Promoting Excellence in Corrosion Engineering
Within the Institute of Corrosion, the Corrosion Engineering Division (CED) provides an informal forum for the exchange of ideas and information pertaining to corrosion engineering issues.
Current CED Chair Dr Danny Burkle (LBBC Baskerville) describes the benefits of CED membership as follows:
“We’re here to facilitate the sharing of experience and ideas, but CED is much more than this.
“We also provide superb networking opportunities among our membership and in the wider corrosion community. For example, our work often means a lot of liaising with the working parties of international organisations such as EFC and AMPP.”
Structure of the Corrosion Engineering Division
Operating under the guidance of both the CED chair who reports CED activities to the Council of the Institute of Corrosion, and CED Coordinator Dr Douglas Mills, the CED is currently structured in five working groups:
- Cathodic Protection (current chair Agresh Sharma)
- Nuclear (current chair Nick Smart)
- Coatings (chair is currently vacant)
- All Energy group (current chair Steve Paterson) – combining Oil, Gas and Renewable Energy Technologies
- Corrosion in Concrete (current chair Chris Atkins) ─ combined with ICorr, Concrete Society and Corrosion Prevention Association Joint Liaison Committee)
Each group is responsible for a range of activities pertinent to its overarching function. They operate through a variety of means, including in-person meetings and through electronic media, as well as making use of the ICorr website.
“The chairs of the individual working groups will liaise with the corresponding working groups in international bodies such as EFC, AMPP, WCO, ASTM, etc.,” says Danny. “This is crucial, as the CED aims for its activities to complement the activities of other recognised bodies rather than compete with them.”
Roles and Responsibilities of the CED
The structure of the CED ensures that it maximises some of its key responsibilities. These include:
- Providing a mechanism for members to jointly prepare documents that are of immediate and practical use to them in their field of activity. These include codes of practice, guidelines for processes and techniques, input to standards bodies, and more. Such documents are available to download through the Members Area of the ICorr website.
- Providing opportunities for members to network with other members and the wider corrosion community.
- Offering guidance on career growth and development, enabling members to identify which specific training, coaching, and mentoring opportunities are suitable for their unique needs.
- CED activities are driven by the needs of the members, who can be drawn from across the spectrum of member organisations (i.e. industry, academia, research organisations, etc.).
In addition to its role in all the above, the CED is responsible for organising an annual Working Day and Symposium. This is a full-day meeting, including several technical talks by leading industry and academic professionals, working group meetings, tours of the venue (which is usually at various locations across the United Kingdom with relevance to engineering), and presentation of the prestigious Paul McIntyre Award.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to network with other corrosion professionals from a range of different industry sectors,” says Danny, “as well as to learn about how corrosion prevention techniques can help preserve equipment and infrastructure within their organisations.
“Copies of the talks are placed in the members’ area of the ICorr website and an article about the meeting will appear in the issue of Corrosion Management following the event.”
How to Benefit from the CED
Like the Institute itself, the CED is run by its members for the benefit of its members. It plays a key role in achieving the Institute’s objectives. Its success depends upon the dedication of its members. If you would like to become a member of the CED, or to become involved in its working groups, please contact CED Chair Danny Burkle or email the Institute of Corrosion.