1.1 This part of ISO 7539 covers procedures for designing, preparing and using pre-cracked specimens for investigating susceptibility to stress corrosion. It gives recommendations for the design, preparation and use of pre-cracked specimens for investigating susceptibility to stress corrosion. Recommendations concerning notched specimens are given in Annex A. The term “metal” as used in this part of ISO 7539 includes alloys. 1.2 Because of the need to confine plasticity at the crack tip, pre-cracked specimens are not suitable for the evaluation of thin products such as sheet or wire and are generally used for thicker products including plate bar and forgings. They can also be used for parts joined by welding. 1.3 Pre-cracked specimens may be loaded with equipment for application of a constant load or can incorporate a device to produce a constant displacement at the loading points. Tests conducted under increasing displacement or increasing load are dealt with in ISO 7539-9. 1.4 A particular advantage of pre-cracked specimens is that they allow data to be acquired from which critical defect sizes, above which stress corrosion cracking may occur, can be estimated for components of known geometry subjected to known stresses. They also enable rates of stress corrosion crack propagation to be determined. The latter data may be taken into account when monitoring parts containing defects during service.