Upon Further Inspection

Upon Further Inspection , the mechanical integrity podcast, uses engaging interviews to celebrate the people, stories, and real-world industrial reliability experiences. Every episode explores topics that matter most to professionals in oil & gas, refining, petrochemical, and other process industries. Through in-depth conversations with industry experts, we discuss themes like continuous improvement, safety, technology advancements, compliance, risk-based inspection, and professional growth.

Upon Further Inspection is a business podcast hosted by CorrSolutions & Inspectioneering, with 38 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

CorrSolutions & Inspectioneering hosts Upon Further Inspection, a business show with 38 episodes published.

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  Episode #18

  Where the Rubber Meets the Road (featuring Kelly Schupp)

  Sep 24, 202659 minS2

  We're back with Kelly Schupp, ASME PCC Standards Chair and Consulting Engineer at Equity, for part 2 of our conversation! This episode picks up with Kelly’s transition from design engineering to refinery and chemical plant fixed equipment, including how an all-day interview at Valero changed her career direction, a “sink or swim” introduction to post-construction, and lessons in writing technical requirements that work across sites of vastly different sizes. Kelly shares stories spanning 1930s German reactors, the Haber-Bosch process, glass process columns, and the potential pitfalls of spark testing. The conversation then turns to codes and standards, including capturing tribal knowledge, should versus shall, the value of peer networks, and ASME PTB-2 as a life cycle roadmap for younger engineers. Kelly also discusses her plans for sustainability as PCC Chair and the responsibility of experienced engineers to share hard-earned knowledge with the next generation. If you enjoyed this discussion, subscribe to Upon Further Inspection so you don't miss the next episode. 00:45 Team Captain vs. Coach Leadership 01:19 Why Kelly Skipped Management 03:26 Concerns Over the PE Stamp 04:38 Choosing Valero St. Charles 06:09 Sink or Swim in Post-Construction 08:19 Cat Cracker Replacement 09:33 Influence Without Authority 11:27 Fixed Equipment Role at BASF 14:19 Writing Standards Across Sites 15:41 Methanex and Returning to Consulting 17:25 PVP 2018 and a Trip to Germany 21:14 Six-Pack Reactors and German Foresight 24:09 Lost Records and Vessel History 29:07 Shrink-Fit Coil-Wound Vessel 30:31 Haber-Bosch and the BASF Legacy 37:41 Borosilicate Glass Columns 42:20 Dietrich and Glass-Lined Equipment 44:06 Spark Testing Pitfalls 46:32 Capturing Tribal Knowledge 47:43 Should vs. Shall Debates 50:16 Why Peer Networks Matter 51:38 PTB-2 Life Cycle Roadmap 54:13 PCC Sustainability and Knowledge Transfer 57:39 ASME Boiler Code Week Episode Acronyms & Abbreviations API – American Petroleum Institute ASME – American Society of Mechanical Engineers BASF – Badische Anilin- & Soda-Fabrik EPC – Engineering, Procurement & Construction FCCU – Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit FEED – Front-End Engineering Design FFS – Fitness-for-Service LDPE – Low-Density Polyethylene NBIC – National Board Inspection Code NDE – Nondestructive Examination PCC – ASME Post Construction Committee PCC-1 – ASME Pressure Boundary Bolted Flange Joint Assembly PCC-2 – ASME Repair of Pressure Equipment & Piping PCC-3 – ASME Inspection Planning Using Risk-Based Methods PE – Professional Engineer PTB-2 – ASME Guide to Life Cycle Management of Pressure Equipment Integrity PTFE – Polytetrafluoroethylene PVP – ASME Pressure Vessels & Piping Conference RBI – Risk-Based Inspection RP – Recommended Practice RT – Radiographic Testing SME – Subject Matter Expert TOFD – Time-of-Flight Diffraction UT – Ultrasonic Testing WRC – Welding Research Council Send a text & tell us what you think! Thank you for listening to Upon Further Inspection ! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss the next one. We’d love to hear from you—connect with us on LinkedIn and share your thoughts on the episode. Have ideas for future topics or guests? Email us at inspectionpodcast@gmail.com . Join us next time, wherever you get your podcasts. Until then, stay safe and stay informed. Note: The views and opinions expressed by the guest are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the hosts or the Upon Further Inspection podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Listeners should seek their own qualified advisors for guidance.

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  Episode #17

  When You Know Better, You Do Better (featuring Kelly Schupp)

  Sep 10, 202653 minS2

  In this episode, we sit down with Kelly Schupp, ASME PCC Standards Chair and Consulting Engineer at Equity, to dive into the world of Post Construction Code. Kelly takes us behind the scenes of PCC-1, PCC-2, and PCC-3, explaining why PCC-1 dropped “Guidelines for” from its title, what makes flange criticality ranking so challenging, and where facilities can improve their approach to flange assembly QA/QC. The conversation also explores FRP composite repairs, including surface preparation, force-curing pitfalls, emerging inspection technologies for detecting laminations, and why understanding the underlying damage mechanism is often more important than the repair itself. We also hear about Kelly's journey into ASME standards development, and her progression from alternate committee member to PCC-1 Vice Chair, along with advice for engineers interested in contributing to the process. If you enjoyed this discussion, subscribe to Upon Further Inspection to follow our conversation with Kelly Schupp into part 2 and stay informed about upcoming episodes. 01:09 What PCC 1, 2, and 3 Cover 04:22 How PCC-1 Became a Standard 06:15 Criticality Ranking for Flanges 08:21 Building a Flange Program at BASF 12:15 Setting Up a Criticality System 13:48 The Trouble with “Critical” in Codes 16:17 Gaskets in Corrosive Services 19:07 FRP Design and Contractor Reliance 22:56 Watching Fiberglass Layup as a Kid 23:33 New Inspection Tech for Composite Wraps 24:31 Why Surface Prep Gets Overlooked 28:36 Managing Temporary Repairs 29:32 The 15-Year Coating Showdown 31:09 FRP Defined and Flange Hold Points 35:30 Why Flanges Lack NDE Like Welds 37:26 Why Flange Failures Go Untracked 38:10 ASME’s New FRP Design Code 39:06 How Kelly Got Into Codes and Standards 44:00 Bringing End-User Voices to the Table 47:12 Why More End Users Are Showing Up 49:18 What Makes a Good Committee Volunteer Episode Acronyms & Abbreviations API – American Petroleum Institute ASME – American Society of Mechanical Engineers BASF – Badische Anilin- & Soda-Fabrik FRP – Fiberglass Reinforced Polymer HF – Hydrofluoric Acid NDE – Nondestructive Examination PCC – Post-Construction Committee PCC-1 – Pressure Boundary Bolted Flange Joint Assembly PCC-2 – Repair of Pressure Equipment and Piping PCC-3 – Inspection Planning Using Risk-Based Methods PQR – Procedure Qualification Record PVP – Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference QA/QC – Quality Assurance/Quality Control RCA – Root Cause Analysis SAP – Systems, Applications, and Products in Data Processing UT – Ultrasonic Testing WPS – Welding Procedure Specification Send a text & tell us what you think! Thank you for listening to Upon Further Inspection ! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss the next one. We’d love to hear from you—connect with us on LinkedIn and share your thoughts on the episode. Have ideas for future topics or guests? Email us at inspectionpodcast@gmail.com . Join us next time, wherever you get your podcasts. Until then, stay safe and stay informed. Note: The views and opinions expressed by the guest are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the hosts or the Upon Further Inspection podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Listeners should seek their own qualified advisors for guidance.

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  Episode #14

  No Coasting, All Brake, All Gas (Featuring Melanie Brewer)

  Jul 30, 202658 minS2

  In Part 2 of our conversation with Melanie Brewer, MI Authority at Third Coast, hosts Branden and Greg dig into the practical realities of standing up a mechanical integrity program in a startup-like midstream environment. After nearly 30 years at a single facility, Melanie made the deliberate move to Third Coast specifically for the challenge and opportunity of building an MI and reliability program from scratch. She walks through how she prioritized fixed equipment as the highest-risk starting point, developed a foundational MI document covering engineering, design, and fabrication standards, and why getting the documentation framework right from day one is non-negotiable for long-term program sustainability. A recurring theme in Melanie's approach at Third Coast is that more than half of her time is invested in training and cross-functional collaboration — because even the best MI standards are only as effective as the people implementing them. She shares how building a receptive, aligned culture requires consistent education at every level of the organization, and how industry events like the API Inspection Summit have been essential for stress-testing her ideas and staying current with evolving best practices. The conversation wraps with a look at the person behind the program: Melanie's passion for road course racing, and how the discipline, risk assessment, and split-second decision-making she applies on track parallels the mindset she brings to mechanical integrity every day. If you missed Part 1 of our conversation with Melanie, you can listen here [insert hyperlink] or wherever you get your podcasts. Don’t forget to subscribe to Upon Further Inspection so you are notified as soon as the new episode drops. 00:00 Risk Based Priorities 01:41 Building MI From Scratch 02:31 Fixed Equipment First 03:04 Engineering Practices And Codes 05:02 QAQC And Welding Surveillance 05:52 What Toll Manufacturing Means 07:56 Batch Ops And RBI Limits 11:28 AIM Systems And Knowledge Transfer 13:55 Educating And Winning Buy In 17:50 Remote Oversight And Independence 19:23 Where MI Should Report 22:51 Why Standards Matter 26:31 CUI Lessons And IGGN 30 28:34 MI Roadmap And Documentation 30:52 SharePoint Framework And Less Paper 33:20 Joining Third Coast 34:11 Nimble Culture Benefits 35:23 Shared Language and Veterans 36:46 Startup Feel and Growth 37:23 Resume and Career Shift 38:27 No Coasting Mindset 40:19 MI Advice Foundations 41:49 Build Your Network 44:25 API Summit and WIMI 45:45 Track Racing Hobby 51:25 Endurance Race Dreams 54:40 Wrap Up and Thanks Episode Acronyms & Abbreviations AIM – Asset Integrity Management API – American Petroleum Institute ASME – American Society of Mechanical Engineers CAD – Computer Assisted Design CCDs – Corrosion Control Documents COFs – Consequence of Failure CPDs – Continuing Professional Development CUI – Corrosion Under Insulation CWI – Certified Welding Inspector F1 – Formula 1 HSE – Health, Safety, & Environment IOW – Integrity Operating Windows MI – Mechanical Integrity MT – Magnetic Particle Testing P&IDs – Piping & Instrumentation Diagrams POFs – Probability of Failure PSM – Process Safety Management PT – Penetrant Testing QA/QC – Quality Assurance/Quality Control RBI – Risk-based Inspection R-Stamp – Certification of repairs issued by the National Board of Boiler & Pressure Vessel Inspectors WIMI – Women in Mechanical Integrity UT – Ultrasonic Testing 944 – Porsche model Send a text & tell us what you think! Thank you for listening to Upon Further Inspection ! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss the next one. We’d love to hear from you—connect with us on LinkedIn and share your thoughts on the episode. Have ideas for future topics or guests? Email us at inspectionpodcast@gmail.com . Join us next time, wherever you get your podcasts. Until then, stay safe and stay informed. Note: The views and opinions expressed by the guest are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the hosts or the Upon Further Inspection podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Listeners should seek their own qualified advisors for guidance.

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  Episode #13

  API Summit - Thoughts from the Show Floor (featuring Andri Orphanides)

  Jul 23, 202621 minS2

  Inside the 2026 Inspection & Mechanical Integrity Summit… Recorded live in person from the 2026 Inspection and Mechanical Integrity Summit in San Antonio. Andri Orphanides joins our hosts Greg and Branden to talk about planning the 10th Edition of the API Summit over two years, adding new elements like the Energy Exchange, petrochemical track, digital transformation content, charity golf tournament, and the technology showcase theater in the exhibition hall. Summit Stats as of Tuesday, July 20… 2,063 registrants, 343 presentations selected from 500+ abstracts, 23 panels, and 21 training sessions. Andri outlines the Summit’s downstream/midstream/upstream, multi-sector, petrochemical, NDE, corrosion/metallurgy, and asset integrity coverage, plus beginner-to-advanced session levels. They highlight keynote speaker Shawn Kanungo on disruptive generative AI, student outreach programs, and preview the “Three Gray Beards” panel and emerging technology showcases. 00:46 Two Years of Planning 02:14 Record Attendance and New Features 03:17 Powering Patriots Charity Golf Tournament 05:42 Summit Tracks and Levels 08:15 Talks and Volunteer Power 10:09 Shawn Kanungo, keynote speaker on Generative AI 10:30 Booking the Keynote Speaker 12:15 AI Hype vs Fundamentals 12:45 Track Leads Shoutouts 13:55 Why Add Petrochem Track 14:25 Planning the 2028 Summit 15:18 STEM Outreach for Students (This Ones for the Gals) 17:22 Day Two Highlights 18:28 Emerging Tech and Theater 19:16 Energy Exchange Origins 20:11 Wrap Up and Credits Send a text & tell us what you think! Thank you for listening to Upon Further Inspection ! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss the next one. We’d love to hear from you—connect with us on LinkedIn and share your thoughts on the episode. Have ideas for future topics or guests? Email us at inspectionpodcast@gmail.com . Join us next time, wherever you get your podcasts. Until then, stay safe and stay informed. Note: The views and opinions expressed by the guest are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the hosts or the Upon Further Inspection podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Listeners should seek their own qualified advisors for guidance.

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  Episode #11

  Find that Needle in the Haystack (featuring Terry McLane)

  Jun 25, 202648 minS2

  We welcome Terry McLane, a veteran inspector with deep roots in refining, back to the podcast for part 2 of our discussion. In this candid conversation, the guys cover the full spectrum of mechanical integrity (MI) from technology to program fundamentals to the realities of field work. Terry weighs in on where tools like guided wave and acoustic emission fall short, and why drones, robotics, phased array, and automated ultrasonic testing (AUT) represent the more meaningful advances worth watching. A central theme throughout is the role of non-intrusive inspection in reducing turnaround surprises — and what it means when discovery is still driving scope growth. Terry shares the importance of corrosion control documents (CCDs), risk-based inspection (RB)I, and integrity operating windows (IOWs) and how he prioritizes them. He tackles CML placement and optimization, makes the case for radiographic testing on small-diameter piping, and discusses how strong inspector-operator relationships and practical training are often the difference between a program that works on paper and one that works in the field. Terry also addresses the business side of MI: how to document the value of inspection work, use deferrals responsibly, and make the case for budget when outcomes are hard to quantify. He shares real-world damage finds from his career and speaks to a few particular inspection challenges found in high-consequence units. Whether you're managing an MI program, working inspections day-to-day, or trying to make smarter technology decisions, this episode offers grounded perspective from someone who has seen it all from the field up. If you missed Part 1 of our interview with Terry, you can listen here . Remember to subscribe to Upon Further Inspection and get notified when all future episodes are published. 00:00 Tech Hype Question 00:30 Guided Wave Limits 00:54 Acoustic Emission Reality Check 02:33 Drones for Inspection 03:29 Non-Intrusive Inspection Matures 06:42 IOWs and Operator Communication 09:34 CCDs as Inspector Playbook 13:33 RBI CCD IOW Priority 14:19 CML Overload and Optimization 16:19 RT for Small Bore Piping 17:50 Proving ROI With Saves 20:54 Winning Budget Justifications 23:37 RBI in Turnaround Decisions 25:33 Deferrals and Due Diligence 26:48 Escalating Deferral Decisions 28:02 Writing Procedures and Training 28:57 PowerPoint Pictures and Stories 31:08 HF Alky Inspection Burden 32:31 HF vs Sulfuric Debate 33:58 Favorite Damage Finds 35:41 Coker Corrosion Close Calls 39:36 Future of Mechanical Integrity 42:33 Gratitude Family and Mentors Episode Acronyms & Abbreviations AI – Authorized Inspector through the National Board of Boiler & Pressure Vessels API – American Petroleum Institute CML – Condition Monitoring Locations HF Alky – Hydrofluoric Acid Alkylation Unit RBI – Risk-based Inspection RT – Radiographic Inspection UT – Ultrasonic Testing Send a text & tell us what you think! Thank you for listening to Upon Further Inspection ! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss the next one. We’d love to hear from you—connect with us on LinkedIn and share your thoughts on the episode. Have ideas for future topics or guests? Email us at inspectionpodcast@gmail.com . Join us next time, wherever you get your podcasts. Until then, stay safe and stay informed. Note: The views and opinions expressed by the guest are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the hosts or the Upon Further Inspection podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Listeners should seek their own qualified advisors for guidance.

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