The Italian Institute of Welding Group performs fracture toughness test for determining CTOD, KIC, JIC, J-R, CTOD-R and NDTT. Thanks to the evaluations of these parameters at different temperatures (from -80°C up to 250°C) the toughness of a parent metal or a welded joint can be characterized.

Furthermore, fracture toughness tests allow to assess the effect of flaws on the in-service integrity of structures and components. The fracture toughness tests results represent the starting point and generate input data for the most recently available "Fitness For Service” procedures recommended by International standards and codes.