New Advances and Developments in Risk-based Inspection (RBI) of Marine Structures

Marine structures such as ships and offshore platforms play an important role in the economic growth of many countries around the world. These structures are often exposed to severe environmental conditions such as high or low temperatures, high salinity, high or low pH values, etc. In such conditions, regular inspection of structures is very crucial and a methodology is needed to minimize the repair costs while assuring technical integrity and safety of operation. In recent years, the concept of risk-based inspection (RBI) has been widely used to optimize inspection activities for marine structures. This strategy aims to develop cost-effective inspection programs that concentrate efforts on those areas that are at highest risk of in-service failures, with a proportionate reduction in effort for low-risk areas. Up to now, several standards, guidelines and best practices have been developed for RBI of different marine structures by various international organizations, institutes and consultant companies, including ABS, API, DNVGL and ASME codes. In this paper, the state-of-the-art of RBI and its core elements, processes and common methodologies in the marine sector are reviewed, the most relevant standards and guidelines are identified and evaluated, and the new advances and developments in RBI of marine structures are outlined.