Frequently, the objective of structural integrity assessment is the estimation of the remnant life of a component. Advances in batteries, wireless communication and low power electronics have led to increased development and use of permanently installed sensors. The availability of frequent, in-situ data provides new opportunities in data interpretation; notably frequent data collection enables rate measurements. Numerous failure mechanisms, for example creep, fatigue and creep crack growth, are examples of positive feedback loops, where the extent of damage causes an increased rate of damage growth. Mechanisms of this type are characterised by an increasing rate of damage towards failure and therefore monitoring the rate directly can be used to infer proximity to failure. The ‘Failure Forecast Method’, frequently used in geophysics (for example for the prediction of volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and landslides), can be used for remnant life prediction for a range of positive feedback damage mechanisms (Voight, 1988, 1989). The paper will illustrate with experimental data the use of rate monitoring for continuous remnant life prediction for creep, fatigue and creep crack growth as an example of the broad utility of the benefits of continuous rate monitorin
