Inspection
Work Planning
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A process that causes materials or equipment to deteriorate over time, leading to reduced performance, loss of integrity or eventual failure.
A Degradation Mechanism is the physical, chemical or mechanical process responsible for the progressive deterioration of equipment or materials during service. Examples include corrosion, erosion, fatigue, creep, hydrogen damage, stress corrosion cracking and embrittlement. Understanding degradation mechanisms enables appropriate inspection, monitoring and mitigation strategies throughout an asset's lifecycle.
Identifying degradation mechanisms allows organizations to predict deterioration, develop effective inspection strategies and implement measures that maintain safe and reliable operation.
Multiple degradation mechanisms may act simultaneously or sequentially on the same equipment. Correct identification is fundamental to damage assessments, remaining life calculations and inspection planning.
A degradation mechanism describes the process causing deterioration, whereas a defect is the resulting condition observed during inspection and a failure mechanism describes the process leading directly to failure.
Mechanical Integrity; Materials Engineering; Reliability Engineering.
Risk-Based Inspection.; Fitness-for-Service assessments.; Corrosion management.; Inspection planning.; Asset life management.
API RP 571
VisualAIM connects glossary concepts to the asset records, inspection histories, and workflows they describe.
