Why We Need Non-Destructive Testing of Welded Constructions

Most process plant and a great deal of structural steelwork for the nuclear, petrochemical, power generation and gas industries is fabricated with the use of fusion welding. Imperfections occur in such welds, due to problems with materials, procedures and techniques, and non-destructive testing is e...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series A: Mathematical and physical sciences 1979-08, Vol.292 (1390), p.201-206
Main Authors: Young, J. G., Coffey, J. M., Lumb, R. F.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Butt welds
Craftsmanship
Fracture mechanics
Hydrogen
Nondestructive testing
Porosity
Radiography
Steels
Ultrasonics
Welding
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Summary:Most process plant and a great deal of structural steelwork for the nuclear, petrochemical, power generation and gas industries is fabricated with the use of fusion welding. Imperfections occur in such welds, due to problems with materials, procedures and techniques, and non-destructive testing is employed to detect such imperfections. The two principal reasons for the use of non-destructive testing are (a) to monitor and control the quality of weld workmanship and (b) to assess fitness for purpose and to ensure that failure will not occur from a weld fault within the design life of the fabrication. In both cases it is necessary to be able to detect, identify and measure weld defects. The results are compared with quality control levels of defect acceptance in the former circumstance and used in fracture mechanics analyses in the latter to ensure that defects present are not critical. A further important application of non-destructive testing is to assess deterioration of plant and structures in service or undergoing maintenance.
ISSN:1364-503X
0080-4614
1471-2962
2054-0272
DOI:10.1098/rsta.1979.0054