Going Global with Structural Steel Inspections
One of the many services Fenagh specializes in nationally and internationally is certified welding inspections and non-destructive testing of structural steel products.
We’ve worked on projects both nationally and internationally, where the structural steel is being fabricated all over, from Thailand to California. We have provided structural steel inspections for fabrication at Gayle Manufacturing, Schuff Steel, Herrick Steel, SME, and countless small fabrication shops.Fenagh is able to quickly and efficiently perform steel inspections anywhere in the world, because our inspectors are certified and licensed to work internationally on the world’s biggest projects.
This allows us to perform high-level inspections on foreign structural steel fabrication plants. The use of high-tech non-destructive testing equipment allows our inspectors to thoroughly inspect the integrity and condition of welds and structural steel without damaging the product. Our on-staff ASNT Level III NDT Inspector, Raymond Wolf has over 3 decades of experience, having worked on major projects like GE Gas Power Plant, Caltrans Retrofit Los Angeles Bridges, Black Mountain Pipeline, West LA College, Children’s Hospital Boston and Los Angeles, UMASS Boston Student Housing, and Cedar-Sinai Medical Center Los Angeles. He leads our team of experienced, dedicated certified welding inspectors through various types of inspections.These inspections include:
- Ultrasonic Testing (UT), a form of non-destructive testing that sends ultrasonic waves through the steel. These waves send back information that our inspectors can read to know more about the material’s properties, components, and welds. This is particularly useful because it doesn’t cause any damage to the steel, so the steel can still be used for its intended purpose.
- Magnetic Particle (MT), another type of non-destructive inspection that sends a magnetic field into the material. That material can then be magnetized by direct or indirect magnetization. Because air cannot support as much magnetic field as metal, this test is able to read for any sort of discontinuity in the metal that allows the magnetic flux to leak.
- Liquid Penetration (PT), used to detect surface defects such as hairline cracks, surface porosity, leaks, and fatigue cracks. The material is first cleaned to remove any dirt, paint, grease, or other matter that could cause a false or irrelevant reading. Then, the liquid penetrant is applied to the material and left to soak for about 30 minutes. A developer is then used to draw out the penetrant, indicating any areas where defects may be present. This test is advantageous because of its speed and low cost.
These techniques are useful for the detection of internal or surface defects, like flaws or discontinuities that could cause the material to fail if used. Of course, it is critical for all steel used in construction projects to be durable, so these inspections are incredibly important.
While Fenagh has offices located throughout the US, we’re able to perform offsite steel inspections all over the world!