VIENNA, September 19 – In Vienna the IAEA and the Italian Society for Non-Destructive Testing Monitoring Diagnostics (AIPnD) signed Practical Arrangements, establishing a framework for future cooperation in the application of non-destructive testing (NDT) between the two organizations.
The first such Arrangements developed between the Agency and the AIPnD, the document covers a period of three years, from 2019 to 2022.
The Practical Arrangements were signed on behalf of the IAEA by Dazhu Yang, Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Technical Cooperation, and by Ezio Tuberosa, President of AIPnD, who was joined by the Resident Representative of Italy to the IAEA, HE Maria Assunta Accili Sabbatini, and by Daniele Bisi and Aldo Canova, Vice President and General Secretary of AIPnD, respectively.
Through the technical cooperation (TC) programme, the IAEA provides support to Member States in building capacities for the application of NDT method, which are used to evaluate the integrity and properties of industrial, cultural and commercial materials. Non-destructive testing is also an important tool for the evaluation of civil structures and buildings, especially following natural disasters, such as earthquakes, for instance. Without causing damage or leaving residues, non-destructive testing methods – some of which use radiation to peek inside – allow its users to assess the origin of centuries-old documents, the rigidity of building materials and the integrity of pipelines, among other applications.
Under the terms of the new Practical Arrangements, the AIPnD will make NDT experts and lecturers available to the IAEA in order to strengthen the Agency’s capacity building efforts, in addition to facilitating both short- and long-term training in Italy. Additionally, the IAEA and AIPnD have agreed to share information regarding planned events, to promote the role of nuclear technologies in NDT applications and to engage in an ongoing exchange of educational material and best practices.
