In this section of the site contributing authors submit interesting articles relating
to the various services, industries and research & development efforts of Becht.
The first article of this series introduced the symptoms of a chloride problem in a hydroprocessing unit. In this article, we will explore how to interpret the symptoms by determining how much chloride-containing material we are looking for and identifying the possible or likely source(s) for this amount of material, embodied in Steps 2 and […]
Introduction This series of three articles explores the impacts chlorides may have on hydroprocessing units (hydrotreaters and hydrocrackers). It provides a methodical approach to identifying the typical effects that point toward chlorides, the sources of chlorides in process feed streams, chloride-induced failure mechanisms, methods for identifying chlorides, strategies for chloride control, and a step-by-step process […]
The repair of a corroded, damaged, or leaking buried pipe should be approached in a well-structured manner. Here is a roadmap to the repair options for buried steel pipes, with the corresponding brief commentary. 1. Open trench repair 1.1 New line, replacing the existing line (or segment). Determine whether to use the same material, or […]
INTRODUCTION A refinery or chemical plant Fixed Equipment Mechanical Integrity (FEMI) program consists of eight basic categories or “Pillars” that are fundamental to achieve FEMI excellence. While every refinery or chemical plant has some form of these Pillars in place, they are often inadequately implemented or have significant gaps in the key elements that make […]
– Achieving Excellence in Any Project – The old saying in managing projects was Cost, Schedule and Quality. Pick two. This is because it is very difficult to do a good job on all three of these critical aspects of any project. If we highly control cost, the quality of the finished project may suffer. […]
This month, Joe Collins is featured in Crane Hot Line’s Executive Spotlight. Joe talked with editor-in-chief Mike Larson about his (Collins’) career and some of the issues facing the industry. In the aricle, Joe touches on his role and responsibilities with Becht Engineering, his career highlights including management of a 300-crane fleet at Zachry and […]
OR – Keeping Your Expert Witness Sane – Litigation is extraordinarily expensive. Legal and expert witness fees can quickly mount up and become a significant percentage of the amount in dispute. I worked on a cost dispute on a plant estimated to cost $68MM but was significantly over expended. The litigation and expert fees were […]
This posting (November 2019) is an update to an October 2013 post which reflects changes to the ASME B31.3 Code relative to severe cyclic service that have occurred since the original post. There has been a fair amount of confusion as to when the rules for severe cyclic conditions in ASME B31.3 should be used, […]
The Problem Too often, the inability to get the required work done correctly, and on-time, has been blamed on too few people, not enough of the right people, or situations that were not anticipated. Dr. Louis T. Rader’s comments, about engineering management, are still applicable to many managers today. In 1964, he noted that: “The […]
I LOVE Turnarounds! The excitement – The planning – The organizationOne major focus with a million minor tasks that consume you for at least 12 hours a day (or night) As in the movie “Apocalypse Now” with Robert Duval as Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore, delivers the classic line “I love the smell of napalm in the morning,” […]
