PACP is administered by NASSCO, the National Association of Sewer Service Companies, and includes the overseeing  of the modification and adoption of standard codes and ratings, training and certification of operators,  standardization of the way data is formatted, certification of software vendors,  guidelines for mapping of data results and condition rating for pipe lines. Many municipalities have adopted PACP as their standard including Dallas, New York, Orange County CA, Las Vegas and San Antonio.

PACP data collected during pipeline inspections shows age, depth, material, size, rating, structural defects, O & M defects and condition.

Individuals like Eric Sullivan, that have successfully completed PACP certification have expertise in understanding and interpreting pipe line defects and data, the correct use of codes on forms and software, and can identify and detect deterioration in pipe lines which may require cleaning or rehabilitation including: corrosion, construction defects, surcharging, roots, grease, cracks and fractures, and debris deposits. Certified PACP Technicians can also read and understand data of pipeline condition for efficient PM scheduling and bidding for estimates of repair projects. 

If your municipality is considering hiring a certified PACP operator, contact Atlas Inspection Technologies for an on line demo, more information, or a quote:  Email or call 800.281.0650

My name is Mike Buchanan. I am the newest sales rep at Atlas Inspection Technologies.  It is a great company with a fantastic business model.  You can buy, rent and get repairs done on your remote visual inspection equipment,  or hire Atlas to do your inspections.  Their extensive equipment line and top of the mark technical expertise can fill just about any need.

I have been selling and renting equipment and doing field service for the past 10 years. During that time I’ve seen a lot of different things through the lens of a borescope.  I’ve looked at pig hearts, big jet engines and small jet engines, many, many feet of pipeline while doing crawler work. I’ve been inside a boiler for 7 hours using a push camera, I’ve been on the Mythbusters show and I’ve laid out on the grass in the middle of a park pushing a borescope down a hole looking for mice!

My background?  I spent 22 years in the USAF.  I started out my first four years as an active duty flight line jet  engine mechanic and worked on the KC-135 in-flight refueling tankers and B-52 bombers.   For the next 18 years I was a reservist and worked in Hydraulics, as a Crew Chief, in Quality Assurance for jet engines, test stands, and non powered AGE.  From there I moved into the inspector’s role where I inspected all the work that was being done on the flight line as well as the in-shop work.  In 1999 in addition to being a weekend warrior, I started with a great little borescope company that was growing fast.  I loved their equipment because for once I didn’t have to have the scope stuck to my eye, it was in color (!) and because I had always been impressed with the sales rep we had in my reserve unit.  He was always there for us. He was more concerned that the scope was working properly and that the people were trained on how to use it than the sale itself.  I had also used borescopes during my time in the Air Force, from the biggest borescope company at the time, but I never once saw the rep.  So when I started working in the borescope business I knew what the customer needed and that was the kind of rep I would always be.

So I am looking forward to my new adventure with Atlas Inspection Technologies and am ready to assist you with your inspection needs.  You can reach me at the Seattle main number at 800.281.0651, or you can call me at the Sacramento office I work out of at 916.218.4171. My email address is mikeb@atlas-inspection.com.  If your need involves a borescope, fiberscope, videoscope, push camera or pipe crawler, XRF analyzer, thermal camera, or infrared window, Atlas Inspection Technologies is the place call – we’ll take care of you right!

There are about 20,000,000 manholes in the US, 50% of which were installed prior to 1960. Of those, approximately 3,600,000 (18%) have severe structural defects needing immediate attention. Eric explains how using NASSCO’s Manhole Assessment Certification Program (MACP), and Pipeline Assessment Certification Program (PACP) reporting practices will help keep information on manhole inspections standardized and comprehensive and will assist with both the long term protection of these assets and reduce infiltration and inflow.

The full version of this article is posted on the Atlas Inspection Technologies Website at  http://www.atlas-inspection.com/articles.html along with other relevant White Papers and articles for the remote visual inspection industry.  For more information, questions or comments, contact Eric at 800.281.0650 toll free or 206.774.8704 at the Seattle office.

Fortunately, the new generation of x ray fluorescence spectrometers, called xrf analyzers, are portable and handheld. XRF analyzers work by using small x ray tubes for elemental analysis. You might find the physics behind how they work interesting….electrons become excited and emit a photon, which leaves the shell of the atom  yada  yada….or you might find it the stuff to help put you to sleep at night. But to explain it simply, it’s a form of non-destructive testing (NDT): point the handheld unit at the area you want to test, pull the trigger, wait a few seconds, and the XRF gun identifies the elements and reports it back both on an easy to read screen and also stores the information for download later. Atlas’ Niton XRF analyzers require no special training, or technical background to operate whereas earlier generations of equipment which used radioactive substances to identify elements required regulation, licensing and training.

Because scrap metal sellers know that sorted scrap brings a much higher price per pound they are using XRF analyzers to quickly find and sort metals including aluminum, lead, copper, iron, steel, titanium etc.  But not everyone needs to own an XRF unit which is why Atlas rents Niton XRF analyzers by the day week month or extended contract. Equipment usually ships same day and overnight AM delivery is available to many locations. It’s a good way for scrap metal buyers, sellers, and processors to have a unit on demand for occasional use, special projects, or pre-purchase trial to see if buying an XRF analyzer is the right decision for their particular needs. Atlas has free 24/7 technical assistance so give them a call at 800.281.0650, email them at info@atlas-inspection.com, or try their live on-line chat service.  Visit the webste for more information on XRF rentals and their applications.

This year’s conference will be held in Palm Springs at the Wyndham March 15-19, 2009 with a top marks agenda.  Along with a new users’ orientation at the Mojave learning Center, and separate meetings on LM2500, LM5000, LM6000, and LMS100 turbines, speakers are lined up to discuss everything from synchronous condensing, and principals of testing gas turbines, to NFPA 70E arc flash updates and gas turbine overhaul.

Just so it isn’t all work and no play, there will also be a golf tournament at the Desert Dunes Golf Club, tennis matches at the Marquis Villas Resort, and a WTUI sponsored dinner.

Darren Billings and Curt Harke will be exhibiting at booth 611.  They’ll have several pieces of inspection equipment for visitors to demo including IT Concepts videoscopes, Niton XRF analyzers for positive materials identification, thermal cameras, Pearpoint push rod pipe inspection cameras, and IRISS IR windows.  In addition, Darren Billings will be available to discuss and hand out copies of a recently published white paper entitled “Infrared Windows and Arc Ratings – Dispelling the Myth of Arc-Resistant IR Windows” written by Martin Robinson and Tim Rohrer of IRISS Inc. Bring your business card along and drop it in for a drawing at the booth (need not be present to win).

To register to attend the conference, visit the WTUI website. To schedule a demo while at the conference or for information on any of the Atlas Inspection Technologies equipment or inspection services contact Atlas by calling 800.281.0650 or email info@atlas-inspection.com.  Darren and Curt are looking forward to what looks to be WTUI’s best conference yet.