Materials and corrosion engineering services

Our material selection activities range from selecting the material for a single critical component through to material selection and risk assessment studies across facilities and for entire company global assets. Where a complete technical and economic evaluation is required, we can carry out life-cycle costing for the different options.

We advise on optimum systems and software incorporating all aspects of mechanical or pressure integrity for managing the integrity of assets. We perform audits and risk-based assessments, and develop asset integrity management plans for critical items, including pipelines, wells and pressure vessels, and for whole facilities and systems.

We apply a range of modelling methods and assessment techniques for all types of material damage in different environments, including from corrosion, cracking, high-temperature degradation, erosion, fatigue and ageing. Our Larkton CM software is solidly based on industrial experience and experimental data and is applicable to wet corrosion in a wide range of industrial and energy sector applications.

We advise on corrosion management through all stages of the asset life cycle, from design, construction, commissioning, start-up and operations through to mothballing or end of life. Corrosion control methods, monitoring and inspection regimes, typically taking a risk-based approach, are optimised for the particular situation of each asset. Management processes and tools are also defined to support, measure and verify corrosion control.

Larkton engineers provide expert fitness-for-service or residual-life assessments for existing assets. Our expertise in materials engineering and corrosion modelling is key to predicting the integrity status of assets under future conditions or assessing their suitability for a change of use.

RCA techniques (for example, to BS EN 62740) help to establish the sequence of events and clarify the relations between the various factors, causes and conditions contributing to incidents. Investigations may involve technical audits of material suppliers or equipment manufacturers, or targeted laboratory test programmes. We act as an independent third-party in situations with several interested stakeholders.

We prepare technical specifications for materials and components, and carry out the technical qualification of suppliers. We can design bespoke test programmes to evaluate materials. We support original equipment manufacturers with product or technology qualifications, materials selection and technical support for end-users.

Larkton consultants have provided expert witness support in legal cases relating to engineering component failures in the energy, civil engineering, transport and construction sectors. We have participated in arbitration, given evidence in court and provided advice on the likelihood of successful prosecution of cases to clients considering potential litigation activity.