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Archives: 2006

Got Questions? We have answers.

At Matco, we do our best to respond to inquiries submitted to us via e-mail. Whether you have a specific question about one of our services or would simply like some suggestions, you can count on us to provide the answers you need.

You can e-mail your questions to Dr. Zee ( NACE Certified Materias Selection/Design, Corrosion, Coating, Cathodic protection Specialist ) at zee@matcoinc.com, or call us at (412)788-1263. Be sure to furnish as much information as possible when describing your problem to avoid confusion.

Inspection and Failure Analysis of Traffic and High Mast Lighting Poles

June 11, 2006

Recent catasrophic failures of high mast lighting poles due to corrosion and fatigue have raised much concern due to saftey and libility issues involved for DOT and manufacturers alike. There is absolutly no reason not take these important issues seriously and inspect the suspeptible poles. When things go wrong you must have a plan. What are the common failure mechanisms for traffic and high mast light poles? What is the test protocol for inspection?

What type of materials should be used for poles, what is the fatique crack growth rate in pole structures and how often a pole structure should be inspected for fatigue

May 23, 2005

If the poles are suspected of having crack(s), or if there have been catasrophic failures of the weldments (HAZ)in the past, poles with the same design at a project site should be by evaluated by ultrasonic testing or other forms of non destructive testing methods to identify additional suspect poles. MATCO highly recommends that all similar pole structure be inspected immediately and that cracked poles be taken out of service as soon as possible. There is only a small window of time when the cracks are both large engouh to detect, and small enough to not yet cause catasrophic failures. Replaced pole(s) should be designed so that the stress ranges due to the fatigue design loads are less than the fatigue thresholds for each detail, thus ensuring that fatigue will not occur even for a large number of load cycles. Thickness of the base plate can have significant affect on fatique life of a pole structure. Thicker base plates generally exhibit significantly longer time to failure.

How can you determine if the life of load bearing members (structural columns) are affected by Fire

May 21, 2005

On -site metallography of structural steel and hardness testing will provide information on mechanical and microstructural properties of steel. This information can determine if load bearing properties have been affected by fire . The microstructure can be recorded by acetate -peel replicas which can be examined in the laboratory for any evidence of metallurgical irregularities due to heat.

What are the methods for reducing the formation of brittle Intermetallic phases in galvanized coatings?

May 17, 2005

What type of surface finish on galvanized steel is preferred for painting?

May 17, 2005

The Next Step... While Matco has the expertise and the technology to unravel even the most difficult material failures, your input is vital for a complete analysis. By filling out the service request form and giving us a description of the problem, you can be sure that all aspects of your problem will be considered. We’ll send you a proposal for your work, including methods and costs. Solutions are just around the corner!

Join us at www.materialsforum.com to discuss the hottest topics in corrosion, failure analysis, paint & coatings, concrete (petrography) testing, materials testing, and more. The Materials Forum provides you the opportunity to ask questions and get feed back from our qualified and experienced staff engineers. We look forward to hearing from you!

Matco Contacts for Main & Florida Offices:
Toll-Free: 1-800-221-9090
Matco Main: (412) 788-1263
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Emergency Contact: (412) 952-9441

email: info@matcoinc.com

Main Office Address:
Matco Associates, Inc.
4640 Campbells Run Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15205

Florida Office Address (Serving the Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando, Tampa, Daytona, and Jacksonville Areas):
Matco Associates, Inc.
4131 SW 47th Ave., Suite 1407 (New Town Commerce Center)
Davie, FL 33314