Evolution of NDT Methods for Structures and Materials: Some Successes and Failures

The development of techniques being used for the non-destructive evaluation of materials and structures is closely related to other disciplines. The examination of human beings in a non-destructive way for example was a goal of many generations of physicians leading to highly developed methods applied today in a routinely manner. Many techniques used in NDE have their equivalent in medical testing. Same is true for geophysics. The exploration for natural resources (e.g. gas, water, oil) and the desire to understand the structure and dynamics of the earth have been strong motors to develop sophisticated methods. It does not matter if one consider reflection seismic, seismology, vibration or electro-magnetic methods: all have their equivalent in the field of NDE of materials and structures. The paper will give some examples of these interconnections and successful adoptions. Since the characteristics of human beings, the earth and engineering structures are different these transitions are somehow limited what will be discussed as well.