Inspection Engineering
Understand Equipment. Assess Risk. Optimize Inspection. Ensure Integrity.
Effective inspection begins with understanding how and where equipment can degrade.
Inspection Engineering provides the technical foundation for effective fixed equipment inspection and testing programs by evaluating damage mechanisms, assessing equipment risk, selecting inspection methods, and establishing appropriate inspection strategies.
Smith & Burgess integrates damage mechanism identification, risk assessment, inspection planning, equipment evaluation, and data management into a connected engineering workflow for pressure vessels, process piping, heat exchangers, and other fixed equipment.
Integrated Inspection Engineering Workflow
Effective inspection programs connect degradation mechanisms, equipment risk, inspection planning, and condition data.
Damage Mechanism Reviews
Identify credible degradation mechanisms using API 571, process chemistry, materials of construction, operating conditions, and operating history.
- Corrosion circuit development
- Materials evaluations
- Integrity Operating Window (IOW) support
- Inspection method recommendations
Equipment and Piping Circuitization
Develop logical equipment and piping circuits and generate inspection drawings that support effective inspection planning, corrosion management, and long-term asset integrity. Smith & Burgess identifies and optimizes Condition Monitoring Locations (CMLs) to ensure inspection resources are focused on the locations most susceptible to degradation.
- Equipment circuitization
- Piping corrosion circuit development
- Corrosion loop identification
- Inspection circuit optimization
- Condition Monitoring Location (CML) identification and optimization
- Inspection location mapping
- Inspection isometric generation
- Corrosion circuit drawings
- Inspection drawing generation
- Integration with IDMS equipment hierarchies
Risk-Based Inspection (API 580/581)
Evaluate equipment risk and optimize inspection intervals and strategies using API 580/581 methodologies.
- Integrated Probability and Consequence of Failure (POF/COF) risk assessments
- Risk ranking
- Inspection interval optimization
- RBI implementation and revalidation
- Inspection strategy development
Inspection and Testing Program Development
Develop and support inspection and testing programs for fixed equipment. Inspection results populate the Inspection Data Management System (IDMS), creating a continuously improving engineering knowledge base.
- Inspection planning
- NDE method selection
- Inspection effectiveness evaluations
- Remaining-life and corrosion-rate evaluations
- Turnaround inspection planning
- Inspection program optimization
Fitness-for-Service (API 579)
Evaluate damaged equipment in accordance with API 579 to support continued operation, repair, rerating, or replacement decisions.
- Metal loss and corrosion damage
- Crack-like flaw assessments
- High-temperature and environmental damage
- Mechanical damage and distortion
- Remaining strength and remaining life evaluations
Continuous Improvement Through Better Data
Inspection results and engineering evaluations are managed within an Inspection Data Management System (IDMS), connecting damage mechanisms, optimized CMLs, inspection history, corrosion rates, Fitness-for-Service evaluations, and RBI analyses.
Related Mechanical Integrity Services
Safety-Critical Equipment Programs
Critical equipment identification, performance standards, inspection and testing requirements, and deficiency management.
Mechanical Integrity Program Services
Gap assessments, program improvement planning, documentation development, implementation support, and performance measurement.
Mechanical Integrity Data and Information Services
Equipment hierarchies, inspection data migration, IDMS and CMMS implementation, data integration, and integrity-management workflows.
Why Choose Smith & Burgess?
- Integrated inspection engineering solutions
- Expertise in API 510, 570, 571, 579, 580, and 581
- Corrosion, materials, inspection, and Mechanical Integrity specialists
- Experience implementing and optimizing IDMS platforms
- Improved inspection effectiveness and data quality
- Reduced lifecycle costs and stronger regulatory defensibility
Whether evaluating damage mechanisms, establishing corrosion circuits, implementing RBI, assessing damaged equipment, or improving inspection data, Smith & Burgess provides Inspection Engineering services aligned with equipment risk and facility requirements.
Contact Smith & Burgess to discuss your inspection program needs.