Failure Modes and Degradation Mechanisms

What this topic covers

Why integrity programs focus on credible ways an asset can lose function.

Core ideas

Common degradation families include corrosion, erosion, fatigue, wear, cracking, overheating, contamination and insulation breakdown.

Different mechanisms produce different evidence, so the inspection or monitoring method must match the expected failure mode.

Failure-mode thinking helps prevent a large quantity of low-value data from replacing a smaller amount of relevant evidence.

Program tradeoffs

A mature program does not inspect everything equally; it identifies credible degradation and prioritizes the assets where loss of function matters most.

What good evidence looks like

Data quality, asset identity and decision ownership are as important as the sensor or inspection method.

Lifecycle perspective

Lifecycle thinking links design, operation, maintenance, renewal and retirement rather than treating integrity as a late-life activity.