DNV laboratories in Bergen, Norway

New technology centres bring next generation testing services to the industry 

In 2016, DNV moved and opened new laboratories, located easily accessible in the city centre of Bergen: 

• Technology Centre for Offshore Mooring and Lifting
• Materials and Corrosion Technology Centre
• Bridge Technology and Test Centre

The material expertise, laboratory examination and testing capability, are providing confidence in cost-effective and safe solutions. The Materials and Corrosion Technology Centre is dedicated to investigating failures and testing materials characteristics and performance with respect to corrosion resistance.  

Working closely with DNV laboratories at Høvik and around the world, our Bergen laboratories are uniquely suited to support customers operating internationally, on the Norwegian Continental Shelf and locally at yards or bases along the coast.  

Our technology centres offer a unique combination of testing, analysis and theoretical expertise. Services range from facilitation and optimization of test programmes, to standardized mechanical tests and full-scale simulated service tests within these areas: 

• Large-scale testing for offshore mooring, lifting, aquaculture floating wind turbines and bridge cables
• Coating testing
• Corrosion testing with excellent H2S capability
• Failure investigation and root cause analysis. 

Large-scale testing 

Large-scale testing comprises capabilities for both standardized and tailored qualification and verification testing of fibre ropes, mooring chains, steel wires, and other components such as lifting accessories and oilfield risers. Our laboratories are assisting operators to use securely moored oil and gas assets well beyond original design life. Our mooring analysis and testing experts in Norway (Oslo and Bergen) have a long track record of advising customers on how to manage the integrity of their mooring systems efficiently, safely and cost-effectively.

The largest machine has a 2,900 ton load capacity (28500 kN) for static and dynamic testing and can test samples up to 20 meters length. Wire rope testing can be done on short notice to provide immediate and timely results. 

Another upgrade is increased capability of fatigue testing of steel wires and chains, where a 1100t cylinder will be mounted into the test rig.

Coating and corrosion testing with unique H2S capability 

Our services cover general and localized corrosion, coating degradation, materials compatibility, stress corrosion cracking, corrosion fatigue, thermal fatigue, creep, high-temperature corrosion, microbiologically-influenced corrosion, and fracture mechanics. 

The laboratory has improved capacity to expose samples safely to H2S for qualifying materials for service in sour environments, an issue in many challenging oil and gas fields.  

The laboratory holds several accreditation and certificates, among them: 

• Performance Standard for Protective Coatings for Cargo Oil Tanks of Crude Oil Carriers systems in accordance with IMO Res MSC.288(87)
• Performance Standard for Protective Coatings for Dedicated Seawater Ballast Tanks in accordance with IMO MSC.215(82)
• Accreditation process  for ISO17025 on specific tests is ongoing.

Failure investigations and identifying root causes 

Our laboratories in Bergen have a long history of failure investigations providing a valuable basis for internal and external learning. Many of the investigations benefit from our expert system knowledge of ship machinery, subsea, pipelines, mooring systems and structures. 

We have an advanced metallographic facility with cutting, mounting, grinding and polishing equipment, and carry out full-scale materials analysis using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and physical testing (hardness, grain size, optical photography). 

What we offer:

• Failure investigations and root cause analysis (RCA)
• Corrosion management
• Corrosion test
  
• Fitness for service assessments
• Materials selection and evaluation
• Full-scale testing
• Wire rope test
• Technology qualification
• Laboratory research and testing
• Field and offshore inspections and surveys.