2. Presentation of the section

This section on Mechanical testing of metals is organized as follows. First, there are tests to determine behavioral laws, i.e. the relationship between stress and strain: these include the determination of elasticity, viscoelasticity and plasticity constants. This is followed by global tests incorporating several parameters of the behavior law: hardness tests and formability tests. We then move on to fracture tests, providing either intrinsic toughness or more global indications of resilience. Finally, special attention is paid to adapting tests for welded joints, which pose particular problems due to their heterogeneity and residual stresses. Fatigue tests are also covered in this section.