Thickness Monitoring: Thickness Assessment Workflow

The Thickness Assessment process includes complying with the execution of TM Tasks to acquire thickness measurements to evaluate asset integrity. A Technician will perform the inspections specified by the TM Tasks at the scheduled intervals. The Technician will typically use a data logger device to facilitate the field data collection.

Persona: Analyst

TM Planning includes defining all of the elements required to implement and execute a comprehensive TM inspection plan. This includes identifying the relevant assets for TM and if they are subject to different corrosion environments.

For example, a heat exchanger is typically subject to two different process streams. One stream may be a fluid or gas with minimal corrosive properties, while the other may be a fluid or gas with highly corrosive properties. In this case, the Corrosion Analyst may define two corrosion groups with different analysis properties to assess wall thickness. Once the corrosion groups have been established, the Corrosion Analyst will identify the measurement locations needed to properly assess the current wall thickness and project remaining life.

Go to the TM Planning workflow.

Persona: Technician

For upcoming TM inspections, review the task scope to ensure that the proper thickness measurement method is used for the inspection.

Persona: Technician

Information can be collected in the field either manually or using a data logger device. Determine if a data logger will be used for collection, and then proceed down the appropriate workflow path.

Persona: Technician

If a data logger is used, download TMLs scheduled for inspection from the asset definition.

Persona: Technician

Using the data logger device, perform the TM inspection.

Persona: Technician

When all TMLs have been inspected, upload the measurements from the data logger device for review and analysis.

Persona: Technician

If a data logger is not used, manually list the TMLs scheduled for inspection from the asset definition.

Persona: Technician

If a data logger is not used, use a measurement device and manually record measurements in the field at predefined locations.

Persona: Technician

When all TMLs have been inspected, if a data logger has not been used, manually enter measurements for review and analysis.

Persona: Technician

The result of executing TM inspections is new measurements for each TML for review and analysis.

Persona: Technician

The result of executing a TM inspection is new measurements for each TML for review and analysis.

Persona: Analyst

Use the new measurements to perform a full corrosion analysis to determine the controlling corrosion rate, remaining life, and next inspection date.

Persona: Analyst

The resultant corrosion analysis is created, and the associated TM task is updated with the next inspection date.

Persona: Analyst

Review the results to determine if any follow-up action is necessary to ensure the integrity of the asset or improve asset performance.

Persona: Analyst

TM Inspection program compliance is an important part of the overall workflow.

Compliance Management Reports based on the defined TM Tasks provide a means to identify upcoming inspections so that they are scheduled and executed appropriately.

Persona: Analyst

Determine if a follow-up action is necessary. If it is, a proposal will be made by the analyst to business management. This could be a proposed change to an asset strategy, procedure, process, or policy.

Persona: Analyst

Determine if a recommendation is needed.

If a recommendation is not needed, the proposal requires immediate attention, and action is taken immediately.

If a recommendation is needed, the proposed change requires formal review and approval, as well as traceability through implementation. In this case, a recommendation will be created and managed forward.

Persona: Analyst

The new recommendation is managed for approval and implementation through the Manage Performance Recommendation workflow.

Go to the Manage Performance Recommendations workflow.

Persona: Analyst

The overall result of TM inspections is to provide Corrosion History, which is used primarily for long-term strategy evaluation and development.

This corrosion history can be evaluated through Core Analysis workflows or advanced strategy development methods, such as Risk Based Inspection (RBI).

Persona: Analyst

For follow-up analysis, use Core Analysis.

Go to the Core Analysis: Asset Event Analysis workflow.

Go to the Core Analysis: Graph Analysis workflow.

Go to the Core Analysis: Query Analysis workflow.

Go to the Core Analysis: Report Analysis workflow.