Corrosion at pipe supports is one of the leading causes of process piping failures, which can have potentially catastrophic results (see related news). All styles of pipe supports, including beam supports and pipe saddles, create crevices where water is trapped and held in constant contact with the pipe surface. Once corrosion is initiated in these pockets, it can quickly undercut the paint film and cause rapid wall loss as it moves away from the crevice. If these conditions are not addressed, entire sections of pipe can fail and require replacement.
Deepwater developed the I-Rod pipe-support system specifically to combat crevice corrosion and ensure longer, safer lives for pipelines by eliminating crevices between pipes and supports.
I-Rod brand pipe supports have been in service since 1989; that same year, I-Rod was first specified by name for a new structure. Since then, I-Rod has been specified by all major operators in the Gulf of Mexico and a rapidly growing number of others worldwide. The I-Rod pipe support family now includes several varieties of the original product. All still utilize the original I-Rod thermoplastic, which has excellent compressive strength and a high melting point which makes it superior to other materials for this application. Many other materials have been used in an attempt to copy or improve upon I-Rod, but none has achieved the success of the original.
The Nu-Bolt assembly is our most popular I-Rod product, which provides corrosion protection at I-beam supports; the newest addition is the I-Clip, which clips onto new and existing saddle-clamp-style supports and grinnell clamps. Half-round I-Rod is available in 5-foot or 10-foot lengths or pre-cut-and-drilled for any standard pipe U-bolt.
