Ballast Tank Inspections Showing Results!

One of the most important inspections that AlfaTest technicians carry out on ballast tanks is the Pre Guarantee Docking inspection. This is carried out usually within 3 to 9 months after delivery.
Coating faults are exposed as well as problems which may have escaped the QC inpections at the building yard.

While the AlfaTest inspection report allows the owner to make a claim for poor workmanship or other problems found, more importantly it exposes reoccuring problems which can be rectified on future ships being built.

An example of this can be seen in the double bottom WB tanks where there are FO side tanks above.
Traditionally the steam pipes for the FO tank were fitted after the coating had already been applied in the WB tank below. Support brackets welded to the tank top would create areas of burn damage below.
This exposed steel in the WB tank below would corrode over the years, creating a potentially serious oil polution problem.

"We are now finding that the yards are making the coating repairs after welding" comments Mark Denny, AlfaTest inspector. "This can be directly related to our exposing and reporting the problem and the owner making the necessary noise about it".