Destructive testing is a type of testing that involves subjecting a material or component to stress until it fails, in order to understand its performance or material behavior under different loads. These tests are generally easier to carry out, yield more information, and are easier to interpret than non-destructive testing. Destructive testing is most suitable and economic for objects that will be mass-produced, as the cost of destroying a small number of specimens is negligible. Destructive testing is typically performed by in-house technicians or by a third-party testing provider, and many of these tests are performed in a lab using specialized equipment. Industries that use destructive testing include aerospace, automotive, chemical, construction, defense, electrical engineering, fabrication, infrastructure, manufacturing, oil & gas, petrochemical, pipeline, power generation, and software.
Some common applications of destructive testing include:
-
Aggressive Environment Testing: If a business operates in environments with very high or low temperatures or pressures, dedicated environmental testing facilities can give confidence in the performance of materials or components.
-
Earthquake Engineering: Destructive tests are frequently carried out for structures that are to be constructed in earthquake zones. Such tests are sometimes referred to as crash tests, and they are carried out to verify the designed seismic performance of a new building or the actual performance of an existing building.
-
Destructive Weld Testing: This involves the physical destruction of a completed weld to evaluate its strength and characteristics. The testing procedure is conducted to understand a specimen’s material behavior, strength, quality of the welded joint, and the skill of the welder.
There are several types of destructive testing methods, which are designed to simulate the environmental factors that materials may actually be exposed to once they are in use. These methods are designed to test the strength of a material under certain types of pressure or strain. Some common types of destructive testing methods include:
-
Tensile Testing: This type of testing involves applying a tensile force to a material until it breaks. The test measures the maximum stress that the material can withstand before it fails.
-
Bend Testing: This type of testing involves bending a material until it breaks. The test measures the materials ductility, or its ability to deform without breaking.
-
Impact Testing: This type of testing involves striking a material with a heavy object to measure its toughness, or its ability to absorb energy without breaking.
-
Hardness Testing: This type of testing involves measuring the resistance of a material to indentation or scratching. The test measures the materials hardness, which is an indicator of its strength and wear resistance.
Destructive testing is an essential part of ensuring the integrity and performance of the welds used to manufacture everything f...
