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Cathodic Protection of Telecommunication Towers
Buried components of aging telecommunication towers are at ever-increasing risk of underground corrosion and material loss, and we believe cathodic protection is an efficient and economically feasible method to control underground corrosion at these critical assets.
We understand that safety and reliability of towers are essential requirements of the telecommunications industry. In addition to providing advanced corrosion inspection services for telecommunication structures, MATERGENICS is specialized in design, installation, assessment, and monitoring of cathodic protection systems for telecom towers with different structural designs and materials.
We use computer simulation for anode bed design in order to optimize the protection level for different components of the tower including:
- Tower base,
- Foundation of telecom shelters,
- Buried portion of waveguide bridges,
- Anchor shafts,
- Grounding system.
CATHODIC PROTECTION SYSTEM DESIGN
MATERGENICS engineers have developed a finite-element electrochemical simulation tool that can incorporate all relevant parameters in design and optimization of anode beds for cathodic protection of telecommunication towers. The design phase of cathodic protection system includes the following tasks:
- Review of structural drawings and geotechnical reports,
- Analysis of previous corrosion inspection reports,
- Preparation of three-dimensional CAD models of the buried components to be protected,
- Design and material selection for coating system,
- Computer-aided design for optimization of anode bed performance and installation cost.
CATHODIC PROTECTION SYSTEM INSTALLATION
Cathodic protection systems are recommended along with coating application to extend the anodes longevity and provide an improved protection level.
Coating Application
Based on characteristics of the soil service environment, buried members of the tower may be selected for partial coating with different types of self-priming mastics. Application of protective coating includes the following steps:
- Surface cleaning and preparation; equivalent to SSPC-SP2 (hand tool cleaning) or SSPC-SP3 (power tool cleaning),
- Assessment of substrate condition,
- Coating application with proper wet film thickness.
Anodes Installation
Installation of anode beds specifically designed for aging telecom towers by MATERGENICS required minimal soil disturbance. This means increase in work safety, and reduced cost of excavation and labor work for our clients. We also install cathodic protection system for new towers during construction time.
CATHODIC PROTECTION SYSTEM ASSESSMENT
MATERGENICS has developed a thorough protocol for assessment and testing of anode beds and cathodic protections systems for telecom structures. This assessment protocol can be applied to aging and new cathodic protection systems to estimate the protection level and the remaining life of the system. Some of the test in our assessment protocol are listed below:
- Open-circuit potential test for individual anodes,
- DC current measurement from individual anodes and anode bed,
- DC current measurement through grounding system,
- Soil-to-structure electrochemical potential survey,
- Instant-OFF potential test (as per NACE SP0169-2013).
Based on the outcome of assessment results, recommendation will be provided to the client for anode bed upgrade or the next assessment schedule for monitoring the performance of cathodic protection system.
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DOCUMENTATION & TECHNICAL REPORTING
A comprehensive technical report that includes design specification, installation details, ans assessment results will be prepared by NACE certified professional engineers. All activities and key measurement readings will be photographically documented and will be available upon clients request.
Use our online SERVICE REQUEST FORM or send the same information to [email protected], and let us know how we can help you.