CSWIP 3.
1 Welding Inspection
Destructive Testing
TWI Training & Examination
Services
Course Reference WIS 5
Course notes section reference 4.0
Destructive Testing Definitions
What is Destructive Testing ?
The destruction of a welded
unit or by cutting out selected
specimens from the weld is
carried out to check the
mechanical properties of the
joint materials. They can be
produced to:
• Approve welding procedures (BS EN 15614)
• Approve welders (BS EN 287)
• Production quality control
Destructive Tests
Destructive tests include:
•bend test •hardness test
•impact test •metallographic examination
•tensile test
Quantitative and Qualitative Tests
Quantitative Tests:
For measuring a ‘quantity’ ( a mechanical property )
• Mechanical tests - tensile test
- hardness test
- Charpy V-notch test (& CTOD)
Qualitative Tests:
For assessing joint ‘quality’ (good fusion & free from defects)
• Qualitative tests - bend tests
- macro examination
- fillet fracture & nick-break tests
Qualitative and Quantitative Tests
The following mechanical tests have units and are termed
quantitative tests to measure Mechanical Properties
Tensile tests (Transverse Welded Joint, All Weld Metal)
Toughness testing (Charpy, Izod, CTOD)
Hardness tests (Brinell, Rockwell, Vickers)
The following mechanical tests have no units and are termed
qualitative tests for assessing joint quality
Macro testing
Bend testing
Fillet weld fracture testing
Butt weld nick-break testing
Definitions
Mechanical Properties of metals are related to the amount of
deformation which metals can withstand under different
circumstances of force application.
• Malleability Ability of a material to withstand
deformation under static
• Ductility compressive loading without
• Toughness rupture
• Hardness
• Tensile Strength
Definitions
Mechanical Properties of metals are related to the amount of
deformation which metals can withstand under different
circumstances of force application.
• Malleability Ability of a material undergo
plastic deformation under static
• Ductility tensile loading without rupture.
• Toughness Measurable elongation and
reduction in cross section area
• Hardness
• Tensile Strength
Definitions
Mechanical Properties of metals are related to the amount of
deformation which metals can withstand under different
circumstances of force application.
• Malleability Ability of a material to withstand
bending or the application of
• Ductility shear stresses by impact
• Toughness loading without fracture.
• Hardness
• Tensile Strength
Definitions
Mechanical Properties of metals are related to the amount of
deformation which metals can withstand under different
circumstances of force application.
• Malleability Measurement of a materials
surface resistance to
• Ductility indentation from another
• Toughness material by static load
• Hardness
• Tensile Strength
Definitions
Mechanical Properties of metals are related to the amount of
deformation which metals can withstand under different
circumstances of force application.
• Malleability Measurement of the maximum
force required to fracture a
• Ductility materials bar of unit cross-
• Toughness sectional area in tension
• Hardness
• Tensile Strength
Mechanical Test Samples
Tensile Specimens
CTOD Specimen
Bend Test
Specimen
Charpy Specimen
Fracture Fillet
Specimen
Destructive Testing
WELDING PROCEDURE QUALIFICATION TESTING
top of fixed pipe
2 Typical Positions for Test
Pieces
Specimen Type Position
•Macro + Hardness 5
3
•Transverse Tensile 2, 4
•Bend Tests 2, 4
•Charpy Impact Tests 3
4 •Additional Tests 3
5
Mechanical Testing
Hardness Testing
Hardness Testing
Definition
• Measurement of resistance of a material against penetration of
an indenter under a constant load
• There is a direct correlation between UTS and hardness
Hardness tests:
• Brinell
• Vickers
• Rockwell
Hardness Testing
Objectives:
• measuring hardness in different areas of a welded joint
• assessing resistance toward brittle fracture, cold cracking
and corrosion sensitivity.
Information to be supplied on the test report:
• material type
• location of indentation
• type of hardness test and load applied on the indenter
• hardness value
Hardness Testing
usually the hardest region
1.5 to 3mm
fusion line
or
fusion HAZ
boundary
Hardness Test Methods Typical Designations
Vickers 240 HV10
Rockwell Rc 22
Brinell 200 BHN-W
Vickers Hardness Test
Typical location of the indentations
Butt weld from one side only
Butt weld from both side
Vickers 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 Adjustable
Diamond Indentation shutters
indentor
Vickers Hardness Test Machine
Brinell Hardness Test
• Hardened steel ball of given diameter is subjected for a given
time to a given load
• Load divided by area of indentation gives Brinell hardness in
kg/mm2
• More suitable for on site hardness testing
30KN
Ø=10mm
steel ball
Rockwell Hardness Test
Rockwell B Rockwell C
1KN
1.5KN
Ø=1.6mm 120°Diamond
steel ball Cone
Portable Hardness Test
dynamic and very portable hardness test
accuracy depends on the the condition of the test/support surfaces and
the support of the test piece during the test
for more details, see ASTM E448
Portable Hardness Test
Typical Impact Device
Impact Body
Coil
Magnet
Tungsten
Carbide Ball
Portable Hardness Test
Typical Impact Device
The speeds are measured
before and after impact by
The impact body is means of a magnet passing
projected down into the through a coil which generates
materials surface by an inductive voltage which is
spring force at a defined proportional to speed a signal
speed. can be then shown before and
after impact and converted to
The impact creates plastic an hardness value
deformation at the surface,
the impact body loses part of
its original speed (energy)
the larger the indentation the
more speed it will lose.
Mechanical Testing
Impact Testing
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
• Notch type
• Specimen size
• Test temperature
• Notch location
• Impact Strength Value
Charpy V-Notch Impact Test
Pendulum
Specimen (striker)
Anvil (support)
Charpy V-notch impact test specimen
Specimen dimensions according ASTM E23
ASTM: American Society of Testing Materials
Charpy Impact Test
22.5o
10 mm 100% Brittle
2 mm
Machined
notch
Fracture surface
8 mm
100% bright
crystalline brittle
fracture
100% Ductile
Machined
notch
Large reduction
in area, shear
lips
Randomly torn,
dull gray fracture
surface
Ductile / Brittle Transition
Curve Temperature range
Ductile fracture
47 Joules
Transition range Ductile/Brittle
transition
point
28 Joules
Brittle fracture Energy absorbed
- 50 - 40 - 30 - 20 - 10 0
Testing temperature - Degrees Centigrade
Three specimens are normally tested at each temperature
Ductile / Brittle Transition
Curve Temperature range Ductile fracture
Mn < 1.6 % increases
toughness in steels* 47 Joules
Transition range Ductile/Brittle
transition
point
28 Joules
Energy absorbed
Brittle fracture
- 50 - 40 - 30 - 20 - 10 0
Testing temperature - Degrees Centigrade
Three specimens are normally tested at each temperature
Comparison Charpy Impact Test Results
Impact Energy Joules
Room Temperature -20oC Temperature
1. 197 Joules 1. 49 Joules
2. 191 Joules 2. 53 Joules
3. 186 Joules 3. 51 Joules
Average = 191 Joules Average = 51 Joules
The test results show the specimens carried out at room
temperature absorb more energy than the specimens carried
out at -20oC
Charpy Impact Test
Reporting results
Location and orientation of notch
Testing temperature
Energy absorbed in joules
Description of fracture (brittle or ductile)
Location of any defects present
Dimensions of specimen
Charpy Impact Testing
Mechanical Testing
Tensile Testing
Tensile Testing
UTS Tensile test
Tensile Tests
Different tensile tests:
Transverse tensile.
All-weld metal tensile test
Cruciform tensile test
Short tensile test (through thickness test)
Tensile Test
All-Weld Metal Tensile
Specimen
Transverse Tensile
Specimen
Transverse Joint Tensile Test
Objective:
Measuring the overall strength of the weld joint
Information to be supplied on the test report:
• material type
• specimen type
• specimen size (see QW-462.1)
• UTS
• location of final rupture
Transverse Joint Tensile Test
Weld on plate
Multiple cross joint
Weld on pipe specimens
Transverse Tensile Test
Maximum load applied = 220 kN.
Least cross sectional area = 25 mm X 12 mm
UTS = Maximum load applied
Least c.s.a.
UTS = 220 000
25mm X 12mm
UTS = 733.33 N/mm2
Transverse Tensile Test
Reporting results:
• Type of specimen e.g. reduced section
• Whether weld reinforcement is removed
• Dimensions of test specimen
• The ultimate tensile strength in N/mm2, p.s.i or Mpa
• Location of fracture.
• Location and type of any flaws present if any
All Weld Metal Tensile Test
BS 709 / BS EN 10002
All Weld Metal Tensile Testing
Direction of the test *
Tensile test piece cut along weld specimen.
All-Weld Metal Tensile Test
Original gauge length = 50mm
Increased gauge length = 64
Elongation % = Increase of gauge length X 100
Original gauge length
Elongation % = 14 X 100
50
Elongation = 28%
All-Weld Metal Tensile Test
Gauge length
Object of test:
Ultimate tensile strength.
Yield strength.
Elongation %(ductility).
Increased gauge length
All-Weld Metal Tensile Test
2 marks are made
Gauge length 50mm
During the test, Yield & Tensile strength are recorded
The specimen is joined and the marks are re-measured
Increased gauge length 75mm
A measurement of 75mm will give Elongation of 50 %
All-Weld Metal Tensile Test
Reporting results:
Type of specimen e.g. reduced section
Dimensions of test specimen
The u.t.s, yield strength in N/mm2, p.s.i or Mpa
Elongation %
Location and type of any flaws present if any
STRA (Short Transverse Reduction Area)
STRA test
Original CSA
Reduced CSA
STRA test
20
STRA %
Reductio
n of CSA 15
10
Mechanical Testing
Macro / Micro Examination
Macro Preparation
Purpose
To examine the weld cross-section to give assurance that: -
• The weld has been made in accordance with the WPS
• The weld is free from defects
Specimen Preparation
• Full thickness slice taken from the weld (typically ~10mm thick)
• Width of slice sufficient to show all the weld and HAZ on both sides
plus some unaffected base material
• One face ground to a progressively fine finish (grit sizes 120 to ~ 400)
• Prepared face heavily etched to show all weld runs & all HAZ
• Prepared face examined at up to x10 (& usually photographed for records)
• Prepared face may also be used for a hardness survey
Micro Preparation
Purpose
To examine a particular region of the weld or HAZ in order to:-
• To examine the microstructure
• Identify the nature of a crack or other imperfection
Specimen Preparation
• A small piece is cut from the region of interest (typically
up to ~ 20mm x 20mm)
• The piece is mounted in plastic mould and the surface of interest
prepared by progressive grinding (to grit size 600 or 800)
• Surface polished on diamond impregnated cloths to a mirror finish
• Prepared face may be examined in as-polished condition & then lightly
etched
• Prepared face examined under the microscope at up to ~ 100 – 1000X
Macro / Micro Examination
Object:
Macro / microscopic examinations are used to give a visual evaluation of a
cross-section of a welded joint
Carried out on full thickness specimens
The width of the specimen should include HAZ, weld and parent plate
They maybe cut from a stop/start area on a welders approval test
Macro / Micro Examination
Will Reveal:
Weld soundness
Distribution of inclusions
Number of weld passes
Metallurgical structure of weld, fusion zone and HAZ
Location and depth of penetration of weld
Fillet weld leg and throat dimensions
Macro Micro
• Visual examination for • Visual examination for
defects defects & grain structure
• Cut transverse from the • Cut transverse from a
weld weld
• Ground & polished P400 • Ground & polished P1200
grit paper grit paper, 1µm paste
• Acid etch using 5-10% • Acid etch using 1-5%
nitric acid solution nitric acid solution
• Wash and dry • Wash and dry
• Visual evaluation under 5x • Visual evaluation under
magnification 100-1000x magnification
• Report on results • Report on results
Metallographic Examination
Macro examination Micro examination
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
Information to be supplied on the test report:
• material type
• etching solution
• magnification
• grain size
• location of examined area
• weld imperfections (macro)
• phase, constituents, precipitates (micro)
Mechanical Testing
Bend Testing
Bend Tests
Object of test:
• To determine the soundness of the weld zone. Bend testing can
also be used to give an assessment of weld zone ductility.
There are three ways to perform a bend test:
Face bend
Root bend Side bend
Side bend tests are normally carried out on welds over 12mm
in thickness
Bending test
Types of bend test for welds (acc. BS EN 910):
Root / face
“t” up to 12 mm
bend
Thickness of material - “t”
“t” over 12 mm
Side bend
Bending test methods
Guided bend test
Wrap around bend test
Bend Testing
Face bend Side bend Root bend
Defect
indication Acceptance for
Generally this minor ruptures on
specimen tension surface
would be depends upon code
unacceptable requirements
Bend Tests
Reporting results:
Thickness and dimensions of specimen
Direction of bend (root, face or side)
Angle of bend (90o, 120o, 180o)
Diameter of former. (typical 4T)
Appearance of joint after bending e.g. type and location of any flaws.
Bend Testing
Mechanical Testing
Fillet Weld Fracture Testing
Fillet Weld Fracture Tests
Object of test:
To break open the joint through the weld to permit examination of the
fracture surfaces
Specimens are cut to the required length
A saw cut approximately 2mm in depth is applied along the fillet welds
length
Fracture is usually made by striking the specimen with a single hammer
blow
Visual inspection for defects
Fillet Weld Fracture Tests
Hammer
2mm
Notch
Fracture should break weld saw cut to root
Fillet Weld Fracture Tests
This fracture indicates This fracture has
lack of fusion occurred saw cut to root
Lack of Penetration
Fillet Weld Fracture Tests
Reporting results:
Thickness of parent material
Throat thickness and leg lengths
Location of fracture
Appearance of joint after fracture
Depth of penetration
Defects present on fracture surfaces
Mechanical Testing
Nick-Break Testing
Nick-Break Test
Object of test:
To permit evaluation of any weld defects across the fracture surface of a
butt weld.
Specimens are cut transverse to the weld
A saw cut approximately 2mm in depth is applied along the welds root
and cap
Fracture is usually made by striking the specimen with a single hammer
blow
Visual inspection for defects
Nick-Break Test
Notch cut by hacksaw
3 mm
19 mm
3 mm
Approximately 230 mm
Weld reinforcement
may or may not be
removed
Nick Break Test
Alternative nick-break test
specimen, notch applied all
way around the specimen
Lack of root penetration Inclusions on fracture
or fusion line
Nick-Break Test
Reporting results:
Thickness of parent material
Width of specimen
Location of fracture
Appearance of joint after fracture
Depth of penetration
Defects present on fracture surfaces
Summary of Mechanical Testing
We test welds to establish minimum levels of mechanical
properties, and soundness of the welded joint
We divide tests into Qualitative & Quantitative methods:
Quantitative: (Have units) Qualitative: (Have no units)
Hardness (VPN & BHN) Macro tests
Toughness (Joules & ft.lbs) Bend tests
Strength (N/mm2 & PSI, MPa) Fillet weld fracture tests
Ductility / Elongation (E%) Butt Nick break tests
Hydrostatic test
under pressure leakage proof test
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)
Hydrostatic Test
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
Hydrostatic test
What to look for:
• leaks (check particularly around seams and nozzle welds!)
• dry off any condensation.
• watch the gauges for pressure drop
• check for distortion of flange faces, etc
Mechanical Testing
Any Questions
