Service Line Material Identification
Water Supply
Project details
Developed a non-disruptive electrochemical test method for identifying service line materials (lead, copper, steel) for water house connections without excavation.
DACCO SCI, INC.
Engineering Solutions for a Sustainable Future
About the firm
DACCO SCI, INC. is a Columbia, Maryland-based corrosion engineering and materials technology enterprise founded in 1988 by Dr. Chester M. Dacres. For over 37 years, it has bridged laboratory research and field implementation, delivering cathodic protection design, nondestructive testing, electrochemical analysis, and forensic failure investigation for critical infrastructure across water utilities, rail transit, and marine sectors. Its proprietary in-situ EIS corrosion sensors extend lab-grade electrochemical impedance spectroscopy to real-world field conditions.
- Established
- 1988
- Team
- Small
- Firm type
- Forensic Engineering · Materials Engineering · Materials Testing
Credentials
AMPP · AWWA · ACI · ASTM · NSF
People
Dr. Chester M. DacresFounder
Capabilities
Corrosion Engineering
Service websiteAssessment, evaluation, prevention, and management of corrosion in materials and structures to maintain safety, uninterrupted service, and economic efficiency.
- Cathodic Protection System Design and Installation
- Cathodic Protection System Evaluation
- Cathodic Protection System Inspections
- Real-Time Corrosion Monitoring with EIS Sensors
- Coating Evaluation and Selection
- Stray Current Testing and Mitigation
Field Services
Service websiteNondestructive and non-disruptive physical field testing to evaluate infrastructure and identify materials without interrupting operations.
- Close Interval Surveys
- Resistivity Measurements
- Soil and Water Analysis
- Ultrasonic Thickness Measurements
- Internal Pipeline Inspections
- Condition-Based Maintenance Programs
Laboratory Services
Service websiteElectrochemical and analytical laboratory testing to evaluate corrosion behavior, predict material performance, and analyze degradation.
- Ion Chromatography
- Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS)
- Potentiodynamic and Cyclic Polarization Scans
- Accelerated Corrosion Testing
- Materials Analysis
Materials Technology
Service websiteTesting, evaluation, and selection of materials using metallurgical studies, coating evaluations, and environmentally induced degradation analyses.
- Metallurgical Studies
- Coating Inspections
- Material and Coating Thickness Measurements
- Environmentally Induced Degradation Analyses
Forensic Engineering and Failure Analysis
Service websiteLaboratory and field investigation of structural failures and material degradation to find root causes and suggest repairs.
- Pipe Sample Forensic Investigation
- Water Main Failure Investigation and Repair Recommendations
- Metallurgical Failure Analysis of Rail Components
- Expert Witness Services
Nondestructive Testing
Service websiteNon-disruptive inspection techniques to evaluate physical infrastructure and identify buried materials.
- Ultrasonic Thickness Testing
- Magnetic Particle Testing
- Service Line Material Identification (Electrochemical)
- Weld Inspection
Asset Management and GIS
Service websiteDevelopment and management of custom databases and GIS systems to organize corrosion data and assist client maintenance schedules.
- Corrosion Database Development and Management
- GIS Integration for Corrosion Data
Industries
Water Supply · Rail · Transit · Marine · Government · Infrastructure · Industrial
Projects
Internal Inspection Services
Water Supply
Project details
Located pipeline appurtenances, prepared lay schedules, measured wall and lining thickness, and performed weld inspections on water utility infrastructure.
Cathodic Protection Engineering Services
Water Supply
Project details
Designed cathodic protection systems to protect infrastructure from accelerated degradation in corrosive environments; also performed soil and water sampling to characterize environmental corrosivity.
Water Main Forensic Engineering
Water Supply
Project details
Mapped wall thickness of a steel pipeline crossing beneath roadway bridges, tested compressive strength of adjacent concrete, and provided visual observations of related components.