Explain the corrosion mechanisms and temperature conditions that create corrosion under insulation risk.
Engineering & Maintenance
Managing Corrosion Under Insulation Risk in Piping and Process Equipment
Teaches integrity and inspection engineers to apply API 583 and API 570 risk ranking, non-intrusive screening and coating strategy to control corrosion under insulation.
🗓️Duration5 training days
📚Content4 modules · 8 sessions
🎓On completionAccredited attendance certificate
About the programme
Course Overview
Corrosion under insulation causes some of the costliest unplanned shutdowns in process industries precisely because it hides beneath the jacketing that is meant to protect the pipe, and a wall that looks intact from the outside can be perforated underneath. This course explains the temperature window, moisture ingress paths and material mechanisms that drive CUI, then applies API 583 and API 570 risk-based inspection practice to prioritise which nozzles, supports and deadlegs need attention first. Participants work through insulation and coating selection, including jacketing and sealant details that keep water out, and learn non-intrusive screening techniques such as pulsed eddy current and guided wave testing that locate wall loss without stripping every metre of insulation. Sessions cover direct visual and thickness inspection at confirmed hotspots, and the repair choices between spot repair, recoating and permanent insulation removal. The course finishes with programme management skills for turnaround planning, coating renewal cycles and reporting, leaving participants able to run a defensible CUI management programme across a piping and equipment population.
Expected Learning Outcomes
Apply API 583 and API 570 based risk ranking to prioritise CUI inspection across a piping population.
Specify insulation, jacketing and coating systems that reduce moisture ingress and CUI severity.
Apply pulsed eddy current and guided wave screening to locate CUI without full insulation removal.
Conduct direct visual and thickness inspection at confirmed high-risk insulation locations.
Build a CUI management programme integrating risk ranking, inspection and coating renewal cycles.
Evaluate repair, recoating and insulation removal options against long-term integrity and cost.
Who Should Attend
Corrosion and materials engineers managing piping and equipment integrity.
Inspection engineers planning risk-based inspection programmes for insulated assets.
Mechanical integrity engineers in refineries, petrochemical and power plants.
Coating and insulation specialists specifying protection systems for hot equipment.
Turnaround planners scheduling insulation removal and inspection scope.
Asset integrity managers reporting CUI risk to regulatory and internal stakeholders.
Course Modules
Select any module to see its sessions and points.
01CUI Mechanisms and Risk Factors
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Corrosion Mechanisms Beneath Insulation
- Explain how moisture ingress, insulation type and operating temperature combine to create the CUI temperature window.
- Distinguish general corrosion, pitting and stress corrosion cracking mechanisms occurring under insulation on carbon and stainless steel.
- Identify high-risk locations such as nozzles, supports, deadlegs and insulation termination points.
- Assess the influence of climate, coastal exposure and cyclic wetting on CUI severity.
Session 2Risk-Based Inspection Frameworks for CUI
- Apply API 583 practice for corrosion under insulation alongside API 570 piping inspection risk criteria.
- Build a CUI risk ranking model combining temperature, insulation condition, coating history and location.
- Prioritise inspection scope using a risk-based inspection register aligned with API 580 and 581 principles.
- Interpret historical failure and thickness data to refine CUI risk categories across a piping population.
02Insulation and Coating System Design
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Insulation Selection and Weatherproofing
- Compare insulation materials and their moisture absorption characteristics relevant to CUI risk.
- Specify jacketing, sealant and termination details that prevent water ingress at penetrations and low points.
- Evaluate removable insulation covers for valves, flanges and instrument connections requiring frequent access.
- Assess vapour barrier and drainage design features that reduce trapped moisture beneath insulation.
Session 2Coating Systems for CUI Mitigation
- Select protective coating systems rated for the CUI temperature range and substrate material.
- Specify surface preparation standards and coating thickness requirements for new and re-insulated equipment.
- Evaluate thermal spray aluminium and other high-temperature coating options for severe CUI environments.
- Plan coating inspection hold points during fabrication and field application to verify quality.
03Inspection Techniques for Insulated Equipment
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Non-Intrusive Inspection Technologies
- Apply pulsed eddy current testing to screen wall thickness through insulation without removal.
- Use guided wave ultrasonic testing to screen long pipe runs for CUI-related wall loss.
- Interpret real-time radiography and profile radiography results for insulated pipe sections.
- Select insulation removal locations for visual inspection based on non-intrusive screening results.
Session 2Visual Inspection and Direct Assessment
- Conduct visual inspection of exposed metal surfaces for pitting, coating breakdown and active corrosion.
- Measure remaining wall thickness using ultrasonic thickness gauging at confirmed high-risk locations.
- Assess insulation jacketing condition, sealant integrity and support contact points during turnarounds.
- Document inspection findings, photographs and thickness data in the corrosion management system.
04Programme Management and Repair Strategy
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1CUI Management Programme Development
- Build a CUI management programme integrating risk ranking, inspection planning and coating renewal cycles.
- Coordinate insulation removal and reinstatement scope with turnaround planning to control cost and schedule.
- Define acceptance criteria for reinstated insulation and coating quality following inspection or repair.
- Track programme key performance indicators such as inspection coverage and repeat CUI finding rates.
Session 2Repair and Long-Term Mitigation Strategies
- Evaluate repair options including spot repair, recoating, insulation replacement or permanent insulation removal.
- Assess the case for removing insulation on intermittently hot equipment where CUI risk outweighs energy loss.
- Plan engineering upgrades such as improved supports or drainage details to eliminate recurring moisture traps.
- Present CUI programme results and residual risk to inspection and integrity management stakeholders.
What the participant receives
4 course modules
A structured syllabus
8 training sessions
across 5 days
32 detailed points
Applied, detailed content
Accredited attendance certificate
On completing the programme
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