With increasing pressures to optimize costs, it

becomes critical that inspection and mainte-

nance efforts be streamlined for utmost effi-
ciency. Balancing inspection costs with regula-
tory compliance can only be achieved by under-
standing the risk that an asset poses to a manu-
facturing facility. Many organizations are turn-
ing to Risk Based Inspection (RBI) as an accepted
methodology which assesses the probability of
failure against consequence to optimize inspec-
tion activities based upon overall risk.
Companies need an RBI program in compliance
with API 580 that is seamlessly integrated to
inspection management.
Meridium's Risk Based Inspection (RBI) module is part of
the Strategy Development suite of applications and an
integrated component of a complete Asset Performance
Management (APM) solution. Meridium provides a com-
plete risk based inspection work process, which allows for
the definition of corrosion circuits and potential damage
mechanisms and the quantitative analysis of overall risk
through the evaluation of the damage mechanisms, as well
as a comprehensive program to manage the implementa-
tion and execution of the inspection strategy.
The Meridium RBI solution provides an integrated criti-
cality calculator, but also has standard interfaces to other
popular calculators used within industry. Meridium's RBI
module offers the key work processes to not only calculate
risk but also to drive the overall RBI program and ensure
that inspection strategies are evaluated as equipment con-
dition changes, ensuring an evergreen program.
With the Meridium RBI solution, a user is empowered to:
Rank fixed equipment based on criticality, which is cal-
culated from the probability and consequence of failure
Develop and implement inspection plans using prede-
fined and/or customer-defined inspection strategies
Execute tasks and document activities identified in the
inspections plan
Ensure compliance and manage risk at an optimum
level using pre-defined reports and metrics
Meridium's RBI module uses industry standards and best
practices, as well as the experience of our clients, to devel-
op a best-in-class RBI work process which includes upfront
corrosion engineering, risk assessment, development of
inspection strategies, execution and documentation of the
inspection program and inspection re-evaluation capabili-
ties.
Upfront Corrosion Engineering
As a key step of the Meridium RBI workflow, corrosion
engineering lays the foundation for an evergreen RBI
process. Steps in the upfront corrosion engineering phase
include:
Definition of Corrosion Loops - The examination and
documentation of the manufacturing process into specif-
ic corrosion loops. Corrosion Loops allow for the group-
ing of equipment or equipment components which are
exposed to similar process conditions, degradation
mechanisms and material selection criteria. Meridium
enables the effective development and documentation
of corrosion loops, which establishes the basis for a
knowledge management system by allowing:
The systematic and elaborate documentation of
corrosion loops for effective knowledge sharing
with inspectors and other end users in the field
who may not be corrosion domain experts.
Linkage of marked-up PFDs and schematics to the
corrosion loops for easy reference.
Risk
Based
Inspection
Assignment of Potential Degradation Mechanisms -
After corrosion loops have been identified and docu-
mented, the applicable potential degradation mecha-
nisms are assigned for the loop. Meridium provides a
library of potential degradation mechanisms with the
RBI module but also allows for extensibility of the
Potential Degradation library:
Use of baseline quantitative and qualitative poten-
tial degradation mechanisms.
The ability to add additional potential degradation
mechanisms as corporations accumulate and docu-
ment knowledge and experience about their manu-
facturing processes.
Establishment of Critical Process Variables (CPVs) -
Understanding and managing processes within the estab-
lished operating envelope is an important aspect of the
RBI workflow, as process excursions could have a signifi-
cant impact on risk. Meridium RBI provides the func-
tionality for the RBI team to identify and document
process parameters that need to be monitored, along with
their associated alarm levels. As part of an integrated
RBI workflow, Meridium facilitates:
The documentation of CPVs to a corrosion loop
or asset
Definition of multiple alarm levels for each CPV
based on anticipated impact
Management of process excursion events
from process historians
Alerting and triggering the RBI or inspection
strategy for re-evaluation when thresholds are
exceeded
Management of Equipment Design and Process
Data - Equipment design and process data are key
data components which are used as inputs for risk
assessments. Meridium RBI provides several
capabilities to ensure all detailed data needed for
quantitative RBI evaluation is available through:
the equipment definitions maintained in
the Enterprise Asset Management (EAM)
system to eliminate any potential discrep-
ancies between EAM and RBI/inspection
management systems.
the creation and management of multiple
RBI components for the same equipment
item, which accommodates different degra-
dation mechanism profiles that may exist
within the same equipment.
the ability to assign RBI components to a
corrosion loop, allowing a top-down
approach to management of the quantita-
tive analyis and RBI strategy. Potential
degradation mechanisms and CPV infor-
mation which is gathered and documented
for the corrosion loop is passed down to the
individual RBI components assigned with-
in that loop.
Attaching a process schematic to the corrosion loop for reference
Corrosion loops can have both baseline and client-specific potential degradation
mechanisms. CPVs may have multiple upper and lower alarm levels and be aggregated
as operating envelopes.
Risk Assessment
A key component of the overall RBI process is the quanti-
tative and qualitative assessment of risk. To properly calcu-
late overall risk, many data elements should be leveraged to
provide the most complete analysis possible. With the
Meridium RBI module, the risk assessment process can
leverage data from the corrosion engineering process, the
current results of the inspection and the thickness monitor-
ing program, as well as other data from process historians
and EAM systems. Common data elements which are
available for the Risk Assessment step include:
Potential degradation mechanisms
Equipment and Corrosion Loop Design and process
data
CPVs and associated alarm levels
Regulatory Inspection history
Thickness Monitoring and Corrosion
history
Maintenance history
As part of the Risk Assessment stage, a quan-
titative evaluation is performed on the poten-
tial degradation mechanisms identified for the
RBI component, along with the associated
consequences. Meridium RBI provides quan-
titative methodologies for evaluating:
Flammable, toxic, product leak (tube bun-
dles), environmental cleanup (tank bot-
toms), and consequences, with an associat-
ed ranking on a scale of A-E.
Internal corrosion, external corrosion
(including CUI), and environmental
cracking degradation mechanisms, with an
associated probability ranking on a scale of
1-5.
In addition to the quantitative methodologies,
Meridium also provides a library of qualitative
degradation mechanisms and consequences.
Meridium RBI provides options for extensibil-
ity by allowing clients to incorporate any spe-
cific degradation mechanisms or consequences
that are not provided out of the box.
Once the risk is calculated, inspection priorities are defined
for each degradation mechanism and then rolled up to
derive an overall inspection priority and risk ranking for
the RBI Component that has been analyzed.
For Meridium RBI module customers that have standard-
ized on the API RBI quantitative risk analysis approach,
Meridium provides a connector to the API RBI Calculator
which allows you to leverage Meridium for the overall RBI
workflow but leverage API sanctioned quantitative risk
analysis calculations within the API RBI Calculator.
Inspection Strategy Development and
Implementation
Using the Meridium RBI module, clients can define and
manage inspection strategy rule sets which allow for com-
mon evaluation logic of risk assessment results. Utilizing
the logic built into the strategy rule sets, users are able to
automatically generate RBI recommendations which detail
the overall inspection plan through the definition of inspec-
tion tasks, scope and frequency derived from the Inspection
priorities calculated from the individual degradation mecha-
nisms.
The Meridium RBI Module provides the ability to centrally
manage all RBI recommendations for equipment so they can
be evaluated and merged with the overall executable inspec-
tion plan. RBI recommendations can be consolidated, rec-
onciled and approved for integration with existing inspec-
tion plans.
Strategy Execution and Inspection
Documentation
Meridium provides integrated Inspection Management and
Thickness Monitoring solutions which are designed to work
with the Meridium RBI Module. RBI Inspection Strategies
can be implemented and managed within the Meridium
inspection solutions. In addition, the results of the docu-
mented inspections, findings and corrosion rates can be fur-
ther leveraged within the Meridium RBI module to ensure
that an evergreen process is implemented.
Utilizing the integrated inspection solutions within
Meridium, users can:
Document the results of qualitative inspections using
Meridium Inspection Management functionality and
drive those findings back into the RBI work process.
Document thickness measurements captured during
UT/RT Inspections, perform corrosion rate calcula-
Inspection priorities and risk rankings are rolled up from individual degradation mechanisms.
tions using Meridium Thickness Monitoring and uti-
lize that quantitative data to ensure the RBI work
process is kept evergreen.
Utilize the Meridium recommendation management
system to centrally manage and implement all inspec-
tion recommendations and track them to closure.
RBI Strategy Re-Evaluation
Utilizing standard Meridium Condition Alert functionali-
ty, RBI Managers and Inspection Supervisors can define
automated alerts that facilitate condition-based re-evalua-
tion of risk assessments and updates to inspection strategies
as new inspection, corrosion and excursion histories are
identified by Meridium. In addition to customer-defined
condition alerts, Meridium also provides time-based re-
evaluation of inspection strategies for inspection intervals
greater than ten years based on API 580 guidelines, at
approximately the half-life of the major inspection inter-
val.
Additional RBI Capabilities
Standard integration with existing business
systems - Many companies already have EAM systems
in place to handle asset and work management.
Meridium provides standard interfaces with these sys-
tems, which eliminates the need to maintain data
between the two systems manually. Interfaces to EAM
systems also allow for seamless work-process integration
between Maintenance, Operations, Engineering, and
Inspection organizations.
Integrated within a comprehensive APM system - All
Meridium products share a common database, and the
work processes are fully integrated.
Microsoft Office integration - Reports, plots, and data
can be easily exported to Microsoft Office applications
such as Word, PowerPoint, and Excel as well as Adobe
PDF formats.
E-mail capabilities - Links to calibration results and
plots/trends (as well as any data in APM) can be sent
via e-mail, facilitating collaboration within and between
various sites.
Print capabilities - Provides the ability to print various
reports, plots, and data.
Meridium RBI provides a best-in-class solution for docu-
menting corrosion loops, potential degradation mecha-
nisms and operating envelopes in a systematic and consis-
tent manner which allows Meridium customers to preserve
corporate knowledge and retain information from domain
experts and field personnel. The Meridium RBI solution
offers:
Integration with a robust inspection management sys-
tem, offering transparency and an audit trail as RBI
analysis results are translated to executable plans.
An enterprise system with a centralized database and
a robust IT architecture, allowing companies to stan-
dardize RBI best practices and workflows across mul-
tiple sites and disciplines.
A flexible inspection strategy framework, enabling
clients to tailor inspection strategies based on compa-
ny policies or site-specific jurisdictional requirements.
Corporate Headquarters
Roanoke, Virginia, USA +1.540.344.9205
Regional Office
Houston, Texas, USA +1.281.920.9616
Europe
Walldorf, Germany +49.6227.7.33890
Middle East, Africa
Dubai, United Arab Emirates +971.4.365.4808
Asia Pacific
Perth, Australia +61.08.6465.2000
www.meridium.com
info@meridium.com
Robust querying, reporting and graphing functionality,
offering users enhanced abilities to mine data and
develop client specific reports.
Meridiums Risk Based Inspection module is part of the
Strategy Management suite and an integrated component
of a complete APM solution. Meridiums APM enterprise
solution is not just reliability software but is also a compre-
hensive set of business processes, workflows, and data-cap-
ture tools that enable rigorous analysis to help you define
strategies based upon best practices, plant history, and fact-
based decision support.