Astm A6 PDF

SPECIFICATIONS
What Recent Changes Mean

for Designers and Fabricators
Tom Schlafly
E
very day we design proj- terial test reports is defined. Finally The color codes were a good second
ects calling for ASTM A992, there are Supplementary Requirements line method of marking the grade, but
A36, A572, A588, or some that define optional provisions that can they were labor intensive to apply,
other steel. We have confi- be ordered on some products. processors frequently removed them
dence that these materials The specification is maintained by and they were considered to be redun-
provide us with mechanical properties ASTM Committee A1 on Steel, Stain- dant. A survey of fabricators showed
that meet our design demandsand, less Steel and Related Alloys and is the that many did not use the color codes
like the roads we drive on, we expect direct responsibility of Subcommittee and there were many that did without
them to provide us with a smooth ride A1.02 on Structural Steel for Bridges, understanding what the rules were.
with little thought to the work that was Buildings, Rolling Stock, and Ships. There were inspectors who insisted
done to make the reliable and useful. These ASTM committees meet twice a that the color codes had to remain
The material specifications included in year to consider revisions to their as- through fabrication, which was not the
every steel design refer to a standard signed specifications and to develop intent of the system.
that defines the infrastructure of steel new specifications as needed. While The requirement for alternate core
construction and is as important to the most of the best-known requirements testing of heavy shapes that first ap-
steel construction community as the in ASTM A6 do not change dramati- peared in the AISC specification was
roads and sewers and power grid are cally very often, adjustments are often included in ASTM A992 and ASTM
to the people in the residential commu- considered and implemented. A913, but may be applied to all steel
nities in which we live. That standard shape material specifications. There-
is ASTM A6. RECENT CHANGES fore it was removed from ASTM A992
Material specifications such as The location from which structural and ASTM A913 and a supplementary
ASTM A992 define the chemistry and shape tension tests are taken was requirement (S30) was placed in ASTM
mechanical property requirements for moved from the web to the flange for A6; S30 is now referenced in the mate-
various types of steel. They dont, how- most of the wide-flange sections we rial specifications to which it applies.
ever, define the product forms with use. This was done because engineers Now, if you need the core toughness
which we workthats the job of design for flexure using the extreme test all you need to do is specify S30 Al-
ASTM A6. fiber stress and the thicker flanges usu- ternate Core CVN for compliance with
ASTM A6/A6M-01b, titled Stan- ally have a lower yield stress than the the AISC requirement.
dard Specification for General Require- thinner webs. By taking the tensile Some may have noted the disap-
ments for Rolled Structural Steel Bars, specimens from the flange we are being pearance of Supplementary Require-
Plates, Shapes, and Sheet Piling, is one more conservative and obtaining a ment (SR) S91-Fine Austenitic Grain
of the key building blocks of steel con- more direct measure of the property Size from ASTM A572 and other mate-
struction. It provides dimensions of (yield point/strength) engineers need rial specifications. ASTM has added a
shapes and tolerances for plates, to have for design. definition of Fine Grain Practice to
shapes, and bars. ASTM A6 also in- Also, welded repair requirements to A6 and has added new SRs to ASTM
cludes order, testing, inspection, identi- be followed by producers were A6 for Fine Grain Practice (S28) and
fication and shipping requirements. brought up to date, and the list of Fine Austenitic Grain Size (S29) de-
There are surface quality limits and chemical elements to be shown on a tailing these requirements. These
provisions for repair by grinding or test report was expanded. changes were made because these sup-
welding. Material marking is man- More recently, the requirement to plemental requirements may be ap-
dated. Testing requirements are shown mark structural products with color plied to many common structural steel
and information to be included on ma- codes was removed from ASTM A6.
September 2002 Modern Steel Construction

specifications and properly belong found no producers of these shapes; the sections they are selecting. Not
with the other general requirements. producers felt the product was of coincidentally, it will no longer be
ASTM A6 is the specification where enough interest that it might be pro- necessary for ASTM revise the
shape dimensions are linked to a shape duced in the future. Group table every time they
profile designation, (for example, W14 change the list of shapes.
257). This list of shapes is revised pe- UPCOMING CHANGES Other changes under consideration
riodically. Shape availability is com- A few changes are under considera- include updated provisions for la-
municated to the public through AISCs tion by the ASTM committee right beling beams, methods to deal with
web site (www.aisc.org/steelavailability) now. bundles of material produced dur-
and the January and July issues of Mod- Table A defining the shape ing a change in heat (bundles con-
ern Steel Construction. Producers are Groups may be deleted. Histori- taining more than a single heat
now able to add to or subtract from the cally, the groups were defined using number) and clarifying the testing
list of shapes they roll whenever they the web thickness. This was done requirements for plates made from
make a change. When those changes because the tension test specimens coil.
appear to be for the long run, ASTM were previously taken from the The changes mentioned above are
will reflect them in ASTM A6. Typi- web. Presently we take the tension by no means all of those that have oc-
cally, ASTM tries to show new shapes test specimens from the flanges. curred in recent years nor are those de-
as soon as practical after they are intro- Since the tensile properties are scribed as under consideration going to
duced, but they keep discontinued based on flange thicknesses we use be the last changes in A6. ASTM sub-
shapes on the list for a while to provide regularly, members of the commit- committee A1.02 is working continu-
for inventory use and to provide for tee felt it would be easier if we ously to keep structural steel standards
possible re-entry into the market if de- related the properties and require- reliable and current with industry prac-
mand justifies. In the latest ASTM A6, ments that vary by group to the tices and technology.
the W14 808 was dropped and heavy flange thickness. That way, users
W18s were added. The S24 shapes will not have to look in a separate Tom Schlafly is Director of Research at
were not omitted even though AISC table to see what properties apply to AISC in Chicago.
Modern Steel Construction September 2002

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SPECIFICATIONS

What Recent Changes Mean

September 2002 Modern Steel Construction

Modern Steel Construction September 2002

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