4. Conclusion

Perhaps the most important development for in-service inspection has been the obligation to qualify non-destructive testing procedures, with the implicit consideration of degradation mechanisms. This requires the operator to use his experience and knowledge to place in-service inspection within a global approach to short-term verification, but also with a view to service life (longer service life may be conditioned by more frequent and more effective in-service inspection).

The massive introduction of computer technology in the 1990s changed the way inspections were carried out, particularly ultrasonic and eddy current inspections. The 1980s were the age of "analog", the 1990s and the early 21st century the age of all-digital. Automatic data acquisition systems have greatly evolved and become more powerful. The amount of data has "exploded", in line with acquisition...