ENGINEERING CODES FOR THE ANALYSIS OF STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY

The development of engineering computer codes for predicting the remai ning life and reliability of structural components spans a period of a lmost 20 years and a wide range of civil and mechanical structures. Th e availability of high-speed personal computers and technical advances in each of the elements of structural integrity analysis-stress analy sis, fracture mechanics, nondestructive evaluation, and material prope rty modeling-now allow low-cost applications of this integrated techno logy by nonspecialists. The introduction of probabilistic analysis met hods extends the capabilities of engineering codes to quantitative ass essment of risk and, when combined with cost factors, to many aspects of decision analysis such as run/replace maintenance optimization. Wit h the exception of civil engineering applications, the use of structur al integrity codes to date has been confined to a relatively small num ber of industries, primarily fossil and nuclear power generation, and has been virtually absent in others. Review of the individual historie s of such codes is instructive in determining their potential utility in solving many common problems faced in the management of ageing infr astructure. Both institutional and technical barriers are identified, and objectives for improving the cost effectiveness and utility of the se codes are suggested.