In weld testing two standards traditions coexist, the European ISO one and the American AWS and ASME one. Knowing which applies to the job comes before any technical consideration.
- ✓ EN ISO 17640: techniques and testing levels for fusion-welded joints
- ✓ AWS D1.1: the American code for welded steel structures
- ✓ ASME BPVC Section V: the NDT methods referenced by the other Sections
- ✓ EN 12668-1, now replaced by EN ISO 22232-1, for the verification of the instrument
On the European side the reference is EN ISO 17640, which specifies the techniques for the manual ultrasonic testing of fusion-welded joints in metallic materials and defines four testing levels, each corresponding to a different probability of detection of imperfections. It is the standard that describes how the test is carried out.
On the American side two documents of a different nature operate. AWS D1.1 is a construction code: it contains the requirements for fabricating and erecting welded steel structures, and inspection is one of its parts. ASME BPVC Section V is instead not a stand-alone standard, but the collection of non-destructive examination methods that the other Sections of the code reference and make mandatory.
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A distinct, and often overlooked, level concerns the instrument. EN 12668-1 established methods and criteria for evaluating the performance of ultrasonic equipment used in manual testing; it has been replaced by EN ISO 22232-1. It is the standard cited when it is necessary to demonstrate not how the work was done, but with what.
The standards in this section
| Standard | What it governs |
|---|---|
| AWS D1.1 | American code for the fabrication of welded steel structures |
| EN ISO 17640 | Techniques, testing levels and assessment in the UT examination of welded joints |
| EN 12668-1 | Verification of instrument performance, now EN ISO 22232-1 |
| ASME Section V | The non-destructive examination methods of the ASME code |
What they require of the instrument
What changes in concrete terms, moving from one code to another, is the way an indication is evaluated. The Dakota NDT flaw detectors of the FX family include the sizing toolkit with DAC, DGS, TCG and AWS, that is, the evaluation tools provided for by the different standards traditions.
The usual premise remains: the interpretation of indications is the responsibility of an operator qualified according to the applicable standards. The instrument provides the data and the calculation, not the judgement. The pages in this section describe the purpose and scope of each reference.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on the contract and on the construction code adopted for the work. EN ISO 17640 belongs to the European system, AWS D1.1 and ASME BPVC to the American one: the choice is not up to the operator but to the specification.
No. EN 12668-1:2010 has been replaced by EN ISO 22232-1:2020, which deals with the characterisation and verification of ultrasonic test equipment.
No. It contains non-destructive examination requirements and methods that are referenced and made mandatory by the other Sections of the ASME code: it applies together with the Section that governs the component in question.
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