Safely Extend Equipment Life with Fitness for Service EvaluationsFitness for Service (FFS) Evaluations

As the nuclear fleet across North America ages, plant owners face growing concerns about degradation and damage to safety-related systems. IIA is a leader in the use of non-destructive examination (NDE) to locate flaws, fractures, fatigue, corrosion and cracking. But what happens next?

Nuclear plant owners must weigh a number of factors in deciding whether to make immediate or deferred repairs, replace the part or equipment, or continue operating at full or reduced capacity — all while protecting personnel and the public and addressing economic and regulatory considerations.

Fitness-for-service evaluations can help make these complex decisions crystal clear — and IIA can help. Our licensed professional engineers are experts in fracture mechanics and fatigue and skilled in performing finite element analysis and other modeling methods.

What is a Fitness-for-Service (FFS) Evaluation?

Most often, FFS is used to help plant owners make well-informed run-repair-replace decisions after a flaw or damage mechanism has been identified. FFS can also be undertaken proactively to maximize equipment life and enhance inspection and maintenance planning.

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FFS Benefits

When performed by qualified engineering experts like those at IIA, an FFS evaluation can be used to help plant owners:

  • Safely continue operation after damage or defects have been identified
  • Make well-informed, data-driven decisions to run, repair or replace
  • Respond faster and more effectively to flaws and failures
  • Enhance and customize outage and inspection planning and timing
  • Quantify the remaining life of your asset
  • Develop targeted repair procedures
  • Integrate into an asset management program to reduce risk and costs and maximize efficiency

Why Choose IIA?

When damage or defects are identified, the industry-leading experts at IIA can help plant owners navigate their options to safely extend the life of their equipment. Our network includes state-of-the-art labs with quick turnaround times and a multidisciplinary team of engineers licensed in several states with in-depth knowledge of the nuclear industry. IIA’s technical leadership is matched by unparalleled customer service and compliance expertise.

Our FFS evaluations meet standards outlined in API 579-1/ASME FFS-1.

Resources

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