TWI

CSWIP 3.2
WIS 10
SENIOR WELDING INSPECTION

DESTRUCTIVE TESTS
SECTION 5

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Destructive tests

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Destructive tests
Involve the destruction of a welded unit or
selected specimens cut out from the weld

Destructive tests include:

•tensile test •hardness test
•bend test •metallographic examination
•impact test •creep test, etc.
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Tensile test

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Tensile test

Objective:
measuring the overall strength of the weld joint
Informations to be supplied on the test report:
•material type •UTS
•specimen type •location of final
rupture
•specimen size
(see QW-462.1)
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Tensile test

Weld on plate

Multiple cross
Weld on pipe joint specimens
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Tensile test
2 marks are made 50mm apart
50 mm

During the test, Yield & Tensile strength are recorded

The specimen is joined and the marks are re-measured

75 mm

A measurement of 75mm will give Elongation of 50 %

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All Weld Tensile test
BS 709 / BS EN 10002
All Weld Metal Tensile Testing

Direction of the test *

Tensile test piece cut along weld specimen.

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UTS Tensile test

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Bending test

Objectives:
•check if lack of fusion type of defects are present
•assessing ductility of the weld joint
Informations to be supplied on the test report:
•material and specimen type •bend radius/angle
•orientation (see QW-462.2;3) •test result (pass/fail)
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Bending test
Types of bend test for
welds (acc. BS EN 910):
“t” up to Root/face
12 mm bend

Thickness of
material - “t”

“t” over
Side bend
12 mm
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Bending test

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Bending test for low ductile

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Bending test methods

Guided bend test Wraparound bend test

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Fillet weld fracture test

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Nick Break Test

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Charpy-V notch impact test
Location of specimens - BS EN 875 (notched
face perpendicular to the surface!)

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Charpy V-notch impact test

Objectives:
•measuring impact strength in different weld joint
areas
•assessing resistance toward brittle fracture
Information to be supplied on the test report:
•material type •test temperature
•notch type •notch location
•specimen size •impact strength value
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Charpy V-notch impact test specimen

Specimen dimensions acc. ASTM E23

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Charpy V-notch impact test
Charpy impact test

Specimen Pendulum
(striker)

Anvil
(support)

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Charpy V-notch impact test

h1

h2

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Charpy V-notch impact test
To define the type of failure, we can also
measure:
• lateral expansion
• amount of crystalinity

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Charpy V-notch impact test
Mn < 1.6 % increases
Joules
toughness in steels*
absorbed

Transition 47 Joules Ductile

Zone Fracture
Three specimens are normally
Brittle tested at each temperature.
Fracture
28 Joules

Transition Temperature Range

-40 -30 -20 -10 0 +10 +20 +30 + 40

Testing temperature

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Charpy V-notch impact test specimen

Effect of specimen size on transition

temperature and upper shelf value

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Hardness
• Definition - is the resistance of a
material against penetration
• It is measured by indentation by a
penetrator under a constant load
• Between UTS and hardness is a direct
correlation

Hardness tests:
• Brinell
• Vickers
• Rockwell
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Hardness test
Objectives:
•measuring hardness in different areas of a
weld joint
•assessing resistance toward brittle fracture,
cold cracking and corrosion sensitivity in H2S

Informations to be supplied on the test report:

•material type
•location of indentation
•type of hardness test and load applied on the
indenter
•hardness value
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Vickers hardness test machine

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Vickers hardness test

d1  d2
d
2

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Weld joint hardness test
Vickers hardness tests:
• indentation body is a square based diamond
pyramid (136º included angle)
• the average diagonal (d) of the impression
is converted to a hardness number from a
table
• it is measured in HV5, HV10 or HV025
d2

d = (d1+ d2)/2

d1
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Vickers hardness test
Typical location of the indentations

Butt weld from one side only

L = min. 0,7 mm for HV5

L = min. 1 mm for HV10
Butt weld from both side

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Vickers hardness test

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Brinell hardness test

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Rockwell hardness test

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Metallographic examination

Macro examination Micro examination

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Metallographic examination
Objectives:
•detecting weld defects (macro)
•measuring grain size (micro)
•detecting brittle structures, precipitates, etc
•assessing resistance toward brittle fracture,
cold cracking and corrosion sensitivity
Informations to be supplied on the test report:
•material type •location of examined area
•etching solution •weld imperfections
•magnification (macro)
•grain size •phase, constituents,
precipitates (micro)
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Macro Micro

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Hydrostatic test
Is a test for leakage under pressure

Vessel configuration:
• the test should be done after any stress
relief
• components that will not stand the pressure
test (e.g. flexible pipes, diaphragms) must
be removed
• the ambient temperature MUST be above
0°C (preferably 15÷20°C)

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Hydrostatic test procedure
• blank off all openings with solid flanges
• use correct nuts and bolts, NOT “G” clamps
• two pressure gauges on independent
tapping points should be used
• for safety purposes bleed all the air out
• pumping should be done slowly (no dynamic
pressure stresses)
• test pressure - see relevant standards (PD
5500, ASME VIII). Usually 150% design
pressure
• hold the pressure for minimum 30 minutes
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Hydrostatic test - what to look for

• leaks (check particularly around seams

and nozzle welds!)
• dry off any condensation with a
compressed air-line
• watch the gauges for pressure drop
• check for distortion of flange faces, etc

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