In this section of the site contributing authors submit interesting articles relating
to the various services, industries and research & development efforts of Becht.
I was the Principal Investigator for the recently issued EPRI Technical Report “Guidelines for the Evaluation of Cracks in Cement Linings and Coatings”, Technical Report 3002000599, December 2013. I worked with EPRI’s Doug Munson to develop these guidelines to help nuclear plant utility engineers make fitness-for-service assessments of damage in cement-lined and cement-coated pipes. Cement […]
Following the 2011 tsunami and accident at Fukushima-Daiichi in Japan, the nuclear power industry has embarked on a significant effort to evaluate the effect of beyond-design-basis (BDB) events, particularly earthquakes, tsunamis, and floods, on the safety of nuclear power plants. What are BDBs? Beyond-design-basis (BDB) events (sometimes also labeled BDBE) are accident sequences that have […]
My assignment as a Heavy Lift and Rigging Advisor was to observe and consult with the client onsite during the lift and assembly of the Process Tower (52-V01). My assignment was thought to be 14 days or less. The Project’s plan was to lift the base section of the tower and set on the foundation […]
I was recently preparing for a cross-country trip and I had to decide what to take. Normally it is necessary to bring several large binders of subject and reference material, but in between airline baggage restrictions and the need to travel light I didn’t want to take a lot of stuff. Fortunately, modern technology is […]
When planning or performing a wall thickness inspection of buried pipe, it is necessary to establish the procedure to be used in evaluating the thickness readings, and determine the pipe’s fitness-for-service (FFS), which will be the basis of run-or-repair decisions. We are currently working with EPRI to develop such a procedure. This article is intended […]
If the behavior of discontinuity stresses due to pressure is not properly understood in elevated temperature design, unconservative designs can result. One particular issue with pressure stresses is the behavior of the discontinuity bending stresses. An example of discontinuity stresses would be with a pipe welded to a flange. When pressured, the pipe will radially […]
How long will the cyclone system in a Cat Cracker reactor or regenerator last? Cyclones systems in Fluidized Catalytic Cracker units (FCC) are typically designed to a creep allowable stress, where the stress field at various locations of the system has been determined by linear elastic analysis. The basic allowable stress for such internal structures […]
Within the Safety Professional community, one topic guaranteed to generate vigorous debate is that of Hazard Identification. Volumes of information exist, theories are plentiful and opinions are abundant. While certain fundamentals always will apply, consideration for the changing dynamic of today’s workforce is essential. Once we understand that dynamic, our approach to hazard identification (and […]
Today it is common practice in overhauls of large rotating equipment to spend many man hours in detailed planning, coordination, writing procedures, reviewing documentation, reviewing past photos, procuring and inspecting spare parts etc. We also review our past experience and put steps in place to mitigate past problems or errors. Now that we have a […]
Valero Energy Corporation recently installed a new, state of the art, hydrocracker at their Meraux, LA Refinery. The reactor lift was filmed by Valero and published on You-Tube as a testament to their commitment to safety and quality. The lift and transportation team safely completed the transport from the ship to the refinery and the […]
