End-of-Life, Remaining-Life, and Fitness-for-Service Assessments
Fitness for service (FFS) is a methodology to determine the adequacy of a structure for continued service when it contains a flaw or is operating in a particular condition where there is risk of failure. Failure conditions and types of flaws may include:
- brittle fracture
- fire damage
- geometrical irregularities
- general corrosion / erosion
- local metal loss
- pitting corrosion
- blisters
- crack-like flaws
Cracking flaws may include:
- amine cracking
- ammonia cracking
- carbonate cracking
- hydrogen damage (H2S, HF)
- hydrogen attack
- caustic cracking in SS
- chloride cracking in SS
- polythionic cracking in SS
API RP 579 provides the methods and procedures intended to supplement and improve requirements of API 510, API 570, API 653 and API 750.
AOC consultants include engineering personnel with expertise in FFS assessments. We offer three levels of assessment per API RP 579.
Level1
- Conservative screening
- Minimum amount of inspection or component information
- Plant inspection or engineering personnel
Level 2
- More detailed less conservative with more accurate results
- Inspection information similar to that of Level 1
- Qualified engineering personnel
Level 3
- The most detailed evaluation
- The most detailed inspection and component information
- Recommended analysis procedures based on numerical analysis techniques such as the finite element method
Related Services
AOC has delivered thousands of sustainable Risk Based Inspection (RBI) programs earning the trust of owner operators.
Key parameters and mitigating actions for variables that may dramatically affect the intended design life of your asset
One of the most important steps in an RBI project is the corrosion study or damage mechanism review.
Related Tools
How well do you know RBI? Take this short quiz to test your knowledge of the API 580 risk-based inspection (RBI) work process.
Create mechanical integrity (MI) program value rather than it being seen as a necessary cost to minimize.
Related Training
Is your Risk Based Inspection (RBI) program aligned with the API 580 Recommended Practice? Are you ready for certification?
A deep dive into quantitative Risk Based Inspection (RBI) as outlined in API 581.
What impact does Risk Based Inspection (RBI) have on my organization?
What's actually going on inside all of that fancy software? An introduction to the API 581 methodology.
A high level overview introducing Mechanical Integrity and Risk Based Inspection
Related Knowledge
This is a practical approach to incorporating the new PHMSA gas well rules into your integrity program with the rest of your surface and subsurface assets.
When working in Brazil please be aware that Brazil has its own Regulatory Standard – NR13 – that covers the minimum requirements for managing the integrity and inspection of steam boilers, pressure vessels, storage tanks and interconnecting pipes.
A dysfunctionality found in many refineries, chemical plants, and other production facilities, is a lack of common asset management work processes.
Since the evaluation of inspection effectiveness for RBI can be so subjective, following these suggestions can greatly improve the process.
A look at how the financial sector's concept of Asset Value Management can be applied to the petrochemical industry.
An example to compliment our earlier proposal for a risk analysis option that allows for individual damage mechanism risk calculation in API 581
A proposal for a risk analysis option that allows for individual damage mechanism risk calculation in API 581
A look at how RBI adds value whether you are just starting out or transitioning from a traditional methodology.
A look at several of the secondary benefits of Risk Based Inspection
How RBI, DMR, and IOW programs can be used to manage reliability of Ethane crackers.
Asset Optimization is the authority on asset integrity solutions that align your people, process, and technology with unmatched returns across your enterprise.
Consulting Activities
Contact Us
United States
16000 Barkers Point LaneSuite 105
Houston, TX 77079
Phone: +1 (281) 909-7333
Email: info@aoccorp.com
Europe
CATCH Facility,Redwood Park Estate,
Stallingborough,
Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire,
DN41 8TH, United Kingdom
Phone: 00 44 (0) 1469 552875
Copyright © 2023 Asset Optimization Consultants, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Service Inquiry