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Designation: A 1 – 00
Standard Specification forCarbon Steel Tee Rails1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation A 1; the
number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
originaladoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last
revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last
reapproval. A superscriptepsilon (e) indicates an editorial change
since the last revision or reapproval.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the
Department of Defense.
1. Scope
1.1 This specification covers carbon steel tee rails of nomi-nal
weights of 60 lb/yd (29.8 kg/m) and over for use in railwaytrack,
including export and industrial applications.
1.2 Supplementary requirements S1 and S2 shall apply onlywhen
specified by the purchaser in the order.
1.3 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regardedas
the standard. The values given in parentheses are forinformation
only.
2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:A 29/A 29M Specification for Steel Bars,
Carbon and Alloy,
Hot-Wrought and Cold-Finished, General Requirementsfor2
A 700 Practices for Packaging, Marking, and LoadingMethods for
Steel Products for Domestic Shipment2
E 10 Test Method for Brinell Hardness of Metallic
Materi-als3
E 127 Practice for Fabricating and Checking AluminumAlloy
Ultrasonic Standard Reference Blocks4
E 428 Practice for Fabrication and Control of Steel Refer-ence
Blocks Used in Ultrasonic Inspection4
2.2 American Railway Engineering and Maintenance ofWay
Association (AREMA) Manual for Railway Engineering:
Specifications for Steel Rails, Chapter 4, Part 25,6
3. Ordering Information
3.1 Orders for rails under this specification shall include
thefollowing information:
3.1.1 ASTM designation and year of issue.3.1.2 Type of rail
desired.
3.1.3 Quantity (tons or pieces as appropriate).3.1.4 Full
identification of section with dimensional draw-
ing, if required.3.1.5 Arrangement of drilled bolt holes, if
any, with dimen-
sional drawing, if required.3.1.6 Quantity of right-hand and
left-hand (Note 1) drilled
rails, drilled both-end rails, and undrilled (blank) rails
desired.3.1.7 Supplementary requirements that shall apply (see
S1
and S2).3.1.8 Disposition of various classifications of rails
(see 8.3.6
and 8.3.7).
NOTE 1—The right-hand or left-hand end of the rail is determined
byfacing the side of the rail on which the brand (raised
characters) appears.
4. Materials and Manufacture
4.1 Rail Types—Rails shall be furnished as-rolled (standardand
alloy), head hardened (on-line or off-line processes), orfully heat
treated as agreed upon between the purchaser and
themanufacturer.
4.2 Melting Practice—The steel shall be made by any of
thefollowing processes: basic-oxygen or electric-furnace.
4.2.1 The steel shall be cast by a continuous process,
inhot-topped ingots, or by other methods agreed upon betweenthe
purchaser and the manufacturer.
4.3 Discard—Sufficient discard shall be taken from thebloom or
ingot to ensure freedom from injurious segregationand pipe.
4.4 Hydrogen Elimination:4.4.1 Applicability:4.4.1.1 Rails 60
through 70 lb/yd (29.8 through 34.8 kg/m)
are not subject to treatment for hydrogen elimination.4.4.1.2
Rails over 70 through 84 lb/yd (over 34.8 through
41.7 kg/m) may be subjected to treatment for hydrogenelimination
at the option of the manufacturer.
4.4.1.3 Rails over 84 lb/yd (41.7 kg/m) shall be processedby
methods that prevent the formation of shatter cracks asagreed upon
between the purchaser and the manufacturer.
4.4.2 Rail heats shall be tested for hydrogen content
usingeither a sampling/analytical method or a direct
measurementmethod of the liquid steel. The testing shall be
performed eitherduring the continuous casting process or during
ingot teeming.Hydrogen content shall be recorded and available for
review or
1 This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee
A01 on Steel,Stainless Steel and Related Alloys and is the direct
responsibility of SubcommitteeA01.01 on Steel Rails and
Accessories.
Current edition approved Sept. 10, 2000. Published November
2000. Originallypublished as A 1 – 01. Last previous edition A 1 –
92.
2 Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 01.05.3 Annual Book of ASTM
Standards, Vol 03.01.4 Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 03.03.5
Available from American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way
Assn.,
8201 Corporate Drive, Suite 1125, Landover, MD 20785.6 Adapted
from AREMA Specifications for Steel Rails (see 2.2).
1
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box
C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
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reporting at the request of the purchaser. The producer
shalldefine the method used to determine hydrogen content, whichof
the following methods are used for hydrogen removal, andpresent
evidence of applicable procedures used to control thefinal rail
hydrogen:
4.4.2.1 Vacuum degassing.4.4.2.2 Bloom control cooling.4.4.2.3
Rail control cooling.4.4.3 Rail Control-Cooling Procedure (AREMA
Specifica-
tions for Steel Rails)—Rails shall be control-cooled in
accor-dance with the following procedure, except when producedfrom
vacuum degassed steel or control-cooled blooms, inwhich case the
rails may be air-cooled, and 4.4.3.1-4.4.3.5 arenot applicable.
4.4.3.1 All rails shall be cooled on the hot beds or
runwaysuntil full transformation is accomplished and then
chargedimmediately into the containers. In no case should the rail
becharged at a temperature below 725°F (385°C).
4.4.3.2 The temperature of the rails before charging shall
bedetermined with a reliable calibrated pyrometer at the top ofthe
rail head at least 12 in. (305 mm) from the end.
4.4.3.3 The cover shall be placed on the container immedi-ately
after completion of the charge and shall remain in placefor at
least 10 h. After removal or raising of the lid of thecontainer, no
rail shall be removed until the top layer of railshas fallen to
300°F (149°C) or lower.
4.4.3.4 The temperature between an outside rail and theadjacent
rail in the bottom tier of the container at a point notless than 12
in. (305 mm) nor more than 36 in. (915 mm) fromthe rail end shall
be recorded. This temperature shall be thecontrol for judging rate
of cooling.
4.4.3.5 The container shall be so protected and insulatedthat
the control temperature shall not drop below 300°F(149°C) in 7 h
for rails 100 lb/yd (49.7 kg/m) in weight orheavier, from the time
that the bottom tier is placed in thecontainer, and in 5 h for
rails of less than 100 lb/yd in weight.If this cooling requirement
is not met, the rails shall beconsidered control-cooled, provided
that the temperature at alocation not less than 12 in. (305 mm)
from the end of a rail atapproximately the center of the middle
tier does not drop below300°F in less than 15 h.
5. Chemical Composition
5.1 The chemical composition of the standard, head hard-ened,
and fully heat treated rail steel, determined as prescribedin
5.2.1, shall be within the limits shown in Table 1. Thechemical
composition of alloy rail will be subject to agreementbetween the
purchaser and the manufacturer.
5.1.1 When ladle tests are not available, finished
materialrepresenting the heat may be product tested. The
productanalysis allowance beyond the limits of the specified
ladleanalysis shall be within the limits for product analyses
speci-fied in Table 2.
5.2 Heat or Cast Analysis:5.2.1 Separate analysis shall be made
from test samples
representing one of the first three and one of the last
threeingots or continuously cast blooms preferably taken during
thepouring of the heat. Determinations may be made chemicallyor
spectrographically. Any portion of the heat meeting the
chemical analysis requirements of Table 1 may be applied.
Theanalysis, most representative of the heat (clear of the
transitionzone for continuous cast steel), shall be recorded as the
officialanalysis, but the purchaser shall have access to all
chemicalanalysis determinations. Additionally, any material meeting
theproduct analysis limits shown in Table 2 may be applied
aftertesting such material in accordance with Specification A 29/A
29M.
5.2.2 Upon request by the purchaser, samples shall befurnished
to verify the analysis as determined in 5.2.1.
6. Interior Condition
6.1 For both ingot steel and continuously cast steel,
betweenmacroetch testing shall be performed as agreed upon
betweenthe purchaser and the manufacturer.
6.2 Macroetch Testing—Rail soundness shall be evaluatedby
macroetching in a hot acid solution.
6.2.1 Sample Location and Frequency:6.2.1.1 Ingot Steel—A test
piece representing the top end of
the top rail from one of the first three, middle three, and
lastthree ingots of each heat shall be macroetched.
6.2.1.2 Continuous Cast Steel—A test piece shall be mac-roetched
representing a rail from each strand from the begin-ning of each
sequence and whenever a new ladle is begun,which is the point
representative of the lowest level in thetundish (that is, the
point of lowest ferrostatic pressure). Oneadditional sample from
the end of each strand of the last heatin the sequence shall also
be tested. A new tundish isconsidered to be the beginning of a new
sequence.
6.2.2 If any test specimen does not conform to the accept-able
macroetch pictorial standards agreed upon between thepurchaser and
the manufacturer, further samples shall be takenfrom the same
strand or ingot. For continuously cast steel, tworetests shall be
taken one from each side of the original sample
TABLE 1 Chemical Requirements—Heat Analysis
Element
Nominal Weight, lb/yd (kg/m)
60 to 84(29.8 to41.7),incl
85 to 114(42.2 to56.6),incl
115(57.0)
and over
Carbon 0.55 to 0.68 0.70 to 0.80 0.74 to 0.84Manganese 0.60 to
0.90 0.70 to 1.00 0.80 to 1.10A
Phosphorus, max 0.040 0.035 0.035Sulfur, max 0.050 0.040
0.040Silicon 0.10 to 0.50 0.10 to 0.50 0.10 to 0.50
AThe upper manganese limit may be extended to 1.25 % by the
manufacturer tomeet the Brinell hardness specification. When
manganese exceeds 1.10 %, theresidual alloy contents will be held
to 0.25 % maximum nickel; 0.25 % maximumchromium; 0.10 % maximum
molybdenum; and 0.03 % maximum vanadium.
TABLE 2 Product Analysis Allowance Beyond Limits ofSpecified
Chemical Analysis
Percent UnderMinimum Limit
Percent OverMaximum Limit
Carbon 0.04 0.04Manganese 0.06 0.06Phosphorus . . . 0.008Sulfur
. . . 0.008Silicon 0.02 0.02A
A Continuously cast allowances shall be 0.05 % over maximum
limit for silicon.
A 1
2
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at positions decided by the manufacturer, and the
materialbetween the two retest positions shall be rejected. For
ingotsteel, testing shall progress down the ingot. If any retest
fails,testing shall continue until acceptable internal quality
isexhibited. All rails represented by failed tests shall be
rejected.
7. Hardness Properties
7.1 Rails shall be produced as specified by the purchaserwithin
the limits found in Table 3 and Table 4,
7.2 The Brinell hardness test shall be performed on a rail,
apiece of rail at least 6 in. (152 mm) long cut from a rail of
eachheat of steel or heat-treatment lot, or from a
ground/milledtransverse sample cut from the 6-in. piece. The test
shall bemade on the side or top of the rail head after
decarburizedmaterial has been removed to permit an accurate
determinationof hardness. Alternately, the test may be made on the
preparedtransverse ground/milled sample 3⁄8in. from the top rail
surface.
7.3 The test shall otherwise be conducted in accordancewith Test
Method E 10.
7.4 If any test result fails to meet the specifications,
twoadditional checks shall be made on the same piece. If bothchecks
meet the specified hardness, the heat or heat treatmentlot meets
the hardness requirement. If either of the additionalchecks fails,
two additional rails in the heat or lot shall bechecked. Both of
these checks must be satisfactory for the heator lot to be
accepted. If any one of these two checks fails,individual rails may
be tested for acceptance.
7.5 If the results for off-line head hardened rails and
fullyheat treated rails fail to meet the requirements of 7.1, the
railsmay be retreated at the option of the manufacturer, and
suchrails shall be retested in accordance with 7.2 and 7.3.
8. Permissible Variations of Dimension, Weight, andOther
Physical Attributes
8.1 Section:8.1.1 The section of the rail shall conform to the
design
specified by the purchaser.8.1.2 A variation of 0.015 in. (0.38
mm) less or 0.040 in.
(1.02 mm) greater than the specified height will be
permittedmeasured at least 1 in. (25.4 mm) from each end.
8.1.3 A variation of 0.030 in. (0.76 mm) less or 0.030
in.greater than the specified rail head width will be
permittedmeasured at least 1 in. (25.4 mm) from each end.
8.1.4 A variation of 0.050 in. (1.27 mm) in the total width
ofthe base will be permitted.
8.1.5 No variation will be allowed in dimensions affectingthe
fit of the joint bars, except that the fishing templateapproved by
the purchaser may stand out laterally not morethan 0.060 in. (1.5
mm) when measured within the 18-in.(460-mm) end locations.
8.1.6 A variation of 0.060 in. (1.5 mm) in the asymmetry ofthe
head with respect to the base will be permitted.
8.1.7 A variation of 0.020 in. (0.51 mm) less or 0.040 in.(1.02
mm) greater than the specified thickness of web will
bepermitted.
8.1.8 Verification of tolerances shall be made using
appro-priate gages as agreed upon between the purchaser and
themanufacturer.
8.2 Length:8.2.1 The standard length of rails shall be 39 ft
(11.9 m) or
80 ft (24.4 m), or both, when measured at a temperature of60°F
(15°C).
8.2.2 Up to 9 % for 39 ft rail or 15 % for 80 ft rail of
theentire order will be accepted in lengths shorter than
thestandard, varying by 1 ft (0.3 m) as follows: 79, 78, 77, 75,
70,65, 60, 39, 38, 37, 36, 33, 30, 27, and 25 ft.
8.2.3 A variation of 7⁄16 in. (11 mm) for 39-ft (11.9-m) railsor
7⁄8 in. (22 mm) for 80-ft rails (24.4-m) will be permitted.
8.2.4 Length variations other than those specified in 8.2.2and
8.2.3 may be established by agreement between thepurchaser and the
manufacturer.
8.3 Drilling:8.3.1 Circular holes for joint bolts shall be
drilled to
conform to the drawings and dimensions furnished by
thepurchaser.
8.3.2 A variation of −0 and +1⁄16 in. (1.6 mm) in the size ofthe
bolt holes will be permitted.
8.3.3 A variation of 1⁄32 in. (0.8 mm) in the location of
theholes will be permitted.
8.3.4 Fins and burrs at the edges of bolt holes shall
beeliminated. The drilling process shall be controlled to
preventmechanical or metallurgical damage to the rail.
8.3.5 When right-hand and left-hand drilling is specified,
atleast the minimum quantity of each indicated by the purchaserwill
be supplied. The excess on any one-end drilling will beapplied
against the order.
8.3.6 Disposition of rails classified “A” and short rails,
withrespect to application as right-hand drilled, left-hand
drilled,and blank rails, if such categories are specified in the
order,shall be established by agreement between the purchaser
andthe manufacturer.
8.3.7 Disposition of short rails that accrue from
left-handdrilled, right-hand drilled, and undrilled (blank) rail
produc-tion, and which are acceptable in accordance with 8.2.2
shallbe established by agreement between the purchaser and
themanufacturer.
TABLE 3 Hardness Requirements of Standard Carbon Rails
Nominal Weight, lb/yd (kg/m)60 to 84
(29.8 to 41.7),incl
85 to 114(42.2 to 56.6),
incl
115 (57.0)and over
Brinell Hardness, min 201 285 300
TABLE 4 Hardness Requirements of High-Strength Rails(See
notes)
NOTE 1—Hardness specified in Table 4 pertain to the head area
only.NOTE 2—A fully pearlitic microstructure shall be maintained in
the
head.NOTE 3—If 410 HB is exceeded, the microstructure throughout
the
head shall be examined at 1003 or higher for confirmation of a
fullypearlitic microstructure in the head.
NOTE 4—No untempered martensite shall be present within the
rail.
Nominal Weight, lb/yd (kg/m)60 to 84
(29.8 to 41.7),incl
85 to 114(42.2 to 56.6),
incl
115 (57.0)and over
Brinell Hardness 277 to 341 321, min 341, min
A 1
3
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8.4 Finish:8.4.1 Rails shall be straightened cold in a press or
roller
machine to remove twists, waves, and kinks, until they meetthe
surface and line requirements specified in 8.4.2-8.4.8,
asdetermined by visual inspection.
8.4.2 When placed head up on a horizontal support, railsthat
have ends higher than the middle will be accepted, if theyhave a
uniform surface upsweep, the maximum ordinate ofwhich does not
exceed 3⁄4 in. (19 mm) in any 39 ft (11.9 m).
8.4.3 The uniform surface upsweep at the rail ends shall
notexceed a maximum ordinate of 0.025 in. (0.64 mm) in 3 ft (0.9m)
and the 0.025-in. maximum ordinate shall not occur at apoint closer
than 18 in. (460 mm) from the rail end.
8.4.4 Surface downsweep and droop will not be acceptable.8.4.5
Deviations of the lateral (horizontal) line in either
direction at the rail ends shall not exceed a maximum
mid-ordinate of 0.030 in. (0.07 mm) in 3 ft (0.9 m) using
astraightedge and 0.023 in. (0.58 mm) maximum ordinate at apoint 9
in. (229 mm) from the rail end.
8.4.6 When required, proof of compliance with 8.4.2 shallbe
determined by string (wire) lining, and a 3-ft (0.9-m)straightedge
and taper gage shall be used to determine rail endsurface and line
characteristics specified in 8.4.3, 8.4.4, and8.4.5. All ordinate
determinations shall be made on the concaveside, between the rail
surface and the straightedge or stringline.
8.4.7 Rails shall be hot-sawed, cold-sawed, milled,
abrasivewheel cut, or ground to length, with a variation in
endsquareness of not more than 1⁄32 in. (0.8 mm) allowed.
Burrsshall be removed. The method of end finishing rails shall
besuch that the rail end shall not be metallurigically or
mechani-cally damaged.
8.4.8 If the rail shows evidence of twist while being laidhead
up on the final inspection bed, it will be checked byinserting a
taper or feeler gage between the base and the railskid nearest the
end. If the gap exceeds 0.090 in. (2.29 mm),the rail will be
rejected. Alternatively, a twist gage may beused, and, if the rail
exceeds 1.5° in 39 ft (11.9 m), the rail willbe rejected. Rejected
rails may be subject to straightening.
9. Rework
9.1 Rails presented for inspection that do not conform to
therequirements of 8.4.1-8.4.8 may be reconditioned by the
mill.
10. Classification of Rails
10.1 Rails that do not contain surface imperfections in
suchnumber or of such character as will, in the judgment of
thepurchaser, render them unfit for recognized uses, shall
beaccepted.
11. Inspection
11.1 The manufacturer shall afford the purchaser’s inspectorall
reasonable facilities necessary to satisfy him that thematerial is
being produced and furnished in accordance withthis specification.
Mill inspection by the purchaser shall notinterfere unnecessarily
with the manufacturer’s operations. Alltests and inspections shall
be made at the place of manufacture,unless otherwise agreed
upon.
12. Rejection and Rehearing
12.1 Material that fails to conform to the requirements ofthis
specification may be rejected. Rejections shall be reportedto the
manufacturer or supplier promptly and in writing. In caseof
dissatisfaction with the test results, the manufacturer orsupplier
may make claim for a rehearing.
13. Certification
13.1 When specified in the purchase order or contract,
amanufacturer’s certification shall be furnished to the
purchaserthat the material was produced and tested in accordance
withthis specification and has been found to meet the
requirements.
13.2 When specified in the purchase order or contract, areport
of the chemical and mechanical test results shall befurnished.
13.3 A material Test Report, Certificate of Inspection,
orsimilar document printed from or used in electronic from
anelectronic data interchange (EDI) transmission shall be re-garded
as having the same validity as a counterpart printed inthe
certifier’s facility. The content of the EDI transmitteddocument
must meet the requirements of the invoked ASTMstandard(s) and
conform to any existing EDI agreement be-tween the purchaser and
the supplier.
13.4 Notwithstanding the absence of a signature, the
orga-nization submitting either a printed document (Material
TestReport, Certificate of Inspection or similar document), or
anEDI transmission is responsible for the content of the
report.
14. Product Marking
14.1 Branding and Stamping:14.1.1 Branding shall be rolled in
raised characters at least
twice on the side of the web of each rail a minimum of every16
ft (4.9 m) in accordance with the following requirements:
14.1.1.1 The data and order of arrangement of the brandingshall
be as shown in Table 5.
14.1.2 The heat number, rail letter, ingot number or strandand
bloom, and method of hydrogen elimination (if not shownin brand)
shall be hot-stamped into the web of each rail aminimum of 3 times
per rail on the side opposite the brand.
14.1.2.1 The stamping data shall be as shown in Table 6.14.1.2.2
The top rail from each open top ingot shall nor-
mally be hot-stamped “A” and succeeding ones “B,”“ C,” “D,”“E,”
and so forth, consecutively; however, if the top discard isgreater
than normal, the rail lettering shall conform to theamount of
discard, the top rail becoming “B,” or othersucceeding letter to
suit the condition.
14.1.2.3 The top rail from each hot top ingot shall normallybe
hot-stamped “B” and succeeding ones “C,” “D,”“ E,” and so
TABLE 5 Branding Data
NOTE 1—The design of letters and numerals shall be optional with
themanufacturer.
Weight Section
Method of Hy-drogen Elimina-
tion (if Indi-cated in Brand)
Mill Brand Year RolledMonthRolled
136 RE CC MFG 1980 111
A 1
4
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forth, consecutively, when agreed upon between the purchaserand
the manufacturer.
14.1.2.4 Ingots shall be numbered in order cast.14.1.2.5 Only
the “A,” “B,” and“ C” rails are required to be
lettered when the nominal weight per yard is less than 85
lb(42.2 kg/m).
14.1.2.6 The hot-stamping symbols pertaining to
hydrogenelimination may be “CC” control cooling of rails, “BC”
controlcooling of blooms, or “VT” vacuum-treated.
14.1.2.7 Rail from continuous cast blooms shall be identi-fied
by a designation for heat number, strand number, andbloom number
(Note 2). The rail shall be identified by analphabetical
designation beginning with “P” and succeedingones “R,” “S,”“ T,”
and so forth, consecutively, or any otheridentification of the
position of the rail within the cast as agreedupon between the
purchaser and the manufacturer.
NOTE 2—Strand and bloom numbers may be joined at the
manufactur-er’s option.
14.1.2.8 The 5⁄8-in. (16-mm) stamped characters shall have aflat
face (0.040 to 0.060 in. wide) (1.02 to 1.52 mm) withbevels on each
side so as not to produce metallurgical stressrisers. The letters
and numbers shall be on a 10° angle fromvertical and shall have
rounded corners. The stamping shall bebetween 0.020 in. (0.51 mm)
and 0.060 in. (152 mm) in depthalong the center of the web.
14.2 Classification Marking:14.2.1 “A” rails shall be
paint-marked yellow.14.2.2 Rails less than 80 ft (24.4 m) or 39 ft
(11.9 m) long
shall be paint-marked green.
14.2.3 Paint markings will appear on the top of the head ofone
end only, at least 3 ft (0.9 m) from the end.
14.2.4 All short-length rails produced shall have the
lengthidentified on the top of the head approximately 1 ft from
eachend.
14.2.5 High-strength rails shall be marked by either a
metalplate permanently attached to the neutral axis,
hot-stamped,metallized spray-stenciled, or in the brand that gives
themanufacturer, type, or method of treatment, or
combinationthereof. Head-hardened and fully heat-treated rails
shall bepaint-marked orange and alloy rail shall be
paint-markedaluminum.
14.3 Bar Coding—The automotive Industry Action Group(AIAG) Bar
Code Standard for Primary Metals for SteelProducts may be
considered as an auxiliary method of identi-fication. Use of this
method shall be by agreement between thepurchaser and the
supplier.
15. Acceptance
15.1 In order to be accepted, the rails offered shall fulfill
allof the requirements of this specification.
15.2 The number of “A” rails applied on the purchaser’sorder
will not exceed the percentage of “A” rails obtained bythe
manufacturer’s normal ingot practice.
16. Loading
16.1 Rails shall be handled carefully to avoid damage andshall
be loaded in separate cars according to classification, withthe
branding on all rails facing the same direction, except whenthe
number of rails in a shipment is insufficient to permitseparate
loading.
17. U.S. Government Procurement
17.1 When specified in the contract or purchase order,material
shall be prepared for shipment and storage in accor-dance with the
requirements of Practices A 700.
18. Keywords
18.1 rails; railway applications; steel rails
SUPPLEMENTARY REQUIREMENTS
One or more of the following supplementary requirements shall
apply only when specified by thepurchaser in the inquiry, contract,
or order.
S1. End Hardening
S1.1 The drilled ends may be specified to be end-hardened.When
so specified, end-hardening and chamfering shall be inaccordance
with S1.1.1 through S1.1.7.
S1.1.1 End-hardened rails may be hot-stamped with theletters
“CH” in the web of the rail ahead of the heat number.
S1.1.2 Water shall not be used as a quenching mediumexcept in an
oil-water or polymer-water emulsion processapproved by the
purchaser.
S1.1.3 Longitudinal and transverse sections showing thetypical
distribution of the hardness pattern produced by anyproposed
process shall, upon request of the purchaser, besubmitted to the
purchaser for approval before production onthe contract is
started.
S1.1.4 The heat-affected zone, defined as the region inwhich
hardness is above that of the parent metal, shall coverthe full
width of the rail head and extend longitudinally aminimum of 11⁄2
in. (38 mm) from the end of the rail. The
TABLE 6 Stamping Data
NOTE 1—The height of letters and numerals shall be 5⁄8 in. (16
mm).
Heat Number Rail LetterIngot or Strand
and BloomNumber
Method of Hydro-gen Elimination (if
Indicated in Stamp-ing)
287615 ABCDEFGH/PRST
17 BC
A 1
5
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effective hardness zone 1⁄2in. (13 mm) from the end of the
railshall be at least 1⁄4 in. (6 mm) deep.
S1.1.5 The hardness measured at a spot on the centerline ofthe
head 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 in. (6 to 13 mm) from the end of the rail shallshow
a Brinell hardness number range from 341 to 401 whenthe
decarburized surface has been removed. A report ofhardness
determination representing the product shall be givento the
purchaser or his representative.
S1.1.6 The manufacturer reserves the right to retreat anyrails
that fail to meet the required Brinell hardness numberrange.
S1.1.7 Chamfering rail ends shall be done to avoid theformation
of grinding cracks.
S2. Ultrasonic Testing
S2.1 The rail may be specified to be ultrasonically tested
forinternal imperfections by the purchaser or manufacturer,
sub-ject to the provisions of S2.2 or S2.3.
S2.2 Full length of the rail may be tested using
in-lineultrasonic testing equipment provided by the
manufacturerexcept, if agreed between the purchaser and the
manufacturer,rails may be tested in accordance with S2.3.
S2.2.1 The rail shall be free from rough surfaces, loosescale,
or foreign matter that would interfere with the ultrasonicdetection
of defects. Testing shall be done when the railtemperature is below
150°F.
S2.2.2 The calibration test rail shall be a full-section rail
ofthe same section as that being tested. The test rail shall be
longenough to allow calibration at the same rate of speed as
theproduction rail.
S2.2.3 The size, shape, location, and orientation of
calibra-tion references to be placed in the test rail shall be
agreed uponbetween the purchaser and the manufacturer. At least
onereference shall be put into the test rail to represent each
searchunit in the system.
S2.2.3.1 Recommend the following calibration
references:head—3⁄32-in. (2.38-mm) flat bottom hole; web—1⁄8-in.
(3.18-mm) flat bottom hole; base—1⁄16-in. (1.59-mm) deep by
1⁄4-in.(6.35-mm) long slot.
S2.2.3.2 Any indication equal to or greater than the agreedupon
references when scanning the rail at the production speedshall be
cause for initial rejection. A record shall be made ofeach suspect
rail. This record shall be available to the purchas-er’s
inspector.
S2.2.4 The calibration rail shall be run through the ultra-sonic
testing equipment at the start of each 8-h shift or asagreed upon
between the purchaser and the manufacturer forshifts that exceed 8
h in duration, and additionally at anysection change or at any
indication of equipment malfunction.
A record shall be maintained by the manufacturer of each timethe
calibration test rail is run through the test system. Thisrecord
shall be available to the purchaser’s inspector.
S2.2.5 In the event of a calibration failure, all rails
pro-cessed since the last successful calibration shall be
retested.
S2.2.6 The suspect rail may be retested using
manualnon-destructive testing techniques before final rejection.
Thetesting criteria of the manual nondestructive retesting shall
bein accordance with S 2.2.3. The method of inspection shall
beagreed upon between the purchaser and the manufacturer.
S2.2.7 Rejected rails shall be cut back to sound metal
asindicated by the ultrasonic testing subject to the length
restric-tions in 8.2. The cut shall be a minimum of 12 in. (304.8
mm)from any indication.
S2.3 Manual Ultrasonic Test of Web at the Rail Ends forWeld
Plant Application:
S2.3.1 Manual end testing shall be performed using stan-dard
ultrasonic testing equipment acceptable to the purchaserand the
manufacturer.
S2.3.2 The search unit shall be a standard dual-elementcrystal
or similar transducer acceptable to the purchaser and
themanufacturer.
S2.3.3 The calibration test block shall be of the
followingcharacteristics: Material 4340 AISI Steel/Nickel plated,
manu-factured in accordance with Practices E 127 and E 428. As
analternate, reference standards may be fabricated from a sectionof
rail as agreed upon between the purchaser and the
manu-facturer.
S2.3.4 Dimensions of the calibration test block and calibra-tion
references shall be agreed upon between the purchaser andthe
manufacturer. (For calibration reference, the recommendedthickness
of the block should approximate the thickness of therail web.)
S2.3.5 Calibration of the instrument shall be performedbefore
the commencement of testing, every 100 rail endsthereafter, and
after any test delay exceeding 30 min.
S2.3.6 When the search unit is coupled to the calibration
testblock, the indication height from the calibration reference
shallserve as a reference level for the test. (Recommended
referencelevels should appear from 40 to 80 % of the maximum
heighton the cathode ray tube graticule.)
S2.3.7 Couplant shall be distributed over the entire web areaat
least 12 in. from the end of the rail and the search unit movedover
the entire area in vertical or horizontal sweeps, or both.
S2.3.8 An indication equal to or exceeding the referencelevel
shall be cause for rejection.
S2.3.9 Rejected rails may be cut back to sound metal asindicated
by the ultrasonic testing, subject to the lengthrestrictions in
8.2.
ASTM International takes no position respecting the validity of
any patent rights asserted in connection with any item mentionedin
this standard. Users of this standard are expressly advised that
determination of the validity of any such patent rights, and the
riskof infringement of such rights, are entirely their own
responsibility.
This standard is subject to revision at any time by the
responsible technical committee and must be reviewed every five
years andif not revised, either reapproved or withdrawn. Your
comments are invited either for revision of this standard or for
additional standardsand should be addressed to ASTM International
Headquarters. Your comments will receive careful consideration at a
meeting of theresponsible technical committee, which you may
attend. If you feel that your comments have not received a fair
hearing you shouldmake your views known to the ASTM Committee on
Standards, at the address shown below.
A 1
6
-
This standard is copyrighted by ASTM International, 100 Barr
Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959,United
States. Individual reprints (single or multiple copies) of this
standard may be obtained by contacting ASTM at the aboveaddress or
at 610-832-9585 (phone), 610-832-9555 (fax), or [email protected]
(e-mail); or through the ASTM website(www.astm.org).
A 1
7
-
Designation: A 2 – 02
Standard Specification forCarbon Steel Girder Rails of Plain,
Grooved, and Guard Types1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation A 2; the
number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
originaladoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last
revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last
reapproval. A superscriptepsilon (e) indicates an editorial change
since the last revision or reapproval.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the
Department of Defense.
1. Scope*
1.1 This specification covers carbon steel girder rails2 ofthree
classes based on type or type and weight, and chemistrydefined as
follows and in Table 1:
1.1.1 Unless otherwise specified by the purchaser, girder-guard
rails shall be Class A.
1.1.2 Plain and grooved-girder rails under 135 lb/yd (67.1kg/m)
in weight shall be specified by the purchaser as eitherClass A or
Class B.
1.1.3 Plain and grooved-girder rails of 135 lb/yd in weightand
heavier shall be Class C, unless otherwise specified.
1.2 The values states in inch-pound units are to be regardedas
the standard. The values given in parentheses are forinformation
only.
2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:A 700 Practices for Packaging, Marking, and
Loading
Methods for Steel Products for Domestic Shipments 3
E 10 Test Method for Brinell hardness of Metallic
Materi-als4
3. Classification of Rails
3.1 No. 1 Rails—Rails that are free of injurious imperfec-tions
and flaws of all kinds.
3.2 No. 2 Rails—Rails that contain surface imperfections insuch
number or of such character that shall not, in the judgmentof the
inspector, render them unfit for recognized uses.
4. Ordering Information
4.1 Orders for girder rails under this specification
shallinclude the following information as appropriate:
4.1.1 ASTM designation and date of issue,
4.1.2 Quantity (tons or pieces as appropriate),4.1.3 Complete
identification of section with dimensional
drawing if required,4.1.4 Arrangement of bolt holes, bond holes,
and tie rod
holes with dimensional drawings, if required,4.1.5 Class (in
accordance with 1.1 and Table 1), and4.1.6 Certification and Test
Report (see 12.1).
5. Manufacture
5.1 Melting Practice—The steel shall be made by any of
thefollowing processes: open-hearth, basic-oxygen, or
electric-furnace.
5.1.1 The steel may be cast by a continuous process, or
iningots.
5.2 Discard—Sufficient discard shall be made to securefreedom
from injurious segregation and piping.
6. Chemical Composition
6.1 Heat or Cast Analysis—An analysis for each heat orcast of
steel shall be made by the manufacturer to determine thepercentage
of the elements specified in Table 1. The analysisshall be made
from a test sample representing the heat or castand shall conform
to the requirements in Table 1.
6.2 Upon request by the purchaser, similar samples shall
beprovided to verify the heat or cast analysis as determined
in6.1.
6.3 Product Analysis—When ladle tests are not available,finished
material representing the heat may be product tested.The product
analysis allowance beyond the limits of thespecified ladle analysis
shall be within the limits for productanalyses specified in Table
2.
7. Hardness Properties
7.1 Test Specimens:7.1.1 Three representative sections of rail
from each heat
shall be selected as test specimens.
1 This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee
A01 on Steel,Stainless Steel, and Related Alloys and is the direct
responsibility of SubcommitteeA01.01 on Steel Rails and
Accessories.
Current edition approved November 10, 2002. Published December
2002.Originally approved in 1912. Last previous edition approved in
1990 as A 31 – 90(1997).
2 Design details for carbon steel girder rails are indicated in
the girder railcatalogs of individual manufacturers.
3 Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 01.05.4 Annual Book of ASTM
Standards, Vol 03.01.
TABLE 1 Chemical Requirements, %
Class A Class B Class C
Carbon 0.60–0.75 0.70–0.85 0.75–0.90Manganese 0.60–0.90
0.60–0.90 0.60–0.90Phosphorus, max 0.04 0.04 0.04Silicon 0.10–0.40
0.10–0.40 0.10–0.40
1
*A Summary of Changes section appears at the end of this
standard.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box
C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
-
7.1.2 Excess scale and decarburization shall be removedfrom the
test area of the head or web of the selected specimens.
7.2 Procedure:7.2.1 1 The test shall be conducted in accordance
with Test
Method E 10.7.3 Requirements:7.3.1 Class A rail shall have a
Brinell hardness of 248 to
293, and Classes B and C shall have hardnesses of 269 to 321.7.4
Retests—If the average depth of the impressions ob-
tained on the head of the three specimens from any heat failsto
conform to the requirements specified in 7.3, the manufac-turer may
at his option retest the specimens, or each rail fromthat heat.
Rails represented by retests which conform to therequirements of
7.3 shall be accepted.
8. Permissible Variations of Dimension, Weight, andOther
Physical Attributes
8.1 Section:8.1.1 The section of the rail shall conform to the
design
specified by the purchaser.8.1.2 A variation of 1⁄64 in. (0.4
mm) less or 1⁄32 in. (0.8 mm)
greater than the specified height will be permitted.8.1.3 A
variation of 1⁄8 in. (3.2 mm) from the specified
overall width of the head and tram will be permitted, but
anyvariation that would affect the gage line more than 1⁄32 in.
(0.8mm) will not be permitted.
8.1.4 The overall width of the base shall not vary under
thatspecified more than 1⁄8 in. (3.2 mm) for widths less than 61⁄2
in.(165 mm), 3⁄16 in. (4.8 mm) for a width of 61⁄2 in., and 1⁄4
in.(6.35 mm) for a width of 7 in. (178 mm).
8.1.5 No variation will be permitted in dimensions affectingthe
fit of the joint bars, except that the fishing templateapproved by
the purchaser may stand out laterally not morethan 3⁄32 in. (2.4
mm).
8.1.6 The base of the rail shall be at right angles to the
web,and the convexity shall not exceed 1⁄32 in. (0.8 mm).
8.1.7 When necessary, because of the type of track
construc-tion, and notice to that effect has been given to the
manufac-turer, the position of the gage line with respect to the
outer edgeof the base shall not vary more than 3⁄64 in. (1.2
mm).
8.2 Weight—The weight of the rails per yard as calculated,shall
be maintained as nearly as possible after conforming tothe
requirements specified in 8.1.
8.3 Length:8.3.1 Unless otherwise specified, the standard length
of rail
shall be 39 ft (11.9 m) where measured at a temperature of60°F
(15°C).
8.3.2 All standard 39-ft lengths may be specified; or
8.3.3 Standard 39-ft lengths with up to 11 % of the entireorder
in lengths shorter than standard, varying by 1 ft (0.3 m)from 38 to
24 ft (11.6 to 7.3 m) may be specified; or
8.3.4 Length variations other than those described in 8.3.3may
be established by agreement between the purchaser
andmanufacturer.
8.3.5 A variation of 7⁄16 in. (11 mm) from the specifiedlength
of individual rails will be permitted.
8.4 End Finish:8.4.1 Rails shall be milled, abrasive wheel cut,
or ground to
length, with a variation in end squareness of not more than
1⁄32in. (0.8 mm) allowed.
8.4.2 Harmful burrs on the ends shall be removed.8.5
Drilling:8.5.1 Circular holes for joint bar bolts, bonds, and tie
rods
shall be drilled to conform to the drawings and
dimensionsfurnished by the purchaser and within the following
permis-sible variations:
8.5.2 The diameter of bolt holes shall not vary more than
1⁄16in. (1.6 mm) over and 0 in. under that specified. The
diameterof bond holes shall not be over the size specified, but may
be1⁄32 in. (0.8 mm) under. The diameter of the tie rod holes
shallnot be less than that specified but may be 1⁄16 in. (1.6 mm)
over.
8.5.3 The location of bolt and bond holes shall not varymore
than 1⁄16 in. (1.6 mm), either longitudinally or verticallyfrom
that specified. The location of the tie rod holes shall notvary
more than 1⁄4 in. (6.35 mm) vertically and not more than1⁄2 in.
(12.7 mm) longitudinally from that specified.
8.5.4 Bond holes shall be truly cylindrical and not
conical.8.5.5 Harmful fins and burrs at the edges of holes shall
be
removed.8.6 Punching—Unless otherwise specified by the
purchaser,
the tie rod holes in Class A rails may be punched, and, when
somade, they shall be free of burrs, fins, etc. Punched tie
rodholes shall not be less in diameter than specified, but may
benot more than 1⁄8 in. (3.2 mm) over size.
9. Workmanship, Finish, and Appearance
9.1 Rails shall be straightened cold in a press or rollermachine
to remove twists, waves, and kinks.
9.2 Deviations in the vertical and horizontal
alignmentthroughout the length of the rail shall be uniform.
Sharpdeviations in either direction shall not be acceptable.
9.3 Straightness shall be assessed by visual inspection.
10. Inspection
10.1 The manufacturer shall afford the purchaser’s inspectorall
reasonable facilities necessary to satisfy him that thematerial is
being produced and furnished in accordance withthis specification.
Mill inspection by the purchaser shall notinterfere unnecessarily
with the manufacturer’s operations. Alltests and inspections shall
be made at the place of manufacture,unless otherwise agreed to.
11. Rejection and Rehearing
11.1 Material that fails to conform to the requirements ofthis
specification may be rejected. Rejections shall be reportedto the
manufacturer or supplier promptly and in writing. In case
TABLE 2 Product Analysis—Allowance Beyond Limits ofSpecified
Chemical Analysis
Allowance Under MinumumLimit, %
Allowance Over MaximumLimit, %
Carbon 0.04 0.04Manganese 0.06 0.06Phosphorus . . . 0.008Silicon
0.02 0.02A
AContinuously cast allowances shall be 0.05 % over maximum for
silicon.
A 2 – 02
2
-
of dissatisfaction with the test results, the manufacturer
orsupplier may make claim for a rehearing.
12. Certification
12.1 When specified in the purchase order or contract,
amanufacturer’s certification shall be furnished to the
purchaserthat the material was produced and tested in accordance
withthis specification and has been found to meet the
requirements.
12.2 When specified in the purchase order or contract, areport
of the chemical and mechanical test results shall befurnished.
12.3 A Material Test Report, Certificate of Inspection,
orsimilar document printed from or used in electronic form fromand
electronic data interchange (EDI) transmission shall beregarded as
having the same validity as a counterpart printed inthe certifier’s
facility. The content of the EDI transmitteddocument must meet the
requirements of the invoked ASTMstandard(s) and conform to any
existing EDI agreement be-tween the purchaser and the supplier.
12.4 Notwithstanding the absence of a signature, the
orga-nization submitting either a printed document (Material
TestReport, Certificate of Inspection or similar document) or
andEDI transmission is responsible for the content of the
report.
13. Acceptance
13.1 In order to be accepted, the rails offered shall fulfill
allthe requirements of this specification.
13.2 No. 2 rails to the extent of 10 % of the whole order willbe
accepted.
14. Product Marking
14.1 Branding and Stamping:
14.1.1 The name or brand of the manufacturer, the year andmonth
of manufacture, the weight of the rail, and the sectionnumber,
shall be legibly rolled in raised letters and figures onthe
web.
14.1.2 The heat number shall be legibly stamped on eachrail
where it will not be covered subsequently by the joint bars.
14.2 Paint Marking:14.2.1 No. 2 rails shall be paint-marked
white.14.2.2 No. 1 rails less than 39 ft (11.9 m) long shall be
paint-marked green.14.2.3 Paint-marking shall be located on the
top of the head
at one end only, at least 3 ft (0.9 m) from the end.14.3 Bar
Coding:14.3.1 The automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) Bar
Code Standard for Primary Metals for Steel Products may
beconsidered as a possible auxiliary method of identification.
Useof this method shall be by agreement between purchaser
andsupplier.
15. Loading
15.1 Rails shall be handled carefully to avoid damage.15.2 Rails
shall be placed together according to class in
loading.15.3 Rails shall be paired as to length before
shipment.
16. U.S. Government Procurement
16.1 When specified in the contract or purchase order,material
shall be prepared for shipment and storage in accor-dance with the
requirements of Practices A 700.
17. Keywords
17.1 girder rails; rails; railway applications; steel rails
SUMMARY OF CHANGES
(1) Military standard references deleted in Section 2.(2) Edited
footnotes on page 1.(3) Changed hardness spec. to an ASTM
specification inSection 7.
(4) Added EDI language in Section 12.(5) Added bar coding
language in Section 14.(6) Deleted reference to military standard
deleted in Section16.
ASTM International takes no position respecting the validity of
any patent rights asserted in connection with any item mentionedin
this standard. Users of this standard are expressly advised that
determination of the validity of any such patent rights, and the
riskof infringement of such rights, are entirely their own
responsibility.
This standard is subject to revision at any time by the
responsible technical committee and must be reviewed every five
years andif not revised, either reapproved or withdrawn. Your
comments are invited either for revision of this standard or for
additional standardsand should be addressed to ASTM International
Headquarters. Your comments will receive careful consideration at a
meeting of theresponsible technical committee, which you may
attend. If you feel that your comments have not received a fair
hearing you shouldmake your views known to the ASTM Committee on
Standards, at the address shown below.
This standard is copyrighted by ASTM International, 100 Barr
Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959,United
States. Individual reprints (single or multiple copies) of this
standard may be obtained by contacting ASTM at the aboveaddress or
at 610-832-9585 (phone), 610-832-9555 (fax), or [email protected]
(e-mail); or through the ASTM website(www.astm.org).
A 2 – 02
3
-
Designation: A 3 – 01
Standard Specification forSteel Joint Bars, Low, Medium, and
High Carbon (Non-Heat-Treated)1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation A 3; the
number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
originaladoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last
revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last
reapproval. A superscriptepsilon (e) indicates an editorial change
since the last revision or reapproval.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the
Department of Defense.
1. Scope
1.1 This specification covers steel joint bars for
connectingsteel rails in mine, industrial, and standard railroad
track.
1.2 Three grades of joint bars are defined for applicationswhere
non-heat treated bars are suitable:
1.2.1 Grade 1, low-carbon, primarily for industrial and
mineuse.
1.2.2 Grade 2, medium-carbon, primarily for industrial andmine
use.
1.2.3 Grade 3, high-carbon, for general use in standardrailroad
track. They may be used in the production of insulatedtrack
joints.
1.3 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regardedas
the standard. The values given in parentheses are forinformation
only.
2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:A 370 Test Methods and Definitions for
Mechanical Testing
of Steel Products2
A 700 Practices for Packaging, Marking, and LoadingMethods for
Steel Products for Domestic Shipment3
3. Ordering Information
3.1 Orders for joint bars under this specification shallinclude
the following information as appropriate:
3.1.1 Quantity—number of pairs of bars,3.1.2 Type—design or type
bar along with section designa-
tion and weight of rails being joined,
3.1.3 Grade—in accordance with 1.2 and Table 1 and Table2,
3.1.4 Dimension—overall length,3.1.5 Punching—type (elliptical,
oval, round, or combina-
tions), size, number, location, spacing, and elevation ofpunched
holes, with dimensional drawing if necessary,
3.1.6 Special Requirements—notching, shearing, bundling,etc.,
including details, and
3.1.7 Certification and Test Report
Requirements—(Section11).
4. Manufacture
4.1 The steel shall be made by one or both of the
followingprocesses: basic-oxygen or electric-furnace.
4.1.1 The steel may be cast by a continuous process, or
iningots.
4.2 Grade 2, medium-carbon, joint bars may be punched,slotted,
and shaped in the case of special designs, either hot orcold. Joint
bars that are punched, slotted, or shaped cold shallbe subsequently
annealed.
4.3 Grade 3, high-carbon, joint bars shall be uniformlyheated
for punching, slotting, and shaping.
5. Chemical Requirements
5.1 The steel shall conform to the requirements as tochemical
composition prescribed in Table 1.
5.2 Heat or Cast Analysis—An analysis of each heat or castshall
be made by the manufacturer to determine the percent-ages of
carbon, manganese, phosphorus, and sulfur. Theanalysis shall be
made from a test sample taken preferablyduring the pouring of the
heat or cast. The chemical composi-tion thus determined shall
conform to the requirement in Table1. Manganese and sulfur
determinations are for informationonly.
5.3 Product Analysis—When ladle tests are not available,finished
material representing the heat may be product tested.The product
analysis allowance beyond the limits of the
1 This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee
A01 on Steel,Stainless Steel and Related Alloys, and is the direct
responsibility of SubcommitteeA01.01 on Steel Rails and
Accessories.
Current edition approved April 10, 2001. Published May 2001.
Originallypublished as A3 – 1901. Last previous edition A3 – 87
(1995).
2 Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 01.03.3 Annual Book of ASTM
Standards, Vol 01.05.
1
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box
C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
-
specified ladle analysis shall be within the limits for
productanalyses specified in Table 2.
5.3.1 An analysis may be made by the purchaser from asample
taken from a finished joint bar representing each heat orcast. The
chemical composition thus determined shall conformto the
requirements in Table 1.
6. Tensile Requirements
6.1 Properties—The material as represented by a tensiontest
specimen shall conform to the tensile properties prescribedin Table
3.
6.2 Test Specimen—The tension test specimen shall betaken from
the middle of the head at the center of a finishedjoint bar. The
specimen shall be machined to the form anddimensions for a standard
round tension test specimen with2-in. or (50- mm) gage length, as
described in Test Methodsand Definitions A 370.
6.3 Number of Tests—One tension test shall be made fromeach heat
or cast of steel.
6.4 Retests—If the results of the tension test fail to meet
therequirements specified, a retest shall be permitted on tworandom
specimens from the lot. Both shall conform to therequirements
specified in Table 3.
6.4.1 If any test specimen fails because of mechanicalreasons
such as failure of testing equipment or improperspecimen
preparation, it may be discarded and another speci-men taken.
7. Dimensions and Permissible Variations
7.1 The joint bars shall be true to template, and
shallaccurately fit the rails for which they are intended.
7.2 The joint bars shall be either sheared or sawed to
length,punched to the dimensions specified by the purchaser
andalignment adjusted, all subject to the permissible
variationsprescribed in 7.3, 7.4, and Table 4.
7.3 Any variation from a straight line in a vertical planeshall
be such as will make the bars high in the center.
7.4 For girder rail applications only, any variation from
astraight line in a horizontal plane shall be such as will make
thebars convex towards the web of the rail.
8. Workmanship, Finish, and Appearance
8.1 The joint bars shall be straight, subject to the
variationsprescribed in 7.3, 7.4, and Table 4.
8.2 The general appearance with respect to soundness andsurface
finish shall be consistent with good commercial prac-tice as
determined by visual inspection.
9. Inspection
9.1 The manufacturer shall afford the purchaser’s inspectorall
reasonable facilities necessary to satisfy that the material
isbeing produced and furnished in accordance with this
specifi-cation. Mill inspection by the purchaser shall not
interfereunnecessarily with the manufacturer’s operations. All
tests andinspections shall be made at the place of manufacture,
unlessotherwise agreed upon.
10. Rejection and Rehearing
10.1 Material that fails to conform to the requirements ofthis
specification may be rejected. Rejections shall be reportedto the
manufacturer or supplier promptly and in writing. In caseof
dissatisfaction with the test results, the manufacturer orsupplier
may make claim for a rehearing.
11. Certification and Test Report
11.1 When specified in the purchase order or contract,
amanufacturer’s certification shall be furnished to the
purchaserthat the material was produced and tested in accordance
withthis specification and has been found to meet the
requirements.
11.2 When specified in the purchase order or contract, areport
of the chemical and mechanical test results shall befurnished.
11.3 A Material Test Report, Certificate of Inspection,
orsimilar document printed from or used in electronic form froman
electronic data interchange (EDI) transmission shall beregarded as
having the same validity as a counterpart printed inthe certifier’s
facility. The content of the EDI transmitteddocument must meet the
requirements of the invoked ASTMstandard(s) and conform to any
existing EDI agreement be-tween the purchaser and the supplier.
11.4 Notwithstanding the absence of a signature, the
orga-nization submitting either a printed document (Material
TestReport, Certificate of Inspection or similar document) or anEDI
transmission is responsible for the content of the report.
12. Product Marking
12.1 The name or brand of the manufacturer and the year
ofmanufacture shall be rolled in raised letters and figures on
theside of the rolled bars, and a portion of this marking
shallappear on each finished joint bar.
TABLE 1 Chemical Requirements
Elements Composition, %
Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3
Carbon, min ... 0.30 0.45Phosphorus, max 0.05 0.05 0.04
TABLE 2 Product Analysis
Allowance Beyond Limits of Specified ChemicalAnalysis
Percent undermin limit
Percent overmax limit
Carbon 0.04 0.04Phosphorus . . . 0.008
TABLE 3 Tensile Requirements
Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3
ksi MPa ksi MPa ksi MPa
Tensile strength,min
55 380 68 470 85 585
Elongation in 2 in.or 50 mm, min
22 20 15
A 3 – 01
2
-
12.2 In addition to the markings in 12.1, the followingmarkings
shall appear on Grade 3, high-carbon joint bars:
12.2.1 The section designation shall be included with therolled
raised characters.
12.2.2 A serial number representing the heat or cast shall
behot-stamped on the outside of the web of each bar, near
oneend.
12.3 Bar Coding:12.3.1 The Automotive Industry Action Group
(AIAG) Bar
Code Standard for Primary Metals for Steel Products may
beconsidered as a possible auxiliary method of identification.
Useof this method shall be by agreement between purchaser
andsupplier.
13. U.S. Government Procurement
13.1 When specified in the contract or purchase order,material
shall be prepared for shipment and storage in accor-dance with the
requirements of Practices A 700.
14. Keywords
14.1 rail; railway applications; steel joint bars
TABLE 4 Permissible Variations in Dimensions
Specified size of holes 61⁄32 in. (0.8 mm)Specified location of
holes 61⁄16 in. (1.6 mm)Specified length of bar 61⁄8 in. (3.2
mm)
Maximum camber in either plane—tee rail applications (see
7.3)Grades 1, 2 Grade 3
24-in. (610-mm) bars36-in. (914-mm) bars
1⁄16 in. (1.6 mm)1⁄8 in. (3.2 mm)
1⁄32 in. (0.8 mm)1⁄16 in. (1.6 mm)
Maximum vertical camber-girder rail applications (see 7.3)
(Grades 1 and 2 only)24-in. (610-mm) bars36-in. (914-mm) bars
3⁄64 in. (1.2 mm)3⁄32 in. (2.4 mm)
Maximum horizontal camber-girder rail applications (see 7.4)
(Grades 1 and 2 only)24-in. (610-mm) bars36-in. (914-mm) bars
1⁄16 in. (1.6 mm)1⁄8 in. (3.2 mm)
ASTM International takes no position respecting the validity of
any patent rights asserted in connection with any item mentionedin
this standard. Users of this standard are expressly advised that
determination of the validity of any such patent rights, and the
riskof infringement of such rights, are entirely their own
responsibility.
This standard is subject to revision at any time by the
responsible technical committee and must be reviewed every five
years andif not revised, either reapproved or withdrawn. Your
comments are invited either for revision of this standard or for
additional standardsand should be addressed to ASTM International
Headquarters. Your comments will receive careful consideration at a
meeting of theresponsible technical committee, which you may
attend. If you feel that your comments have not received a fair
hearing you shouldmake your views known to the ASTM Committee on
Standards, at the address shown below.
This standard is copyrighted by ASTM International, 100 Barr
Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959,United
States. Individual reprints (single or multiple copies) of this
standard may be obtained by contacting ASTM at the aboveaddress or
at 610-832-9585 (phone), 610-832-9555 (fax), or [email protected]
(e-mail); or through the ASTM website(www.astm.org).
A 3 – 01
3
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Designation: A 6/A 6M – 04a
Standard Specification forGeneral Requirements for Rolled
Structural Steel Bars,Plates, Shapes, and Sheet Piling1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation A 6/A 6M;
the number immediately following the designation indicates the year
oforiginal adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last
revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last
reapproval. Asuperscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change
since the last revision or reapproval.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the
Department of Defense.
1. Scope*
1.1 This general requirements specification2 covers a groupof
common requirements that, unless otherwise specified in
theapplicable product specification, apply to rolled structural
steelbars, plates, shapes, and sheet piling covered by each of
thefollowing product specifications issued by ASTM:
ASTMDesignation3 Title of Specification
A 36/A 36M Carbon Structural SteelA 131/A 131M Structural Steel
for ShipsA 242/A 242M High-Strength Low-Alloy Structural SteelA
283/A 283M Low and Intermediate Tensile Strength Carbon Steel
PlatesA 328/A 328M Steel Sheet PilingA 514/A 514M High-Yield
Strength, Quenched and Tempered Alloy Steel
Plate Suitable for WeldingA 529/A 529M High-Strength
Carbon-Manganese Steel of Structural Qual-
ityA 572/A 572M High-Strength Low-Alloy Columbium-Vanadium
SteelA 573/A 573M Structural Carbon Steel Plates of Improved
ToughnessA 588/A 588M High-Strength Low-Alloy Structural Steel with
50 ksi (345
MPa) Minimum Yield Point to 4 in. [100 mm] ThickA 633/A 633M
Normalized High-Strength Low-Alloy Structural Steel PlatesA 656/A
656M Hot-Rolled Structural Steel, High-Strength Low-Alloy Plate
with Improved FormabilityA 678/A 678M Quenched-and-Tempered
Carbon and High-Strength Low-
Alloy Structural Steel PlatesA 690/A 690M High-Strength
Low-Alloy Steel H-Piles and Sheet Piling for
Use in Marine EnvironmentsA 709/A 709M Carbon and High-Strength
Low-Alloy Structural Steel
Shapes, Plates, and Bars and Quenched-and-TemperedAlloy
Structural Steel Plates for Bridges
A 710/A 710M Age-Hardening Low-Carbon
Nickel-Copper-Chromium-Mo-lybdenum-Columbium Alloy Structural Steel
Plates
A 769/A 769M Carbon and High-Strength Electric Resistance Welded
SteelStructural Shapes
A 786/A 786M Rolled Steel Floor PlatesA 808/A 808M High-Strength
Low-Alloy Carbon, Manganese, Columbium,
Vanadium Steel of Structural Quality with Improved
NotchToughness
A 827/A 827M Plates, Carbon Steel, for Forging and Similar
ApplicationsA 829/A 829M Plates, Alloy Steel, Structural
Quality
A 830/A 830M Plates, Carbon Steel, Structural Quality, Furnished
toChemical Composition Requirements
A 852/A 852M Quenched and Tempered Low-Alloy Structural Steel
Platewith 70 ksi [485 Mpa] Minimum Yield Strength to 4 in.[100 mm]
Thick
A 857/A 857M Steel Sheet Piling, Cold Formed, Light GageA 871/A
871M High-Strength Low Alloy Structural Steel Plate with Atmo-
spheric Corrosion ResistanceA 913/A 913M Specification for
High-Strength Low-Alloy Steel Shapes of
Structural Quality, Produced by Quenching and Self-Tempering
Process (QST)
A 945/A 945M Specification for High-Strength Low-Alloy
Structural SteelPlate with Low Carbon and Restricted Sulfur for
ImprovedWeldability, Formability, and Toughness
A 992/A 992M Specification for Steel for Structural Shapes for
Use inBuilding Framing
1.2 Annex A1 lists permitted variations in dimensions andmass
(Note 1) in SI units. The values listed are not exactconversions of
the values in Tables 1 to 31 inclusive but are,instead, rounded or
rationalized values. Conformance to AnnexA1 is mandatory when the
“M” specification designation isused.
NOTE 1—The term “weight” is used when inch-pound units are
thestandard; however, under SI, the preferred term is “mass.”
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
coldbending.
1.8 This general requirements specification also covers agroup
of supplementary requirements that are applicable toseveral of the
above product specifications as indicated therein.Such requirements
are provided for use where additionaltesting or additional
restrictions are required by the purchaser,and apply only where
specified individually in the purchaseorder.
1.9 In case of any conflict in requirements, the requirementsof
the applicable product specification prevail over those of
thisgeneral requirements specification.
1 This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee
A01 on Steel,Stainless Steel, and Related Alloys and is the direct
responsibility of SubcommitteeA01.02 on Structural Steel for
Bridges, Buildings, Rolling Stock, and Ships.
Current edition approved March 1, 2004. Published April 2004.
Originallyapproved in 1949. Last previous edition approved in 2004
as A 6/A 6M – 04.
2 For ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code applications, see
related Specifi-cation SA-6/SA-6M in Section II of that Code.
1
*A Summary of Changes section appears at the end of this
standard.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box
C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
-
1.10 Additional requirements that are specified in the pur-chase
order and accepted by the supplier are permitted,provided that such
requirements do not negate any of therequirements of this general
requirements specification or theapplicable product
specification.
1.11 For purposes of determining conformance with thisgeneral
requirements specification and the applicable productspecification,
values are to be rounded to the nearest unit in theright-hand place
of figures used in expressing the limitingvalues in accordance with
the rounding method of PracticeE 29.
1.12 The values stated in either inch-pound units or SI unitsare
to be regarded separately as standard. Within the text, theSI units
are shown in brackets. The values stated in eachsystem are not
exact equivalents; therefore, each system is tobe used
independently of the other, without combining valuesin any way.
1.13 This general requirements specification and the appli-cable
product specification are expressed in both inch-poundunits and SI
units; however, unless the order specifies theapplicable “M”
specification designation (SI units), the struc-tural product is
furnished to inch-pound units.
1.14 The text of this general requirements specificationcontains
notes and/or footnotes that provide explanatory ma-terial. Such
notes and footnotes, excluding those in tables andfigures, do not
contain any mandatory requirements.
2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards: 3
A 370 Test Methods and Definitions for Mechanical Testingof
Steel Products
A 673/A 673M Specification for Sampling Procedure forImpact
Testing of Structural Steel
A 700 Practices for Packaging, Marking, and LoadingMethods for
Steel Products for Domestic Shipment
A 751 Test Methods, Practices, and Terminology forChemical
Analysis of Steel Products
A 829 Specification for Plates, Alloy Steel, Structural
Qual-ity
E 29 Practice for Using Significant Digits in Test Data
toDetermine Conformance with Specifications
E 112 Test Methods for Determining Average Grain SizeE 208 Test
Method for Conducting Drop-Weight Test to
Determine Nil-Ductility Transition Temperature of
FerriticSteels
2.2 American Welding Society Standards:A5.1 Mild Steel Covered
Arc-Welding Electrodes4
A5.5 Low-Alloy Steel Covered Arc-Welding Electrodes4
2.3 U.S. Military Standards:
MIL-STD-129 Marking for Shipment and Storage5
MIL-STD-163 Steel Mill Products Preparation for Ship-ment and
Storage5
2.4 U.S. Federal Standard:Fed. Std. No. 123 Marking for
Shipments (Civil Agencies)5
2.5 AIAG Standard:B-1 Bar Code Symbology Standard6
3. Terminology
3.1 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:3.1.1 Plates
(other than floor plates)—Flat, hot-rolled steel,
ordered to thickness or weight [mass] and typically width
andlength, commonly classified as follows:
3.1.1.1 When Ordered to Thickness:(1) Over 8 in. [200 mm] in
width and 0.230 in. or over
[over 6 mm] in thickness.(2) Over 48 in. [1200 mm] in width and
0.180 in. or over
[over 4.5 mm] in thickness.3.1.1.2 When Ordered to Weight
[Mass]:
(1) Over 8 in. [200 mm] in width and 9.392 lb/ft2 [47.10kg/m2]
or heavier.
(2) Over 48 in. [1200 mm] in width and 7.350 lb/ft2 [35.32kg/m2]
or heavier.
3.1.1.3 Discussion—Steel products are available in
variousthickness, width, and length combinations depending
uponequipment and processing capabilities of various manufactur-ers
and processors. Historic limitations of a product based
upondimensions (thickness, width, and length) do not take
intoaccount current production and processing capabilities.
Toqualify any product to a particular product specification
re-quires all appropriate and necessary tests be performed and
thatthe results meet the limits prescribed in that product
specifi-cation. If the necessary tests required by a product
specificationcannot be conducted, the product cannot be qualified
to thatspecification. This general requirement standard contains
per-mitted variations for the commonly available sizes.
Permittedvariations for other sizes are subject to agreement
between thecustomer and the manufacturer or processor, whichever
isapplicable.
3.1.1.4 Slabs, sheet bars, and skelp, though frequentlyfalling
in the foregoing size ranges, are not classed as plates.
3.1.1.5 Coils are excluded from qualification to the appli-cable
product specification until they are decoiled, leveled
orstraightened, formed (if applicable), cut to length, and,
ifrequired, properly tested by the processor in accordance withASTM
specification requirements (see Sections 9, 10, 11, 12,13, 14, 15,
18, and 19 and the applicable product specification).
3.1.2 Shapes (Flanged Sections):3.1.2.1 structural-size
shapes—rolled flanged sections hav-
ing at least one dimension of the cross section 3 in. [75 mm]
orgreater.
3 For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website,
www.astm.org, orcontact ASTM Customer Service at [email protected].
For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information, refer to the
standard’s Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.
4 Available from the American Welding Society, 550 N.W. LaJeune
Rd., Miami,FL 33135.
5 Available from the procuring activity or as directed by the
contracting office orfrom the Standardization Documents Order Desk,
Bldg. 4 Section D, 700 RobbinsAve., Philadelphia, PA 19111-5094
Attn: NPODS.
6 Available from the Automotive Industry Action Group, 26200
Lahser Road,Suite 200, Southfield, MI 48034.
A 6/A 6M – 04a
2
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3.1.2.2 bar-size shapes—rolled flanged sections having amaximum
dimension of the cross section less than 3 in. [75mm].
3.1.2.3 “W” shapes—doubly-symmetric, wide-flangeshapes with
inside flange surfaces that are substantially paral-lel.
3.1.2.4 “HP” shapes—are wide-flange shapes generallyused as
bearing piles whose flanges and webs are of the samenominal
thickness and whose depth and width are essentiallythe same.
3.1.2.5 “S” shapes—doubly-symmetric beam shapes withinside
flange surfaces that have a slope of approximately 162⁄3%.
3.1.2.6 “M” shapes—doubly-symmetric shapes that cannotbe
classified as “W,” “ S,” or “HP” shapes.
3.1.2.7 “C” shapes—channels with inside flange surfacesthat have
a slope of approximately 162⁄3 %.
3.1.2.8 “MC” shapes—channels that cannot be classified as“C”
shapes.
3.1.2.9 “L” shapes—shapes having equal-leg and unequal-leg
angles.
3.1.3 sheet piling—rolled steel sections that are capable
ofbeing interlocked, forming a continuous wall when
individualpieces are driven side by side.
3.1.4 bars—rounds, squares, and hexagons, of all sizes;
flats13⁄64 in. (0.203 in.) and over [over 5 mm] in specified
thickness,not over 6 in. [150 mm] in specified width; and flats
0.230 in.and over [over 6 mm] in specified thickness, over 6 to 8
in.[150 to 200 mm] inclusive, in specified width.
3.1.5 exclusive—when used in relation to ranges, as forranges of
thickness in the tables of permissible variations indimensions, is
intended to exclude only the greater value of therange. Thus, a
range from 60 to 72 in. [1500 to 1800 mm]exclusive includes 60 in.
[1500 mm], but does not include 72in. [1800 mm].
3.1.6 rimmed steel—steel containing sufficient oxygen togive a
continuous evolution of carbon monoxide during sol-dification,
resulting in a case or rim of metal virtually free ofvoids.
3.1.7 semi-killed steel—incompletely deoxidized steel
con-taining sufficient oxygen to form enough carbon monoxideduring
solidification to offset solidification shrinkage.
3.1.8 capped steel—rimmed steel in which the rimmingaction is
limited by an early capping operation. Capping iscarried out
mechanically by using a heavy metal cap on abottle-top mold or
chemically by an addition of aluminum orferrosilicon to the top of
the molten steel in an open-top mold.
3.1.9 killed steel—steel deoxidized, either by addition ofstrong
deoxidizing agents or by vacuum treatment, to reducethe oxygen
content to such a level that no reaction occursbetween carbon and
oxygen during solidification.
3.1.10 mill edge—the normal edge produced by rollingbetween
horizontal finishing rolls. A mill edge does notconform to any
definite contour. Mill edge plates have two milledges and two
trimmed edges.
3.1.11 universal mill edge—the normal edge produced byrolling
between horizontal and vertical finishing rolls. Univer-
sal mill plates, sometimes designated UM Plates, have
twouniversal mill edges and two trimmed edges.
3.1.12 sheared edge—the normal edge produced by shear-ing.
Sheared edge plates are trimmed on all edges.
3.1.13 gas cut edge—the edge produced by gas flamecutting.
3.1.14 special cut edge—usually the edge produced by gasflame
cutting involving special practices such as pre-heating
orpost-heating, or both, in order to minimize stresses,
avoidthermal cracking and reduce the hardness of the gas cut
edge.In special instances, special cut edge is used to designate
anedge produced by machining.
3.1.15 sketch—when used to describe a form of plate,denotes a
plate other than rectangular, circular, or semi-circular. Sketch
plates may be furnished to a radius or with fouror more straight
sides.
3.1.16 normalizing—a heat treating process in which a steelplate
is reheated to a uniform temperature above the uppercritical
temperature and then cooled in air to below thetransformation
range.
3.1.17 plate-as-rolled—when used in relation to the loca-tion
and number of tests, the term refers to the unit plate rolledfrom a
slab or directly from an ingot. It does not refer to thecondition
of the plate.
3.1.18 fine grain practice—a steelmaking practice that
isintended to produce a killed steel that is capable of meeting
therequirements for fine austenitic grain size.
3.1.18.1 Discussion—It normally involves the addition ofone or
more austenitic grain refining elements in amounts thathave been
established by the steel producer as being sufficient.Austenitic
grain refining elements include, but are not limitedto, aluminum,
columbium, titanium, and vanadium.
3.1.19 structural product—a hot-rolled steel plate, shape,sheet
piling, or bar.
3.1.20 coil—hot-rolled steel in coiled form that is intendedto
be processed into a finished structural product.
3.1.21 manufacturer—the organization that directly con-trols the
conversion of steel ingots, slabs, blooms, or billets,
byhot-rolling, into an as-rolled structural product or into coil;
andfor structural products produced from as-rolled
structuralproducts, the organization that directly controls, or is
respon-sible for, the operations involved in finishing the
structuralproduct.
3.1.21.1 Discussion—Such finishing operations include lev-eling
or straightening, hot forming or cold forming (if appli-cable),
welding (if applicable), cutting to length, testing,inspection,
conditioning, heat treatment (if applicable), pack-aging, marking,
loading for shipment, and certification.
3.1.22 processor—the organization that directly controls, oris
responsible for, the operations involved in the processing ofcoil
into a finished structural product. Such processing opera-tions
include decoiling, leveling or straightening, hot-formingor
cold-forming (if applicable), welding (if applicable), cuttingto
length, testing, inspection, conditioning, heat treatment
(ifapplicable), packaging, marking, loading for shipment,
andcertification.
3.1.22.1 Discussion—The processing operations need notbe done by
the organization that did the hot rolling of the coil.
A 6/A 6M – 04a
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If only one organization is involved in the hot rolling
andprocessing operations, that organization is termed the
manu-facturer for the hot rolling operation and the processor for
theprocessing operations. If more than one organization is
in-volved in the hot rolling and processing operations,
theorganization that did the hot rolling is termed the
manufacturerand an organization that does one or more processing
opera-tions is termed a processor.
4. Ordering Information
4.1 Information items to be considered, if appropriate,
forinclusion in purchase orders are as follows:
4.1.1 ASTM product specification designation (see 1.1)
andyear-date,
4.1.2 Name of structural product (plate, shape, bar, or
sheetpiling),
4.1.3 Shape designation, or size and thickness or diameter,4.1.4
Grade, class, and type designation, if applicable,4.1.5 Condition
(see Section 6), if other than as-rolled,4.1.6 Quantity (weight
[mass] or number of pieces),4.1.7 Length,4.1.8 Exclusion of either
structural product produced from
coil or structural product produced from an as-rolled
structuralproduct (see 5.3 and Appendix X1), if applicable,
4.1.9 Heat treatment requirements (see 6.2 and 6.3), if
any,4.1.10 Testing for fine austenitic grain size (see
8.3.2),4.1.11 Mechanical property test report requirements (see
Section 14), if any,4.1.12 Special packaging, marking, and
loading for ship-
ment requirements (see Section 19), if any,4.1.13 Supplementary
requirements, if any, including any
additional requirements called for in the supplementary
re-quirements,
4.1.14 End use, if there are any end-use-specific require-ments
(see 18.1, 11.3.4, Table 22 or Table A1.22, and Table 24or Table
A1.24)
4.1.15 Special requirements (see 1.10), if any, and4.1.16 Repair
welding requirements (see 9.5), if any.
5. Materials and Manufacture
5.1 The steel shall be made in an open-hearth, basic-oxygen,or
electric-arc furnace, possibly followed by additionl refiningin a
ladle metallurgy furnace (LMF), or secondary melting byvacuum-arc
remelting (VAR) or electroslag remelting (ESR).
5.2 The steel shall be strand cast or cast in stationary
molds.5.2.1 Strand Cast:5.2.1.1 When heats of the same nominal
chemical compo-
sition are consecutively strand cast at one time, the heatnumber
assigned to the cast product need not be changed untilall of the
steel in the cast product is from the following heat.
5.2.1.2 When two consecutively strand cast heats havedifferent
nominal chemical composition ranges, the manufac-turer shall remove
the transition material by an establishedprocedure that positively
separates the grades.
5.3 Structural products shall be produced from an
as-rolledstructural product or from coil.
5.4 Where part of a heat is rolled into an as-rolled
structuralproduct and the balance of the heat is rolled into coil,
each partshall be tested separately.
5.5 Structural products produced from coil shall not
containsplice welds, unless previously approved by the
purchaser.
6. Heat Treatment
6.1 Where th structural product is required to be heattreated,
such heat treatment shall be performed by the manu-facturer, the
processor, or the fabricator, unless otherwisespecified in the
applicable product specification.
NOTE 2—When no heat treatment is required, the manufacturer
orprocessor has the option of heat treating the structural product
bynormalizing, stress relieving, or normalizing then stress
relieving to meetthe applicable product specification.
6.2 Where the heat treatment is to be performed by otherthan the
manufacturer, the order shall so state.
6.2.1 Where the heat treatment is to be performed by otherthan
the manufacturer, the structural products shall be acceptedon the
basis of tests made on test specimens taken from fullthickness test
coupons heat treated in accordance with therequirements specified
in the applicable product specificationor in the purchase order. If
the heat-treatment temperatures arenot specified, the manufacturer
or processor shall heat treat thetest coupons under conditions he
considers appropriate, pro-vided that the purchaser is informed of
the procedure followedin heat treating the test coupons.
6.3 Where the heat treatment is to be performed by
themanufacturer or the processor, the structural product shall
beheat treated as specified in the applicable product
specification,or as specified in the purchase order, provided that
the heattreatment specified by the purchaser is not in conflict
with therequirements of the applicable product specification.
6.4 Where normalizing is to be performed by the fabricator,the
structural product shall be either normalized or heateduniformly
for hot forming, provided that the temperature towhich the
structural product is heated for hot forming does notsignificantly
exceed the normalizing temperature.
6.5 The use of cooling rates that are faster than thoseobtained
by cooling in air to improve the toughness shall besubject to
approval by the purchaser, and structural products sotreated shall
be tempered subsequently in the range from 1100to 1300 °F [595 to
705 °C].
7. Chemical Analysis
7.1 Heat Analysis:7.1.1 Sampling for chemical analysis and
methods of analy-
sis shall be in accordance with Test Methods, Practices,
andTerminolgy A 751.
7.1.2 For each heat, the heat analysis shall include
determi-nation of the content of carbon, manganese, phosphorus,
sulfur,silicon, nickel, chromium, molybdenum, copper,
vanadium,columbium; any other element that is specified or
restricted bythe applicable product specification for the
applicable grade,class, and type; and any austenitic grain refining
elementwhose content is to be used in place of austenitic grain
sizetesting of the heat (see 8.3.2).
7.1.3 Except as allowed by 7.1.4 for primary heats, heatanalyses
shall conform to the heat analysis requirements of theapplicable
product specification for the applicable grade, class,and type.
A 6/A 6M – 04a
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7.1.4 Where vacuum-arc remelting or electroslag remeltingis
used, a remelted heat is defined as all ingots remelted froma
single primary heat. If the heat analysis of the primary
heatconforms to the heat analysis requirements of the
applicableproduct specification for the applicable grade, class,
and type,the heat analysis for the remelted heat shall be
determined fromone test sample taken from one remelted ingot, or
the productof one remelted ingot, from the primary heat. If the
heatanalysis of the primary heat does not conform to the
heatanalysis requirements of the applicable product
specificationfor the applicable grade, type, and class, the heat
analysis forthe remelted heat shall be determined from one test
sampletaken from each remelted ingot, or the product of
eachremelted ingot, from the primary heat.
7.2 Product Analysis—For each heat, the purchaser shallhave the
option of analyzing representative samples taken fromthe finished
structural product. Sampling for chemical analysisand methods of
analysis shall be in accordance with TestMethods, Practices, and
Terminology A 751. The productanalyses so determined shall conform
to the heat analysisrequirements of the applicable product
specification for theapplicable grade, class, and type, subject to
the permittedvariations in product analysis given in Table A. If a
range isspecified, the determinations of any element in a heat
shall notvary both above and below the specified range. Rimmed
orcapped steel is characterized by a lack of homogeneity in
itscomposition, especially for the elements carbon, phosphorus,and
sulfur. Therefore, the limitations for these elements shallnot be
applicable unless misapplication is clearly indicated.
7.3 Referee Analysis—For referee purposes, Test
Methods,Practices, and Terminology A 751 shall be used.
7.4 Grade Substitution—Alloy steel grades that meet thechemical
requirements of Table 1 of Specification A 829 shallnot be
substituted for carbon steel grades.
8. Metallurgical Structure
8.1 Where austenitic grain size testing is required, suchtesting
shall be in accordance with Test Methods E 112 and atleast 70 % of
the grains in the area examined shall meet thespecified grain size
requirement.
8.2 Coarse Austenitic Grain Size—Where coarse austeniticgrain
size is specified, one austenitic grain size test per heatshall be
made and the austenitic grain size number so deter-mined shall be
in the range of 1 to 5, inclusive.
8.3 Fine Austenitic Grain Size:8.3.1 Where fine austenitic grain
size is specified, except as
allowed in 8.3.2, one austenitic grain size test per heat shall
bemade and the austenitic grain size number so determined shallbe 5
or higher.
NOTE 3—Such austenitic grain size numbers may be achieved
withlower contents of austenitic grain refining elemenst than 8.3.2
requires foraustenitic grain size testing to be waived.
8.3.2 Unless testing for fine austenitic grain size is
specifiedin the purchase order, an austenitic grain size test need
not bemade for any heat that has, by heat analysis, one or more of
thefollowing:
8.3.2.1 A total aluminum content of 0.020 % or more.8.3.2.2 An
acid soluble aluminum content of 0.015 % or
more.8.3.2.3 A content for an austenitic grain refining
element
that exceeds the minimum value agreed to by the purchaser
asbeing sufficient for austenitic grain size testing to be waived,
or
8.3.2.4 Contents for the combination of two or more auste-nitic
grain refining elements that exceed the applicable mini-mum values
agreed to by the purchaser as being sufficient foraustenitic grain
size testing to be waived.
9. Quality
9.1 General—Structural products shall be free of
injuriousdefects and shall have a workmanlike finish.
NOTE 4—Unless otherwise specified, structural products are
normallyfurnished in the as-rolled condition and are subjected to
visual inspectionby the manufacturer or processor. Non-injurious
surface or internalimperfections, or both, may be present in the
structural product asdelivered and the structural product may
require conditioning by thepurchaser to improve its appearance or
in preparation for welding, coating,or other further
operations.
More restrictive requirements may be specified by invoking
supplemen-tary requirements or by agreement between the purchaser
and the supplier.
Structural products that exhibit injurious defects during
subsequentfabrication are deemed not to comply with the applicable
productspecification. (See 17.2.) Fabricators should be aware that
cracks mayinitiate upon bending a sheared or burned edge during
the