Abstract
The factors involved in assessing the reliability of pressure vessels drawing extensively upon the developments which have arisen from applications in the nuclear industry. Existing assessments of reliability and operational behaviour highlight some improvements which could result from more detailed design assessments especially with respect to stress analysis, stress transients and the significance of defects. Additionally the contributions to reliability made by fabrication and materials technology, inspection and quality assurance and post operational surveillance are critically examined. The use of such data in synthesizing a reliability assessment is discussed noting the problems of establishing statistical confidence levels and highlighting those areas where further evidence would produce significant advances in quantifying reliability assessments.
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