Automated non-destructive integrity assessment of metal structures

Abstract

Offshore windmills and pipeline networks are examples of strategic infrastructures used for the production of clean energy and for the storage and long-distance transportation of hydrocarbons, hydrogen and water. The relevant structural elements are mainly made of welded portions of steel pipes, which often interact with aggressive fluids and hostile environments. Material aging is thus accelerated and localized damage processes are promoted, harming the design safety factors. The structural health of such components can be monitored in operation, throughout their lifetime, by non-destructive testing performed by portable devices. The equipment at present available on the market permits to develop fully automated testing campaigns, overcoming the difficulties associated to large extension and difficult accessibility. The data collected on site can be transferred through virtual networks, to be evaluated and processed in order to permit the quantitative evaluations required by the optimization and the planning of repair and retrofit operations. This contribution discusses the potential offered by the current practice and illustrates the methodological adaptations that produce effective diagnostic tools in the outlined context.