Ultrasonic thickness surveys on tankers and bulk carriers

摘要

The construction of merchant ships is governed by international conventions published by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and by national regulations. Separate from these requirements are the Rules produced by Classification Societies such as Lloyd's Register of Shipping. Most merchant ships are classed. The classification process includes a requirement for the submission, review and approval of the construction plans, one of which will be the intended plan for NDE inspection. Ships are built under survey and examined at periodic intervals thereafter. Thickness determination has always been a key feature of periodic surveys, even in those days when measurements were made by drilling holes.