An assessment of the current state and future challenges in quantitative NDE

The paper will open with a historical review of the evolution of the field of Quantitative Nondestructive Evaluation, with an emphasis on the major societal problems that required solutions, the technological tools that provided a foundation for addressing these problems, and the solutions that have emerged. Included will be a discussion of how these solutions varied from industry to industry and from one region of the world to another. Attention will then turn to problems that are currently of high interest. Included will be a review of needs identified by industrial and government representatives at special sessions of the Review of Progress in Quantitative Nondestructive Evaluation during the last two years. Some key technical issues that must be addressed in order to solve these current technical problems will be discussed.