Abstract <p>A516 Gr.70 steel is widely used in industries such as petroleum refining, oil and gas, chemical, and power, especially in hydrogen atmospheres. Hydrogen can cause hydrogen embrittlement, negatively affecting the reliability of steels in these industries by reducing their static and fatigue lifespans. This research investigates the static fracture tendencies of A516 Gr.70 steel in the presence of hydrogen through experimental testing and finite element analysis. Using appropriate experimental tests, the stress–strain curve of the steel was first calculated based on the hydrogen content in the specimen. The <i>J</i>-integral was then calculated for specimens without hydrogen and with 7 PPM of hydrogen using a compact tension (CT) specimen fracture toughness test. Hydrogenation of the experimental specimens was performed using an electrochemical cell in conjunction with cathodic charging. The LECO RH400 instrument, with a precision of 0.1 PPM, was utilized to measure the amount of penetrated hydrogen in the specimens. Two finite element models were introduced and designed to simulate hydrogen embrittlement phenomena. First model was introduced to evaluate the <i>J</i>-integral as a measure of fracture toughness and second model is a traction separation law (TSL) to predict crack propagation in presence of hydrogen using cohesive element. TSL damage model parameters were determined through experimental data and the first model results. To ascertain models credibility, their results were compared against established literature and experimental findings. These verified models offer a robust tool for probing and analyzing the <i>J</i>-integral values and crack propagation in specimens with different hydrogen concentrations, highlighting its potential to be used for practical design and assessment.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>