Structural testing
{{Short description|Measuring the ability of an object or assembly to withstand physical loading}}
{{For|software testing|White-box testing}}
File:Composite pylon test step 6.jpg
File:Umgeni River Bridge Load Test.jpg
Structural testing is the evaluation of an object (which might be an assembly of objects) to ascertain its characteristics of physical strength. Testing includes evaluating compressive strength, shear strength, tensile strength, all of which may be conducted to failure or to some satisfactory margin of safety. Evaluations may also be indirect, using techniques such as x-ray ultrasound, and ground-penetrating radar, among others, to assess the quality of the object.{{Cite web |date=2011 |title=Structural Testing |url=https://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/pdf/641784main_Structures_Test_Lab_FTI.pdf |website=NASA Johnson Space Flight Center}}{{Cite journal |last1=Bransby-Zachary |first1=Charles |last2=Crevello |first2=Gina L. |date=2016-09-01 |title=Ground Penetrating Radar for Use on Concrete Structures |url=https://www.structuremag.org/?p=10434 |journal=STRUCTURE Magazine |language=en-US}}
Structural engineers conduct structural testing to evaluate material suitability for a particular application and to evaluate the capacity of existing structures to withstand foreseeable loads.
Items may include buildings (or components), bridges, airplane wings{{cite journal
| last =Groth
| first =C
| title =Structural validation of a realistic wing structure: the RIBES test Structural validation of a realistic wing structure: the RIBES test
| journal =Procedia Structural Integrity, AIAS 2018 International Conference on Stress Analysis
| volume =12
| issue =
| pages =448–456
| date =2018
| doi =10.1016/j.prostr.2018.11.073
| url= https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2452321618301768
| access-date =11 September 2022
| hdl =11573/1262267
| hdl-access =free
}} or other types of structures.