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The paper discusses a range of automated ultrasonic non-destructive testing solutions for reliable inspection of the wind rotor blade throughout its lifetime. Different aspects of automated ultrasonic inspection are discussed addressing quality improvements related to the design, the manufacturing and the operation of wind rotor blades. In the design phase of blades a detailed automated ultrasonic inspection of pre-production blades gives valuable information on the complicated blade layup. Results from test blocks with artificial flaws demonstrating interface issues, laminar flaws, as well as monitoring of unidirectional fibre waviness (wrinkles) is addressed with the latest automated array technology. In the production phase of blades, the inspection time is a dominant factor. Scanning strategies for automated ultrasonic systems to scan large wind rotor blades are compared in terms of speed and complexity. During blade operation, the actual structural condition has to be checked periodically, avoiding valuable downtime. Various smart platforms and blade-guided robot systems are compared. Moreover, unique blade crawling robots are currently developed for remotely controlled NDT inspection on vertical blade surfaces - on-shore as well as off-shore.

Advanced automated ultrasonic systems coupled to intelligent developed scanners have proven to optimize on all important parameters within inspection, regardless if it replaces the manual process or replaces for example X-ray. Replacing the manual ultrasonic inspection with automated equipment in manufacturing units, improves both the quality of the inspection and the quality of delivered products. At the same time, the automated inspection is a significant economical benefit for the manufacturer. As an example we will highlight the benefits for the manufacturer of wind turbine towers, usually producing many meters of weld per day. Time savings of 8 – 10 times compared to the manual examination work is possible, and at the same time the quality work is improved significantly. The huge time saving achieved through automated ultrasonic inspection is possible with the most advanced automated ultrasonic systems on the market, controlling intelligent probe set-up including several transducers scanning simultaneous with TOFD and Phased Array techniques. Coupled to smart programmable scanner devices, scanning speeds of more than 100 m/hour is possible, even in welding workshops. Unlike manual inspection, all parameters such as speed and data recording are precisely controlled with the automated inspection equipment. Advanced automated ultrasonic systems have also special features to lock parts of the software to avoid, that fatal human errors are introduced. Examination of a 15 m long and 80 mm thick circumferential weld takes about 12 minutes with the automated equipment, while it with conventional manual ultrasonic, assuming a probe movement of maximum 150 mm/sec, should take the operator minimum about 128 minute. This paper describes implementation of advanced automated ultrasonic inspection in the workshop, and highlights the technical, economical and human benefits achieved by replacing manual ultrasonic inspection with intelligent automated inspection equipment.

For owners of structures reinforcement corrosion is difficult to manage as the industry does not provide clear guidelines on the implications of reliability at concept design and they lack objective tools to give information on the actual corrosion state of the embedded steel during the structures life. With better information at concept owners could determine the quality level to target and instigate appropriate maintenance measures. With better information through the structures life they could take remedial actions well before damage appears and their spending on repairs would be reduced. The paper discusses the application of risk assessment to serviceability design and tools that can be used to assess deterioration during each part of a structures life. Reference is made to risk assessment on actual projects and the use of embeddable half cells, corrosion rate probes and corrosion activation monitors.

Conventional methods of acquiring and using acoustic emission (AE) discard the raw signal waveform afterextracting signal features from it. The main reason for this is the number of bytes required to save hundreds ofthousands of AE waveforms, using a modern high speed multi-channel system the hard-drive may be quickly filled.One side effect of this "feature extraction" approach is that information is thrown away with the wave-form. Theadvent of systems capable of acquiring AE waveforms on all channels has opened up the opportunity to use thisextra data to get more information about the source and the transmission path. This paper describes the use ofacoustic emission waveforms to aid source discrimination, and presents data acquired during pressure testing of aslug-catcher.

This paper presents the state of the current activities to develop a high-speed inspection system for evaluating rail defects. Since conventional contact ultrasonic techniques are speed limited, the aim was to build an automatic inspection system, which applies non-contact ultrasonic methods. An automatic Laser Ultrasonic system for Rail Inspection (LURI) has been developed and tested on a railroad line containing man-made structural defects. LURI is mounted on a specially designed railroad vehicle and allows detection of defects on the running surface of the rail, as well as, horizontal and vertical flaws in the railhead. LURI is tested in the field up to 40 km/h (25 mph). In order to support LURI, a battery-operated ultrasonic rail flaw detector based on the P-scan Lite system was developed and tested.

Introduction
A new and rapid ultrasonic pulse echo technique has been used with great effect to scan the concrete lining of two railway tunnels. The instrument used was the A 1220 from MSIA Spectrum in Russia. Working side by side two engineers from FORCE Technology were able to make a full and detailed survey of the concrete thickness and homogeneity along 1300 m of tunnel, covering an area of over 10,000 square metres in less than two months. This is an example of the advances that have recently been made in non-destructive testing of concrete and demonstrates the capability of modern technology in providing the much needed post construction checks of civil engineering structures.
In the Autumn of 2001 the go-ahead was given for completion of the railway tunnel through a major ridge in the south of Sweden. The work began several years ago and has been interrupted by several set-backs. In the northern entrance to the twin tunnel some 1200 m have been completed, of which 650 m have been constructed with an inner 600 mm thick concrete lining cast in-situ. This concrete lining has been cast against a 4 mm plastic

Einführung
Als ein Dienstleistungs-Anbieter mit mehr als 35 Jahren "Offshore" Erfahrung und mit mehr als 25 Jahren Erfahrung als Hersteller von automatisierten Ultraschall-Prüfsystemen, den P-Scan-Systemen, analysiert das FORCE-Institut ununterbrochen den Markt für automatisierte Inspektionen von Unterwasser- sowie kritischen Komponenten. Damit soll gesichert werden, dass sowohl die Ausrüstungs-Produkt-Linie als auch die angebotene Dienstleistungspalette, die vom FORCE-Institut bereitgestellt wird, den Anforderungen der Industrie von heute und in der Zukunft entspricht.
Qualitätsgerechte Dokumentation eine Anforderung der Industrie. Dies ist die natürliche Folge von der zunehmenden Verwendung von Risiko basierten Instandhaltungsprogrammen in der Industrie sowie die zunehmende Verwendung neuer Materialien und Schweiß-Technologien, die oft die Verwendung von schon bestehenden Normen und Standards für die Prüfung ausschließen. Die zugenommenen Anforderungen an die Qualität der Dokumentation geht nicht mit einer Bereitschaft für erhöhte Kosten einher. Um die Kosten für die Prüfung zu reduzieren, wird ein möglicher Weg, der gemeinsam von Dienstleistungs-Anbietern und Prüfsystem-Herstellern gegangen werden kann, aufgezeigt. Die Schlagwörter hierfür heißen "Produktivität" und "Flexibilität". Die Analyse von speziellen "Offshore" Prüfungen

Abstract
Reliable ultrasonic inspections for austenitic stainless steel welds are mainly hampered because of severe attenuation of the ultrasound. The sound is scattered and mode-converted at the boundaries of the columnar grains of the austenitic weld metal. This has several effects for evaluation of ultrasonic signals and then for detect, characterization and sizing of defects which could cause weld failure:
The amplitude of the ultrasonic echo is influenced by ultrasound scattering, phase-changes and mode-conversion in a characteristic way.
The spectrum of the ultrasonic pulse is distorted depending on the transfer characteristics of the columnar grained weld metal.
Ultrasonic grain boundary backscatter is measured as noise decreasing the signal-to-noise ratio during ultrasonic testing.
Four groups of materials comprising the full scale of industrially relevant stainless steels were investigated: austenitic stainless Cr-Ni steels, fully austenitic stainless steels with increased Ni-content, Nickel-base-alloys, and Duplex steels (Ferritic-austenitic steels).
Test specimens with reference reflectors and realistic defects in the

Abstract
Conventional radiography with film is superior to other NDT methods in many different applications. Through the use of phosphor screens or phosphor imaging plates from Agfa Gevaert N.V. combined with image processing and analysis, radiography can be used for many extended investigations in the traditional areas of radiography as well as for completely new applications. The solution to a series of NDT problems will be presented with the emphasis on image quality, time consummation and profitability. Especially the image quality depends on the right combination of image plate, screens, source and image processing. To get the full benefit of a digital phosphor system demands that the whole range of sources from a few keV to several MeV are at the disposal for different applications. Advantages and disadvantages of the use of different sources are discussed and the results are compared. The use of digital radiography will be illustrated through a number of applications like castings, valves, reinforced concrete, pre-stressed cables in concrete, on-stream investigations of pipes, sea cables, composites etc. Digital radiography has significant advantages compared to conventional film radiography for certain applications in terms of image quality, exposure times and possibility

Abstract
The technical justification is not a new invention but the ENIQ documents have resulted in a more uniform structure of this document type. At the same time this new structure has made it easier to adapt the technical justification to widely different purposes. The introduction and adaptation of the ENIQ recommended practice make it easier for everybody concerned to read and evaluate the technical justification. If nothing else the ENIQ approach gives better and more consistent documentation.
History
Fig : Since 1994 FORCE Institute has been involved in numerous qualification projects for the nuclear power plants. The projects have among others included main re-circulation loop welds, core shroud

Introduction
Concrete structures are normally cast on site using locally available materials and in conditions, which may vary considerably throughout the construction process. The concrete material itself is usually prepared according to careful design and quality controlled by the manufacturer. The successful casting of large volumes of concrete in heavily reinforced and awkward structures can however not always be achieved at this most critical stage. The uniqueness of most large structures can introduce unpredictable factors with the risk of upsets during the pouring stage and intervals between pours. The use of innovative techniques intended to make the work more efficient, can lead to deviations from the intended quality and conformance of the finished product. Once started a large concrete pour is normally completed and the outward appearance of the concrete surface may not reveal internal defects.
Quality control of the finished product may be carried-out by visual inspection and in some cases by performance monitoring, for example by measurement of concrete strain under load or in the long term due to creep. The general behaviour and appearance of the structure is thus checked. It has been shown however that critical damage and deterioration to concrete structures is often less

Introduction
Leaks are special types of defects which can have a major importance in systems where they have influence on safety and performance. Many objects will have a reduced reliability if they contain leaks.
Leak testing is a non destructive examination method which is used for detection and localisation of leaks and for measurement of leakage in systems or objects which is under vacuum or pressure.
Before a leak test examination is performed it is necessary to determine if the examination is to ascertain whether leaks are present or not, overall leak detection, or if the examination is to determine the location of a leak, localising leak detection. In some cases an examination for overall leak detection is performed first, and if leaks are detected, the localising method is applied for pinpointing of the leak. This is however not always required nor possible.
Secondly it is necessary to determine the leak rate which can be tolerated, as no objects are 100% tight. That is the requirements to tightness of the object. If for example the object have to be watertight, a leak rate below 10-4 mbar l.....