A unifying review of NDE models towards optimal decision support

Non-destructive evaluation (NDE) inspections are an integral part of asset integrity management. The relationship between the condition of interest and the quantity measured by NDE is described with probabilistic models such as PoD or ROC curves. These models are used to assess the quality of the information provided by NDE systems, which is affected by factors such as the experience of the inspector, environmental conditions, ease of access, and the precision of the measurement device. In this paper, we review existing probabilistic models of NDE andshow how they are connected within a unifying framework. This frameworkprovides insights into how these models should be learned, calibrated, and applied. We investigate and highlighthow the choice of the model can affect the maintenance decisions taken on the basis of NDE results. In addition, we analyze the impact of experimental design on the performance of a given NDE system in a decision-making context.