Non-Destructive Testing Goes Deep And Wide To Inspect Welds

Non-destructive testing is a method of checking welds and other important structural components without putting the structure that’s being checked out of service. When done via rope access, NDT technicians can reach deep into places like storage tanks and high onto the sides of buildings to perform a wide range of tests.

Using non-destructive testing techniques, rope access specialists look for damage of all sorts -- from holes visible to the naked eye to microscopic fractures visible only under x-ray -- in a variety of materials and joining mechanisms. Bridges, tall buildings, big machines, offshore rigs and seagoing vessels are all great candidates for quick and efficient testing without damage via rope access.

NDT is essentially applied physics, so the technicians who repel down the side of your building or into your steep, confined space aren’t just expert athletes who know as much about repelling as mountain climbers, they’re professionals with strong problem-solving skills, training in science and the ability to make quick, accurate decisions to stay safe and do their jobs efficiently.

In short, they’re some of the most diversely talented professional you’ll ever meet. And they can perform services that save you money and hassles and also help you prevent accidents too tragic to imagine.

Just One Example: Weld Inspection

Non-destructive testing can be used for a variety of purposes, but here’s just one way it come in handy: weld inspection. Since welds are among the most common ways to join two metal surfaces, many structures involve thousands of metres of welded joints.

These connections are subject to a variety of stresses, however, including heavy loads and fatigue. Welds can fail because of age, stress or improper installation, and in many cases, the consequences of failure can be catastrophic.

Some welds weren’t done correctly in the first place and can fail sooner than expected. Pieces being joined must be at specific temperatures, must cool at specific rates and must be compatible for a proper connection to take place. Can you be sure there was no carelessness or operator error in the creation of the important structural welds involved in your business?

NDT by rope access can check your difficult-to-access welds with minimal disruption to your business. Using radiation, ultrasonic equipment or liquid penetrants, for example, technicians can provide you piece of mind and a list of questionable welds so you can make sure your employees, users, guests and the general public remain safe.

If there are cracks or deficiencies, non-destructive testing procedures can find them and get you started on the path toward correcting them.

If you’re certain that the structures you oversee are in excellent condition so they’ll perform safely and at optimum efficiency, you don’t need to check them for problems. But how can you be sure if don’t perform certain tests? In fact, government regulations may require regular testing in your industry or standard operating procedures may call for them.

Don’t fall short when you can quickly and efficiently have a team of professionals find the weaknesses in your structures using non-destructive testing.

Frits Van Daalen writes about non-destructive testing for publications and websites around the world. In fact, he explores every aspect of the rope access industry and its technicians because he’s fascinated with what they can do while hanging from ropes.