Cathodic Protection Testing in Plant Facilities

The Contractor shall perform sufficient inspection of materials, processes and completed items to assure compliance with the Contract. Furthermore the Contractor shall carry out sufficient testing to ensure that all the materials and workmanship complies with the performance criteria and minimum requirements of the Specification.
The inspection and testing works detailed in this section shall be seen as complementing those detailed in the preceding sections.
Client representative or nominated inspectors may witness any or all testing whether carried out on site, at the place of manufacture or at an approved laboratory.
Where inspection or testing indicates that materials and/or works fail to satisfy the requirements of the Specification, such materials and/or works which do not meet the required standard for approval shall be removed and reinstated in accordance with the Specification by the Contractor at the Contractor’s expense.
The criteria for acceptance shall be the fulfillment of the requirement of this specification.
All test equipment shall be calibrated and the calibration traceable to international Standards.

Anodes

Test Certificates shall be submitted to demonstrate all requirements of the anodes as detailed in the Specification are met. Information shall also be supplied of previous installations of similar anodes in hot climate or Middle East environments.

Reference electrodes (RE)

All REs shall be tested at least at 20 oC and 40 oC, and certified by the RE manufacturer or other approved body before transport to site.
All REs shall be tested on site following manufacturer’s method and their potential readings shall be compared with those given on the calibration certificates. If the RE on the test does not have a stable potential, or the potential is more than 10mV difference from standard values then it shall be rejected and not used.
Each RE potential shall be measured at both high and low impedance. If the measured potential varies by more than 2mV when measured at low impedance, then it shall be rejected and not used.

CP System

1. System Positive Continuity Testing.

Continuity tests of all anode connections and anode feed cables shall be carried out by the Contractor immediately after laying the anode and cable. Should any check indicate discontinuity or system defect the Contractor shall report and replace the anode and associated cable.

2. Negative Return Continuity Testing

The Contractor shall test the continuity of all negative return connections and cables at the following stages:
i. immediately following the securing of the cable
ii. between the structure and the nearest junction box.
iii. at the completion of the system wiring.

Should any check indicate discontinuity or system defect the Contractor shall report and then replace the defective cable or connection.

3. System Testing

At the completion of wiring of each anode zone the inspector will witness and may independently repeat any part of the testing carried out by the Contractor as follows:

i. Continuity between anode and its tail.
ii. Continuity between ribbon and current distributor bars after welding
iii. Continuity between anode and system positive cable at junction boxes
iv. Continuity between the negative return cables
v. The stability and repeatability of all RE potential measurements.
vi. The resistance between the anode feed and negative return cables.

Should any check indicate discontinuity, malfunction or a short circuit or any other defect the Contractor shall submit a proposal for the replacement of the defective cable or connection all to the satisfaction of the inspector.