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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

The transparency of fatigue cracks to NDT methods used for the inspection of offshore structures

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5968865

This paper presents results from a study of crack transparency to NDT techniques, which has been completed for sponsors of the Harwell Offshore Inspection R and D Service. Different mechanisms which could lead to transparency to the different inspection methods are described, including crack tightness, crack morphology, and the bridging of cracks by corrosion or calcareous deposits. Results are presented from experimental measurements with several NDT methods for a range of cracks grown under different conditions. Most techniques available or under development for underwater detection and sizing of cracks are included - magnetic particle inspection, AC potential drop, pulse-echo and time-of-flight diffraction ultrasonics, and eddy current methods, together with some acoustic emission measurements.

OSTI ID:
5968865
Report Number(s):
CONF-870993-
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English