Damage Mechanism Review / Corrosion Study

The experts at Asset Optimization Consultants rely on their metallurgical consulting expertise specific to the refining, chemical, or pipeline processes to perform corrosion studies. The facilitation and alignment of knowledge from all participants in your company who are familiar with your process and operating equipment reveal valuable information about your asset. With the information we gather from the corrosion study, we determine proper inspection methods and process alignment.
Damage Mechanism Review and Corrosion Study

The experts at Asset Optimization Consultants review damage mechanisms and perform corrosion studies by utilizing their metallurgical consulting expertise specific to the refining, chemical or pipeline processes. With the information we gather, our consultants can determine a proper method of inspection and process alignment.

What is a Corrosion Study and Review?

A corrosion study can provide key inputs for the RBI program including potential damage mechanisms, corrosion types, and corrosion rates that allow criticality to be calculated. A corrosion study also provides information such as predictable or potential locations, flow considerations, fouling issues, etc. that help develop effective inspection plans. The corrosion study goes beyond reviewing internal metal loss and includes environmental cracking and other damage mechanisms that can affect the probability of failure (POF) of an asset even without experiencing metal loss (e.g. brittle fracture, high-temperature hydrogen attack - HTHA, creep). The corrosion study is also an opportunity for all parties, including the RBI implementation team, corrosion consultant, and plant personnel including inspectors, operations and process engineers to bring as much knowledge about the process unit to corrosion study process. Why? Because none of us is as smart as all of us. Ken Blanchard - author of The One Minute Manager

AOC offers three levels of corrosion studies:

Level 1 Corrosion Study

This high-level study is performed on simplified process flow diagrams (PFDs) and provides the simplest and quickest corrosion review of a unit, units, or a list of equipment and piping circuits.

Level 2 Corrosion Study

A Level 2 study is typically used to support an RBMI implementation project. It is also performed on simplified PFDs and based on the same requirements and work scope of Level 1 Corrosion Study with one addition: A summary report is provided to establish the basis on which the corrosion rates, environmental cracking, and other damage mechanisms were determined. The report also documents key findings and recommendations.

Level 3 Corrosion Study

This study level provides more detailed and in-depth analysis than a Level 2 Corrosion Study, but the details and extent of the study should be agreed upon with the client. It is also performed on simplified PFDs and is based on the same requirements and work scope as a Level 2 Corrosion Study, but it usually leads to a Corrosion Control Manual.


We understand that you have a vision for achieving your future MI goals globally, which includes achieving meaningful, measured and early time to value. But quite often, companies are looking for the big ticket item, like cost savings from not inspecting lower risk assets or reducing the number of required internal inspections. They lose sight of the fact that a really significant finding is when we discover cracks in a series of heat exchangers housing ethylene oxide prior to completing a turnaround that, if left unrepaired or not replaced, could result in a catastrophic event.

AOC can prove that the risk of certain pressure vessels remains low over multiple turnaround periods, thanks to corrosion studies as part of an RBI project. In other words, we can avoid a bet-your-company event.

The question you should ask yourself is, "Would we have done a corrosion study anyway if we did not commit to the RBI project?" Maybe you would have. But there are so many inherent benefits from executing projects like risk based inspection. From organizing files to reduce downtime from an unplanned shutdown to training your people and updating work processes and procedures, RBI allows you to build a culture committed to safety. It is not just mechanical integrity that results from these programs but organizational integrity.

In addition to the human factor, we want to talk with you about how to get your best practice rolled out across the global enterprise - with sustainability and improvement.

Service Inquiry

Related Services

Corrosion Control Planning

Achieving zero corrosion-related loss of primary containment in the refining industry.

End-of-Life, Remaining-Life, and Fitness-for-Service Assessments

When evaluation of inspection results suggest that an asset is near its end of useful life, Fitness for Service evaluations can determine if the asset us suitable for continued operation.

Risk Based Inspection (RBI) Implementation and Planning

AOC has delivered thousands of sustainable Risk Based Inspection (RBI) programs earning the trust of owner operators.

Related Tools

API 580 Work Process Quiz

How well do you know RBI? Take this short quiz to test your knowledge of the API 580 risk-based inspection (RBI) work process.

RBI Potential Savings Calculator

Create mechanical integrity (MI) program value rather than it being seen as a necessary cost to minimize.

Related Training

API 580 RBI Overview

What impact does Risk Based Inspection (RBI) have on my organization?

API 580 Training

Is your Risk Based Inspection (RBI) program aligned with the API 580 Recommended Practice? Are you ready for certification?

API 581 Overview

What's actually going on inside all of that fancy software? An introduction to the API 581 methodology.

API 581 Training

A deep dive into quantitative Risk Based Inspection (RBI) as outlined in API 581.

RBI/MI Overview

A high level overview introducing Mechanical Integrity and Risk Based Inspection

Related Knowledge

Risk Strategies for Pressure Retaining Equipment

What are equipment/inspection strategies in relation to mechanical integrity (MI) and risk based inspection (RBI)?

How to Incorporate the New PHMSA Underground Gas Storage Requirements

This is a practical approach to incorporating the new PHMSA gas well rules into your integrity program with the rest of your surface and subsurface assets.

API 580 (4th edition) Required Elements

What are the requirements of API 580, 4th edition?

Proposed API 581 Inspection Plan Optimization Example

An example to compliment our earlier proposal for a risk analysis option that allows for individual damage mechanism risk calculation in API 581

Proposed API 581 Inspection Plan Optimization

A proposal for a risk analysis option that allows for individual damage mechanism risk calculation in API 581

Guidelines for Providing Process Conditions for RBI: Cracking

Additional process data may be needed when environment, stress, and metallurgy are so alligned so as to indicate susceptibility to environmental cracking.

Guidelines for Providing Process Conditions for RBI: HTHA

A simple screening to determine HTHA susceptibility and factors to consider when more data is required.

Guidelines for Providing Process Conditions for RBI: High Temp

This article suggests additional factors to consider when calculating probablity of failure for equipment exposed to high temperatures.

Guidelines for Providing Process Conditions for RBI: CUI

This article identifies several factors to consider during data collection as well as points out some guidelines for selecting potential inspection locations.

Hidden Benefits of Risk Based Inspection (RBI)

What are the hidden benefits of implementing Risk Based Inspection?