Preventing Failures in Plant Equipment & Fitness-for-Service
13-14 October 2026 | Brisbane, Australia (Venue TBC)
Sequence Engineering invites you to participate in a practical two-day training course focused on preventing equipment failures and making sound fitness-for-service decisions for operating plant.
The course brings together failure prevention, materials behaviour, damage mechanisms, inspection and API 579 fitness-for-service assessment. It follows the equipment lifecycle - from design, fabrication and welding through operation, damage detection and engineering assessment - to help participants understand why equipment fails and what can be done to keep it safely in service.
Sessions cover crack-like flaws, fatigue, corrosion and environmental cracking, brittle fracture, high-temperature creep damage and practical approaches to designing and welding to avoid failures. The emphasis is on connecting damage mechanisms with the appropriate assessment method and engineering response.
About The Course
This two-day course focuses on preventing equipment failures and evaluating damaged equipment for continued service. It combines failure-prevention principles with selected API 579 assessment procedures and reviews the material behaviour and damage mechanisms that underpin sound integrity decisions. Annette Karstensen and David Keen will lead training. The agenda is designed to connect practical plant experience with engineering assessment, helping participants move from identifying a damage mechanism to selecting an appropriate assessment and response
Learning Objectives
RECOGNISE KEY CAUSES OF PLANT EQUIPMENT FAILURE ACROSS FABRICATION AND SERVICE.
UNDERSTAND BRITTLE FRACTURE, MATERIAL TOUGHNESS AND CRACK-LIKE FLAW ASSESSMENT.
APPLY THE LOGIC OF API 579 TO COMMON FITNESS-FOR-SERVICE PROBLEMS
UNDERSTAND FATIGUE IN CYCLIC EQUIPMENT AND THE ASSESSMENT OF CORROSION DAMAGE.
REVIEW ENVIRONMENTAL CRACKING AND HIGH-TEMPERATURE CREEP DAMAGE
IDENTIFY DESIGN AND WELDING PRACTICES THAT CAN REDUCE FUTURE EQUIPMENT FAILURES.
Day 1
Introduction to preventing equipment failures and keeping your plant online
Preventing failures with a focus on key elements of design and construction
Review of damage mechanisms
Introduction to fitness-for-service and API 579 procedures
Material behaviour, brittle fracture and material toughness basics
Assessment of crack-like flaws - API 579 Part 9
Day 2
Assessment of crack-like flaws - API 579 Part 9
Overview of corrosion and environmental cracking
Assessment methods for corrosion and environmental cracking - API 579 Parts 4, 5 and 6
Designing and welding to avoid equipment failures
High-temperature equipment review: creep and associated damage mechanisms
Wrap-up
Two Day Course Fees
AUD $2,500.00 + GST
Includes comprehensive course notes, lunch, morning and afternoon tea.
Places limited to 15
About the Course Presenters
Dr Annette Karstensen. Director for Structural Integrity at Sequence Engineering
Experienced fitness-for-service and fracture mechanics specialist with more than 30 years of practical experience across power generation, oil and gas, petrochemical and pipeline industries.
David Keen. Course Director / Presenter
Metallurgist with 50+ years’ experience in preventing and analysing equipment failures in petrochemical and synthesis gas manufacturing plants, power generation, pipelines and mining sectors.