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With a skilled eye, radiologists can interpret X-rays and CAT scans to diagnose a patients' condition. Similar techniques are used by KBR to detect possible flaws in the welds and metals used on a project. Without this testing, improperly welded pressure vessels and pipes could rupture causing significant damage on a job site.

That's where Nat Faransso uses his expertise in the highly specialized field of nondestructive testing for KBR. Faransso, a senior specialist in KBR's Office of the Chief Engineer, was selected as 2014's winner of the prestigious Lester Honor Lecture Award given by the American Society for Nondestructive Testing. His selection is the culmination of more than 40 years of experience, thousands of hours working with the society and his contributions to the industry as a whole.

Nondestructive testing employs several methods to determine the strength of metallic materials. KBR typically applies nondestructive testing to verify the integrity of welds used to fabricate piping and mechanical equipment. It is also used to detect flaws in the base metal used for piping and equipment. Nondestructive testing is one means to determine a weld's mechanical integrity to ensure that the components can withstand fluid pressure.

Faransso became involved in nondestructive testing when a previous boss suggested it.

One day I was working on a project, and they needed an engineer familiar with nondestructive testing," Faransso said. "I thought that's a helpful thing to learn, so I did and suddenly found myself deep into it."

Since then, Faransso has received the highest certifications in several testing methods, including visual, liquid penetrant, magnetic particle, ultrasonic and radiography. His expertise includes advanced ultrasonic testing, which is quickly becoming the industry standard to verify weld quality for pressure piping and equipment.

In the past 40 years, Faransso has seen many changes but the most significant has been computer-based testing methods. The changes can be seen in mostly ultrasonic and radiographic testing.

While this award acknowledges Faransso's significant contributions to the field, he continues to lend his expertise to others in the industry and can often be found teaching the next generation of NDT examiners testing techniques and methods to interpret the results.

"It's all about doing my best in order to help KBR and the industry," he said. "You pay back what you can."