BRITISH STANDARD

Destructive tests on
welds in metallic
materials
Impact tests
Test specimen location,
notch orientation and
examination

The European Standard EN 875:1995 has the status of a

British Standard

ICS 25.160.40

BS EN
875: 1995

BS EN 875:1995

Committees responsible for this

British Standard
The preparation of this British Standard was entrusted to Technical
Committee WEE/2, Welding tests, upon which the following bodies were
represented:
Aluminium Federation
Association of Consulting Scientists
British Constructional Steelwork Association Ltd.
British Iron and Steel Producers Association
Electricity Association
Health and Safety Executive
Institution of Structural Engineers
Lloyds Register of Shipping
Ministry of Defence
Power Generation Contractors Assocition [PGCA (BEAMA Ltd.)]
TWI
Welding Manufacturers Association (BEAMA Ltd.)

This British Standard, having

been prepared under the
direction of the Engineering
Sector Board, was published
under the authority of the
Standards Board and comes
into effect on
15 December 1995
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The following BSI references
relate to the work on this
standard:
Committee reference WEE/2
Draft for comment 92/82867 DC
ISBN 0 580 25311 2

Amendments issued since publication

Amd. No.

Date

Comments

BS EN 875:1995

Contents
Committees responsible
National foreword
Foreword
Text of EN 875
List of references

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Page
Inside front cover
ii
2
3
Inside back cover

BS EN 875:1995

National foreword
This British Standard has been prepared by Technical Committee WEE/2 and is
the English language version of EN 875:1995 Destructive tests on welds in
metallic materials Impact tests Test specimen location, notch orientation and
examination published by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN).
EN 875 was produced as a result of international discussions in which the
United Kingdom took an active part.
BS EN 875:1995 supersedes tests detailed in BS 709:1983 which have been
deleted by amendment.
Cross-references
Publication referred to

Corresponding British Standard

EN 10045-1

BS EN 10045 Charpy impact tests on metallic materials

Part 1:1990 Test method (V- and U- notches)

A British Standard does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a
contract. Users of British Standards are responsible for their correct application.
Compliance with a British Standard does not of itself confer immunity
from legal obligations.

Summary of pages
This document comprises a front cover, an inside front cover, pages i and ii,
the EN title page, pages 2 to 10, an inside back cover and a back cover.
This standard has been updated (see copyright date) and may have had
amendments incorporated. This will be indicated in the amendment table on
the inside front cover.
ii

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EUROPEAN STANDARD

EN 875

NORME EUROPENNE
August 1995

EUROPISCHE NORM
ICS 25.160.40

Descriptors: Welding, welded joints, butt joints, metals, destructive tests, bend tests, impact tests, notch strength, designation

English version

Destructive tests on welds in metallic materials Impact

tests Test specimen location, notch orientation and
examination

Essais destructifs des soudures sur matriaux

mtalliques Essai de flexion par choc
Position de lprouvette, orientation de
lentaille et examen

Zerstrende Prfung von

Schweiverbindungen an metallischen
Werkstoffen Kerbschlagbiegeversuch
Probenlage, Kerbrichtung und Beurteilung

This European Standard was approved by CEN on 1995-07-01. CEN members

are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which
stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a
national standard without any alteration.
Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national
standards may be obtained on application to the Central Secretariat or to any
CEN member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French,
German). A version in any other language made by translation under the
responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the
Central Secretariat has the same status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium,
Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy,
Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and
United Kingdom.

CEN
European Committee for Standardization
Comit Europen de Normalisation
Europisches Komitee fr Normung
Central Secretariat: rue de Stassart 36, B-1050 Brussels
1995 Copyright reserved to CEN members

Ref. No. EN 875:1995 E

EN 875:1995

Foreword
This European Standard has been prepared by
Technical Committee CEN/TC 121, Welding, of
which the secretariat is held by DS.
This European Standard shall be given the status of
a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by
February 1996, and conflicting national standards
shall be withdrawn at the latest by February 1996.
According to the CEN/CENELEC Internal
Regulations, the following counries are bound to
implement this European Standard: Austria,
Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany,
Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,
Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Contents
Foreword
1
Scope
2
Normative reference
3
Principle
4
Method of denomination
4.1 Lettering system
4.2 Characters
4.3 Additional information
5
Examples of denomination
6
Examination
7
Test report
Annex A (informative) Test report
Figure 1 Typical examples
of denominations
Table 1 Notched face parallel to the
surface of the test piece (S position)
Table 2 Notched face perpendicular to
the surface of the test piece (T position)
Table A.1 Impact test in accordance
with EN 875

Page
2
3
3
3
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3
4
9
8
5
6
9

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EN 875:1995

1 Scope

4.2 Characters

This standard specifies mainly the method to be

used when describing test specimen location and
notch orientation for the testing and reporting of
impact tests on welded butt joints.
This standard applies to impact tests on metallic
materials in all forms of product made by any fusion
welding process.
It is used in addition to EN 10045-1 and includes
test specimen denomination and additional
reporting requirements.

The denomination comprises the following

characters:
1st character

U: Charpy U notch,
V: Charpy V notch;

2nd character

W: notch in the weld metal; the

reference line is the centre line of
the weld at the position of the
test specimen,
H: notch in the heat affected zone;
the reference line is the fusion or
the joint line (notch will include
HAZ);

3rd character

S: notched face parallel to the

surfacea,
T: notch through the thickness;

4th character

a: the distance of the centre of the

notch from the reference line (if a
is at the centre line of the weld, a
= 0 which should be recorded);

5th character

b: the distance from the weld

joint face sideb to the nearer face
of the test specimen (if b is at the
surface of the weld, b = 0 which
should be recorded).

2 Normative reference
This European Standard incorporates by dated or
undated reference, provisions from other
publications. These normative references are cited
at the appropriate places in the text and the
publications are listed hereafter. For dated
references, subsequent amendments to or revisions
of any of these publications apply to this European
Standard only when incorporated in it by
amendment or revision. For undated references the
latest edition of the publication referred to applies.
EN 10045-1, Metallic materials Charpy impact
test Part 1: Test method.

3 Principle
Impact testing shall be in accordance with
EN 10045-1. The test temperature, location, type
and size of test specimen, and notch orientation
shall be in accordance with the relevant application
standard.
In addition to the requirements of EN 10045-1, the
notch position may be located by macroetching.

4 Method of denomination
4.1 Lettering system
The denomination is based on a lettering system to
describe the type, location and notch orientation
and a numbering system to show the distance (in
millimetres) of the notch from reference lines (RL).
The method of denomination is shown in Table 1
and Table 2. The test specimen shall be taken from
the welded joint such that its longitudinal axis is at
right angles to the weld length.

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a This

orientation is equivalent to the denomination surface

notch used in fracture mechanics testing.
b

In the case of double V, K or similar welds, the face side is the

side which contains the larger width of the weld or from which
the welding energy was first applied.

4.3 Additional information

In cases where this simple denomination does not
sufficiently define the location or notch orientation,
a sketch referring to the weld procedure should be
provided.

5 Examples of denomination
Examples of denominations are given in Table 1 and
Table 2 and Figure 1.

6 Examination
The test specimens designated by this standard
shall be tested in accordance with EN 10045-1.

EN 875:1995

7 Test report
The test report shall include the following
information in addition to that given in EN 10045-1:
reference to this standard;
test specimen denomination;
sketch if required;
type and dimensions of imperfections
observed;
other information as required by the
application standard and/or by agreement
between the contracting parties.
An example of a typical test report is given
in Annex A.

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 BSI 03-1999

Table 1 Notched face parallel to the surface of the test piece (S position)
Reference

Centre of the weld

Reference

Fusion/joint line

Denomination

Representation

Denomination

Representation

VWS a/b

VHS a/b
(pressure weld)

VHS a/b
(Fusion weld)

EN 875:1995

Reference

Centre of the weld

Reference

Fusion/joint line

Denomination

Representation

Denomination

Representation

VWT O/b

VHT O/b

VWT a/b

VHT a/b

EN 875:1995

Table 2 Notched face perpendicular to the surface of the test piece (T position)

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 BSI 03-1999

Table 2 Notched face perpendicular to the surface of the test piece (T position)
Reference

Centre of the weld

Reference

Fusion/joint line

Denomination

Representation

Denomination

Representation

VWT O/b

VHT a/b

VWT a/b

VHT a/b

EN 875:1995

EN 875:1995

Figure 1 Typical examples of denominations

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EN 875:1995

Annex A (informative)
Test report

Table A.1 Impact test in accordance with EN 875

Test
Denomination Type and
Test
specimen
dimension temperature
No.

a if

mm

Impact
toughness

Impact
absorbed
energy

J/cm2

Remark

Location
of
fracturea

Type of
fracturea

Type and size

of
imperfection

required

Examiner or examining body

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Certified by:

10

blank

BS EN 875:1995

List of references
See national foreword.

BSI 03-1999

BSI
389 Chiswick High Road
London
W4 4AL

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