Remote Monitoring of Cathodic Protection and Cathodic Protection System Upgrades for Tanks and Pipelines at Fort Carson

This project demonstrated and implemented emerging corrosion protection technologies for utilities at Fort Carson, CO, consisting of six deep anode impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) systems, 106 drive-by type remote monitoring units for existing test stations, and 26 drive-by type remote monitoring units for existing and new rectifiers. ICCP rectifiers and groundbeds were installed on one natural gas main, one steam main, one water storage reservoir, and three separate water supply mains. The remote monitoring units have reduced the amount of time that it takes the contractor who maintains the ICCP systems at Fort Carson to obtain readings from 2 months to 2 days. The automated data are saved in a format that allows him to establish trends for early signs of problems with the system that needs immediate attention. Other Army and DoD Installations have experienced similar problems with the need to upgrade and maintain their cathodic protection systems. It is therefore, recommended that these installations implement cathodic protection upgrades and remote monitoring technologies to extend the service life of the utility system.