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	High-voltage electric transmission power lines are supported by guy wires attached to anchor rods. The MsS system provides inspection data of the entire anchor rod taken from a point that rests above ground, eliminating the need for excavation. The sample rod above illustrates one good rod and one corroded rod.

Many thousands of miles of high-voltage electric transmission power lines are supported by guy wires attached to anchor rods. The anchor rods range from 0.5 to 1.5 inches in diameter and from 7 to 10 feet in length and are embedded in soil or concrete. These anchor rods are subject to corrosion, and when the corrosion progresses to unsafe levels, catastrophic failure of the transmission power lines could occur.

Application of MsS^® Technology

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) scientists successfully applied the magnetostrictive sensor (MsS) technology to anchor rods to detect underground corrosion. Using longitudinal guided waves at 32 kHz, hundreds of anchor rods in a variety of operating environments across the United States were inspected, successfully proving that the MsS system can assess degrees of corrosion.

The MsS system provides inspection data of the entire anchor rod taken from a point that rests above ground, eliminating the need for excavation. The sample data shown illustrates one good rod and one corroded rod.

For more information about our nondestructive evaluation (NDE) capabilities and magnetostrictive sensor technology, or how you can contract with SwRI, please contact Sergey A. Vinogradov, Ph.D., at sviogradov@swri.org or call (210) 522-3342.

ndesensors.swri.org

| Sensor Systems and Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) Technology Department | Mechanical Engineering Division | SwRI Home |

Southwest Research Institute^® (SwRI^®), headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, is a multidisciplinary, independent, nonprofit, applied engineering and physical sciences research and development organization with 11 technical divisions.

January 03, 2013