This specification deals with the general requirements that apply to rolled structural steel bars, plates, shapes, and sheet piling. The steel shall be made in an open-hearth, basic-oxygen, or electric-arc furnace followed by additional refining in a ladle metallurgy furnace, or secondary melting by vacuum-arc remelting or electrostag remelting. The steel products shall undergo heat treatment, structural conditioning, and strand casting in stationary molds. Tension testing and chemical analysis shall be performed wherein the specimens shall conform to the required mechanical properties such as tensile strength, yield strength and elongation, and the required metallurgical structure and composition specifications of the products. Final products shall be legibly marked, bundled, and tagged with the applicable designation, grade, heat number, size and thickness, and name, brand, or trademark of the manufacturer for identification and shipment.

1.1 This general requirements specification² covers a group of common requirements that, unless otherwise specified in the applicable product specification, apply to rolled structural steel bars, plates, shapes, and sheet piling covered by each of the following product specifications issued by ASTM:

ASTM
Designation³

Title of Specification

A36/A36M

Carbon Structural Steel

A131/A131M

Structural Steel for Ships

A242/A242M

High-Strength Low-Alloy Structural Steel

A283/A283M

Low and Intermediate Tensile Strength Carbon Steel Plates

A328/A328M

Steel Sheet Piling

A514/A514M

High-Yield Strength, Quenched and Tempered Alloy Steel Plate Suitable for Welding

A529/A529M

High-Strength Carbon-Manganese Steel of Structural Quality

A572/A572M

High-Strength Low-Alloy Columbium-Vanadium Steel

A573/A573M

Structural Carbon Steel Plates of Improved Toughness

A588/A588M

High-Strength Low-Alloy Structural Steel with 50 ksi (345 MPa) Minimum Yield Point to 4 in. [100 mm] Thick

A633/A633M

Normalized High-Strength Low-Alloy Structural Steel Plates

A656/A656M

Hot-Rolled Structural Steel, High-Strength Low-Alloy Plate with Improved Formability

A690/A690M

High-Strength Low-Alloy Steel H-Piles and Sheet Piling for Use in Marine Environments

A709/A709M

Carbon and High-Strength Low-Alloy Structural Steel Shapes, Plates, and Bars and Quenched-and-Tempered Alloy Structural Steel Plates for Bridges

A710/A710M

Age-Hardening Low-Carbon Nickel-Copper-Chromium-Mo-
lybdenum-Columbium Alloy Structural Steel Plates

A769/A769M

Carbon and High-Strength Electric Resistance Welded Steel Structural Shapes

A786/A786M

Rolled Steel Floor Plates

A827/A827M

Plates, Carbon Steel, for Forging and Similar Applications

A829/A829M

Plates, Alloy Steel, Structural Quality

A830/A830M

Plates, Carbon Steel, Structural Quality, Furnished to Chemical Composition Requirements

A857/A857M

Steel Sheet Piling, Cold Formed, Light Gage

A871/A871M

High-Strength Low-Alloy Structural Steel Plate With Atmospheric Corrosion Resistance

A913/A913M

High-Strength Low-Alloy Steel Shapes of Structural Quality, Produced by Quenching and Self-Tempering Process (QST)

A871/A871M

High-Strength Low-Alloy Structural Steel Plate With Atmospheric Corrosion Resistance

A945/A945M

High-Strength Low-Alloy Structural Steel Plate with Low Carbon and Restricted Sulfur for Improved Weldability, Formability, and Toughness

A950/A950M

Fusion Bonded Epoxy-Coated Structural Steel H-Piles and Sheet Piling

A992/A992M

Steel for Structural Shapes for Use in Building Framing

A1043/A1043M

Structural Steel with Low Yield to Tensile Ratio for Use in Buildings

A1066/A1066M

High-Strength Low-Alloy Structural Steel Plate Produced by Thermo-Mechanical Controlled Process (TMCP)

1.2 Annex A1 lists permitted variations in dimensions and mass (Note 1) in SI units. The values listed are not exact conversions of the values in Tables 1 to 31 inclusive but are, instead, rounded or rationalized values. Conformance to Annex A1 is mandatory when the “M” specification designation is used.

1.3 Annex A2 lists the dimensions of some shape profiles.

1.4 Appendix X1 provides information on coil as a source of structural products.

1.5 Appendix X2 provides information on the variability of tensile properties in plates and structural shapes.

1.6 Appendix X3 provides information on weldability.

1.7 Appendix X4 provides information on cold bending of plates, including suggested minimum inside radii for cold bending.

1.8 This general requirements specification also covers a group of supplementary requirements that are applicable to several of the above product specifications as indicated therein. Such requirements are provided for use where additional testing or additional restrictions are required by the purchaser, and apply only where specified individually in the purchase order.

1.9 In case of any conflict in requirements, the requirements of the applicable product specification prevail over those of this general requirements specification.

1.10 Additional requirements that are specified in the purchase order and accepted by the supplier are permitted, provided that such requirements do not negate any of the requirements of this general requirements specification or the applicable product specification.

1.11 For purposes of determining conformance with this general requirements specification and the applicable product specification, values are to be rounded to the nearest unit in the right-hand place of figures used in expressing the limiting values in accordance with the rounding method of Practice E29.

1.12 The text of this general requirements specification contains notes or footnotes, or both, that provide explanatory material. Such notes and footnotes, excluding those in tables and figures, do not contain any mandatory requirements.

1.13 The values stated in either inch-pound units or SI units are to be regarded separately as standard. Within the text, the SI units are shown in brackets. The values stated in each system are not exact equivalents; therefore, each system is to be used independently of the other, without combining values in any way.

1.14 This general requirements specification and the applicable product specification are expressed in both inch-pound units and SI units; however, unless the order specifies the applicable “M” specification designation (SI units), the structural product is furnished to inch-pound units.

1.15 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.