FITNET FFS procedure: A unified European procedure for structural integrity assessment

The recently completed European fitness for service network has developed a unified European procedure for the structural integrity assessment called FITNET fitness for service procedure, which covers the analysis of components and structures under the four main failure mechanisms: fracture-plastic collapse, fatigue, creep and corrosion. This procedure has been submitted to the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) for its adoption as a European Standard for structural integrity.This paper describes the origins and the justification of the FITNET FFS procedure, as well as its contents and structure, in specific chapters devoted to the different failure mechanisms and all of the original aspects of this new assessment procedure. The aim is to provide a clear and comprehensive view of the procedure and its potential both as an assessment tool and in various other engineering applications.