1 WORKSHOP TECHNOLOGY | 21 April, 2021

2 WORKSHOP TECHNOLOGY | 21 April, 2021

Question# Explain different Destructive Tests for welded joints along

with the diagrams! (10 Marks)

Explanation
Destructive testing is undertaken in order to understand a specimen’s performance or material
behaviour, these procedures are carried out to the test specimen’s failure. Destructive testing
procedures can either follow specific standards or can be tailored to reproduce set service
conditions.
Destructive testing methods are commonly used for materials characterisation, fabrication
validation, failure investigation, and can form a key part of engineering critical assessments,
which also involves non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques such as digital radiography.

Types of Destructive Testing

Aggressive Environment Testing
This includes fracture and fatigue testing in sour (H2S), sweet (CO2) and other corrosive
environments; at a range of temperatures and pressures. These tests allow industry to assess the
impact of these conditions on materials and performance.
3 WORKSHOP TECHNOLOGY | 21 April, 2021

Corrosion Testing
This covers non-toxic, small-scale, aqueous corrosion testing in a variety of different
environments including fresh and sea water.

Fracture and Mechanical Testing

This includes different types of destructive testing methods such as tension tests, bend tests,
Charpy impact tests, Pellini drop weight testing, peel tests, crush testing, pressure and fracture
testing. As well as the testing of metals, fracture and mechanical tests can be carried out on
different materials, such as welded polymers including plastic pipes.
4 WORKSHOP TECHNOLOGY | 21 April, 2021

Fatigue Testing
Performed in air or seawater environments, these tests are used to test parent materials and the
endurance of welded joints under constant or variable amplitude loading. This destructive
testing method can also be used for fatigue crack growth testing of welds, base metals, and heat
affected zones
.

Hydrogen Testing
This type of testing covers materials that have a risk of corrosion from exposure to hydrogen.
These tests can be carried out at a variety of different temperatures and strain rates.
5 WORKSHOP TECHNOLOGY | 21 April, 2021

Residual Stress Measurement

Residual stresses are those that remain in a solid material after the original causes of any
stresses have been removed. These can be intentional, such as with the scratch-resistant glass on
smartphones, or unintentional which can lead to premature failure of a structure. Measurement
of residual stresses allows for designers and engineers to determine factors like near-surface
and through-thickness residual stress distribution, which can be used in engineering critical
assessments.