BS 7910, guide to methods for assessing the acceptability of flaws in metallic structures, is a

British Standard British Standards (BS) are the standards produced by the BSI Group which is incorporated under a royal charter and which is formally designated as the national standards body (NSB) for the UK. The BSI Group produces British Standards under the a ...

code of practice for the assessment of flaws ( weld defects in particular) using

fracture mechanics Fracture mechanics is the field of mechanics concerned with the study of the propagation of cracks in materials. It uses methods of analytical solid mechanics to calculate the driving force on a crack and those of experimental solid mechanics t ...

principles. The technique is also referred to as an engineering critical assessment (ECA) or

damage tolerance In engineering, damage tolerance is a property of a structure relating to its ability to sustain defects safely until repair can be effected. The approach to engineering design to account for damage tolerance is based on the assumption that flaws ...

, and is complementary to other methods of weld quality assurance. The standard was first introduced in 1980 as a fracture and fatigue assessment procedure, when it was known as PD 6493. Its name was changed to BS 7910 following a revision in 1999. The standard has undergone numerous subsequent revisions, the most recent being in December 2019. Flaws (such as fabrication cracks,

fatigue Fatigue describes a state of tiredness that does not resolve with rest or sleep. In general usage, fatigue is synonymous with extreme tiredness or exhaustion that normally follows prolonged physical or mental activity. When it does not resolve ...

cracks,

creep Creep, Creeps or CREEP may refer to: People * Creep, a creepy person Politics * Committee for the Re-Election of the President (CRP), mockingly abbreviated as CREEP, an fundraising organization for Richard Nixon's 1972 re-election campaign Art ...

cracks and

corrosion Corrosion is a natural process that converts a refined metal into a more chemically stable oxide. It is the gradual deterioration of materials (usually a metal) by chemical or electrochemical reaction with their environment. Corrosion engine ...

damage) can arise during the manufacture and use of metallic components. For safety-critical items such as

aircraft An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air. It counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines ...

, pipelines and

pressure vessel A pressure vessel is a container designed to hold gases or liquids at a pressure substantially different from the ambient pressure. Construction methods and materials may be chosen to suit the pressure application, and will depend on the size o ...

s, the failure of a single component due to the presence of a flaw can threaten human life, as well as having severe economic and environmental consequences. Other flaws may be harmless, as they will not lead to failure during the lifetime of the component. Replacement or repair of such flaws is economically wasteful. A fitness-for-service procedure such as BS 7910 allows flaws to be evaluated consistently and objectively, using fracture mechanics principles.

References

External links

BSI Group
07910 {{Britain-stub