Pattern The degradation pattern is the form that the general damage mechanism takes, for example, cracking or external pitting. See Also Mechanism A degradation mechanism is the type of deterioration that could lead to asset failure. Examples are corrosion, erosion, mechanical failure, and pitting. See Also Category The degradation category provides a broad descriptor for identifying and grouping degradation types. Examples are environment-assisted cracking, mechanical and metallurgical failure, and uniform and localized loss of thickness. See Also Scope The scope of the degradation typically describes the extent of deterioration. Examples are Localized-Internal and General-External. See Also Credibility A failure mode’s credibility value indicates how technically feasible it is or the extent to which it is physically capable of occurring. See Also
