Dunmire and Corrosion Office staff members also discussed how they provide direction to DoD and federal government agencies through policy guidance, inter-service collaboration, research and technology oversight, and the promulgation of maintenance practices that prevent corrosion.

Speakers also addressed the background terminology and definitions underpinning the U.S. DoD’s strategic plan; the characteristics of CPC

programs in all NATO allied countries; and the DoD’s ongoing cost of corrosion studies of weapon systems and infrastructure. The program also included technical briefings on such topics as the types of corrosion; unique CPC projects spearheaded by participating NATO allies, and CPC technology insertion projects sponsored by the U.S.; CPC research and development activities; and a host of training and education programs sponsored by academic and industry partners of the Corrosion Office.

Participation by Government Partners

At the NATO Seminar in Oberammergau, Corrosion Office Chief Engineer Dick Kinzie discussed how European defense ministries might tailor U.S. cost-of-corrosion study methodologies for their own purposes.

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During the seminar industry and academic partners of the DoD Corrosion Office reviewed their institutional support of the allied nations’ multifaceted educational objectives. These partners included the facilitators of the Technical Corrosion Collaboration (TCC), a nine-member group of American universities and military academies that support material degradation and sustainment research at prominent Army, Navy, and Air Force laboratories. In addition, speakers

representing four other partnersNCERCAMP, (National Center for Education and Research on Corrosion and Materials Performance) at The University of Akron (UA); Aalen University; NACE International, the Corrosion Society; and SSPC (The Society for Protective

Coatings)also presented evidence of their far-reaching training and educational support to defense acquisition and military corrosion community.

Executives from NACE and SSPC, which represent a diverse array of engineering and research sub-specialties in corrosion, offered mini-courses to demonstrate the broad reach of industry training curricula available to defense acquisition personnel. The head of NCERCAMP also outlined the institute’s mission to support all federal and state agencies and industry through corrosion-related research and advocacy activities pursued by promising graduates of UA colleges and partner institutions

Susan Louscher, executive director of NCERCAMP, announced a new collaboration with Aalen University in Germany, which supplements NCERCAMP’s existing agreements with Manchester University in the U.K. and Curtin University Australia. "The University of Akron embraces a formal partnership with universities overseas which mirrors the international exchange agreements that the DoD Corrosion Office has established with European ministries of defense," said Louscher.

"DoD's commitment to partnering with allied nations complements NACE International's dedication to its large international membership, " said Bob Chalker, executive director of NACE International and a NATO seminar speaker. "Nearly half of NACE's 30,000 members live outside the United States, and we strongly support initiatives, including education, conferences, and publications that will benefit those members who work in military organizations."

"The Corrosion Prevention and Control Workshop at the NATO School was very beneficial to our organization, allowing SSPC the opportunity to hear how defense organizations from the U.K., France and Germany try to

address their own corrosion-related challenges," said Bill Shoup, executive director of SSPC. "Whereas we think we have unique obstacles in the United States Department of Defense, our counterparts in other defense ministries face similar challenges. As SSPC works with the DoD Corrosion Office and our allies worldwide, I believe that good ideas will emerge to help each of us solve these problems."

Matt Koch, corrosion prevention and control program manager, elucidated successful Marine Corps initiatives to reduce corrosion costs for ground and amphibious vehicles.

Commandant Col. Mark Baines welcomed U.S. DoD and European defense ministry officials to the Seminar & Workshop at the NATO School.

pigging the diesel pipeline between pearl harbor...

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