Published online by Cambridge University Press: 17 September 2009
Introduction
Inspection may be defined as an activity performed during the service life of a functioning structural unit in order to help detect and evaluate deterioration in the structural components or equipment by visual, electronic, or other means. Maintenance indicates the total set of activities (not including inspections, for the sake of a correct definition) undertaken to enable the installation to remain fit-for-service, including repairs, replacements, adjustments, and modifications.
Inspection and maintenance play a significant role in the operation of ship-shaped offshore units as they do in other types of structures. The methods, frequencies, and acceptance criteria used for inspection and maintenance can significantly affect the structural integrity of the units.
The inspection and maintenance technologies for ship-shaped offshore units have been based on those of trading ships (HSE 1998), but with certain modifications to suit the particular mission of the offshore units involved. Traditionally, the inspection frequencies adopted for the marine and offshore industries have thus been determined largely by prescriptive practices usually at specified time intervals based on the age of the unit concerned, although more flexible risk-based approaches are now being considered, and sometimes employed, for the same purposes. The traditional practice developed on the basis of operational experience with generic classes of structures usually follows what regulatory requirements and classification societies guidelines presumably can be deemed adequate when applied to structures of the same class and circumstances.
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