There has been substantial interest in fracture toughness testing of pipeline girth welds in tension instead of using the standard deep notched bend (SENB) specimen, as tension loading is considered more realistic for girth welds. The Single Edge Notched Test (SENT) test provides reduced constraint compared to the standard SENB test and therefore results in increased toughness and is more realistic for girth welds loaded in tension. Various SENT procedures have been developed in the industry but they need to be converted into recommended practice for industry-wide application so that SENT data from different testing facilities can be considered comparably.
Phase I of this research has been completed with the development of guidelines for a round robin testing program with the focus on testing of SENT specimens with a surface notch in the girth weld zone. The objective of Phase II of the work is to develop the basis for industry standard test guidelines through the round robin test program involving up to ten test facilities. Phase II is underway now. ThePhase I report is available to PRCI members.