Remaining Life Assessment and Life Extension
At IBS, we understand the material damage mechanisms, failure modes, probability of failure assessments and how to use various inspection techniques to establish the equipment conditions. We help our clients with establishing and extending the life of fixed equipment without conflicting with the code and regulatory requirepments. We can also help clients carryout fitness-for-service engineering assessment to extend operational life of aged plant.
Life Extension Criteria:
- Require life extension before an asset exceeds its original design life
- Evaluate the condition of the asset and verify its adequacy for the extended service
- Take appropriate actions to achieve the life extension
Baseline Review:
- Compile available operating, maintenance and repair documentation
- Identify any noted fatigue fractures, suspect locations and equipment failures in the documentation
- Determine any specific areas of interest
- Engineering Analysis
- Screen fatigue and strength sensitive regions
- Identify fatigue life for most sensitive end connections
- Compare analysis results with observed damage from the baseline review and condition survey
- Target observed fatigue-prone areas for remediation
- Evaluate the remaining fatigue lives in excess of planned service life
- Use the results to refine the inspection plan Condition Survey
- Closely inspect fatigue sensitive areas and any suspect areas with substantial or excessive corrosion
- Conduct non-destructive examination and ultrasonic thickness measurements
- Identify asset issues related to long-term reliability and associated mean time between failures
Remaining Life Assessment:
- Assess current condition of asset
- Identify areas requiring repairs or upgrading to meet desired service life
- Identify asset issues related to long-term reliability and associated mean time between failures
- Define solutions for structural modifications to fatigue-prone locations and equipment upgrades
- Assess life extension requirements for the asset
Class Assessment Methodology:
- Review baseline information, engineering analyses and current condition
- Reassess hull structures, topside structures, mooring systems and marine and industrial systems and equipment, under as-is condition
- Determine areas requiring repair, modification, enhanced inspection and monitoring
Upgrade Plan:
- Develop a general plan using results of prior tasks
- Identify locations where repairs or other remedial actions should be implemented to meet design fatigue lives required for proposed service
- Identify design changes and modifications as necessary
- Develop detailed upgrade plan
- Estimate cost of upgrade
