Foresight review of structural integrity and systems performance.

Suggested citation

Lloyd’s Register Foundation (2015) Foresight review of structural integrity and systems performance: ensuring safety from the component to the system [online] Lloyd’s Register Foundation.  Available at: https://www.lrfoundation.org.uk/en/publications

Executive summary

Modern society depends on complex products and engineering systems whose failure can lead to catastrophic consequences. The performance of these systems and the components within them is of prime importance.

The safety of systems is dependent on a hierarchy incorporating the integrity of individual components; assemblies of components that combine into structures, equipment and systems; operating and safety procedures; and the individuals that support the operation of the asset. At the core of assessing systems performance is the desire to make systems as safe, functional and reliable as possible.

This review aims to identify the key safety challenges that exist in structural integrity and systems performance where the Lloyd’s Register Foundation can make a distinguishable difference by targeting its resources. To find these challenges we brought together a group of international experts, and openly consulted with the community to understand how different industries approach structural integrity and systems performance; what are the barriers to improvements in these industries; how these barriers can be overcome; and finally recommendations of the opportunities to make the greatest impact on the safety of the community. It concludes that structural integrity and systems performance advances can reduce the risks associated with operation and maintenance of assets, and the number of casualties associated with their failure.