Corrosion is the prime cause of the deterioration of steel storage tanks and accessories; therefore, detecting, monitoring and assessing the extent of corrosion is a vital part of the inspection of tanks. This paper describes the diverse corrosion mechanisms observed in tank inspections and illustrates these mechanisms by failures observed in a survey of Aboveground Storage Tanks (AST). It concludes, the majority of tank failures, decommissions and environmental threats could have been prevented by rigorous initial design, proper construction, routine housekeeping and regular inspection, together with, conscientious assessment of data and subsequent monitoring.
展开▼
