ISO 16810: Non-Destructive Testing - Ultrasonic Testing
International standard for ultrasonic testing covering all UT methods and applications. ISO 16810 is the comprehensive international standard for ultrasonic NDT procedures, equipment, and acceptance criteria.
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) publishes the globally harmonised counterparts of regional NDT codes; ISO standards are the default outside the United States.
European, Middle Eastern, and Asia-Pacific procurement specifications routinely cite ISO standards directly; CE-marked equipment requires ISO compliance for entry into the EU market.
ISO 16810 is invoked when the scope of work matches its title — non-destructive testing - ultrasonic testing — and when the contract or regulatory regime cites it as the controlling document.
Methods covered
Industries
- All Industries
- Personnel qualification: examinations under ISO 16810 must be performed by inspectors qualified and certified to a recognised scheme (typically ASNT SNT-TC-1A, CP-189, or ISO 9712 depending on jurisdiction), with documented training hours, vision tests, and a controlling written practice.
- Written procedure: every examination requires a written, controlled procedure that names the method, equipment, calibration steps, scanning pattern, and acceptance criteria — and is qualified before first use.
- Equipment verification: ultrasonic instruments must be verified against a calibration block (V1, V2, IIW, or job-specific reference) at intervals defined by the procedure — typically before use, every four hours of scanning, on operator change, and at end of shift.
- Acceptance criteria: indications are evaluated against the standard's tabulated limits (length, depth, alignment, frequency); any indication exceeding the criteria is recorded, dispositioned, and either repaired or evaluated for fitness-for-service.
- Documentation: examination reports must include enough information for a third party to reproduce the inspection — equipment serial numbers, calibration records, inspector ID, sketches of indications, and the controlling procedure revision.
- Conformity demonstration: where ISO 16810 is invoked under a CE-mark or third-party certification scheme, conformity must be demonstrated through documented examination records reviewed by a notified body.
ISO standards are revised on a five-year systematic-review cycle. Updates to ISO 16810 typically harmonise the document with parallel EN and ASTM publications, expand coverage of digital techniques, and clarify acceptance-criteria tables. EN-ISO dual-numbered standards reflect direct adoption by CEN; an EN-ISO citation is enforceable across the EU.
On a typical All Industries job, ISO 16810 is reproduced inside the inspection company's written procedure, the procedure is qualified for the customer, and each examination report cites the procedure revision back to the controlling clause of the standard.
What does ISO 16810 cover?
ISO 16810 (Non-Destructive Testing - Ultrasonic Testing) is published by ISO. International standard for ultrasonic testing covering all UT methods and applications.
Is ISO 16810 mandatory or voluntary?
ISO 16810 is a consensus standard. It becomes mandatory when invoked by a contract, by another code that cites it (for example ASME Section V calling out an ASTM practice), or by a regulator that has adopted it into law in a specific jurisdiction.
Who is qualified to perform inspections under ISO 16810?
Inspections under ISO 16810 must be performed by personnel qualified and certified to a recognised NDT certification scheme — most commonly ASNT SNT-TC-1A or CP-189 in the United States, ISO 9712 in much of the rest of the world, and NAS 410 for aerospace work. The written practice that controls qualification must be in place before any examination is started.
Which other standards are commonly cited alongside ISO 16810?
ISO 16810 is most often cited together with the parent code that brings it into the contract — typically ASME Section V or VIII for U.S. pressure equipment, AWS D1.1 for structural welding, API 510/570/653 for in-service petroleum equipment, or the matching EN/ISO standard for European and international work.
Standard Code
ISO 16810
Organization
ISO
Methods Covered
1 method(s)
Industries
1 sector(s)
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