ABSTRACT
Managing equipment integrity is essential to the safe, reliable operation of process plant equipment� The current condition of equipment and remaining life must be evaluated to perform a risk assessment� The results of the inspection are used to assess the current condition, whereas materials degradation models are used to assess the remaining life� Equipment condition depends on the type of material damage, such as corrosion, fatigue, or creep� Inspection is used to quantify this damage� The type of inspection employed must be tailored to the type of material damage that is expected in service� Thus, selection of the inspection technique(s) is based on an analysis of the equipment operating conditions and past experience� In addition, the remaining life evaluation depends on the material damage mechanism expected in future service�
It is widely accepted that traditional inspection methods employed at prescribed fixed intervals for managing integrity of pressure equipment in service are not necessarily conducive to ensure safety and can contribute to high operational costs� Experience shows that a lack of adequate knowledge of applicable damage mechanisms, their causes, and where they occur in each equipment item together with a lack of understanding of their risk profiles have led to unacceptable consequences, because inspections were not targeted to match all active and potential damage mechanisms applicable to an item� It may be worth noting that unnecessary frequent inspections do not necessarily improve safety� The traditional inspection process is generally regarded now as reactive rather than proactive�
Risk-Based Inspection
Risk-based integrity management is rapidly becoming the best and most appropriate technique for determining inspection and maintenance strategies for industry assets� Risk-based integrity management allows you to find an optimal balance between asset care and business risk, hence maximizing your return� Risk-based integrity management, in contrast to other
methodologies, focuses on quantifying total business exposure to equipment failure risks� It provides a rational decision-making logic to apply corrosion prevention, inspection, and maintenance resources to those assets that are vital to your business survival�
RBI-Driven Integrity Assurance Process: What Is It?
