Weld Testing

Weld testing is vital to ensure a structure's integrity and safety. TWI is recognised as a world leader in fracture mechanics, reliability engineering and non-destructive testing (NDT), and it is therefore not surprising that weld testing is among one of our most requested services. The examination of welds can be performed destructively or non-destructively. The Structural Integrity team's mechanical testing capability comprises a wide range of expertise in a variety of standard and non-standard destructive weld tests: Charpy impact, crack tip opening displacement (CTOD), tensile, hardness and bend tests are just some examples of such examinations carried out by TWI to provide important information about the quality of a welded component. Fatigue life assessments of welds are also conducted at TWI on a regular basis, varying from cyclic bend tests on specimens to full scale resonance testing on welded pipes.

A common request by our Industrial Members is to evaluate welds in service: a situation where extraction of test specimens in not viable. In these instances, our NDT and Asset Integrity Management services provide consultancy on site in the areas of inspection and weld integrity. Techniques utilised in these instances include state-of-the-art long range ultrasonics and guided waves for weld flaw or loss of wall thickness detection, X radiography, phased array, eddy current testing amongst others. Subsequently, the structure's fitness for service can be assessed using TWI's proprietary software: CRACKWISER and RISKWISER.

TWI's environmental testing services are currently being expanded with a new burst test facility also capable of replicating three point bending. Other equipment and instrumentation available allow e.g. sour service conditions to be simulated during tests, whilst our brand new H2 Laboratory enables the investigation of material properties under high pressure hydrogen (up to 1000bar); a service unique to TWI in its range of capabilities across Europe.

To complete all these services, TWI's modelling expertise covers amongst others weld modelling (including Friction Stir Welding (FSW)), weld distortion, residual stresses and modelling of guided waves for inspection.

TWI is taking an active role in developing and maintaining a codes, standards and procedures including: BS7910, R6, FITNET, API 579-1/ASME FFS-1, BS7448. TWI operates a quality assurance scheme certified to ISO 9001:2000 by LRQA and BS EN ISO 14001:2004.

For further information about weld testing please contact us.