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e
Document Name: ASTM A588: High-Strength Low-Alloy Structural Steel
with 50 ksi Minimum Yield Point to 4 inches Thick
CFR Section(s): 24 CFR 200, Subpart S

Standards Body: American Society for Testing and Materials

Official Incorporator:
THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
OFFICE OF THE FEDERAL REGISTER
WASHINGTON, D.C.
 AMERICAN NATIONAL ANSI/ ASTM A 588 - 79a American Association State
STANDARD Highway and Transportation Officials Standard
AASHTO No.: M 222

Standard Specification. for

HIGH-STRENGTH LOW-ALLOY STRUCTURAL STEEL WITH
50 000 psi MINIMUM, YIELoJ)qINTTQ 4 in. THICK 1
, .
This standard is issued under the fixed designation A 588; the number immediately following the designation indicates the
yearof original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last
reapp~~>val. . .,' , . ,

1. Scope 3.2 The steel shall be made to fme grain

1.1 This specificatioI).covers high-strength . pract~<:e;
lowcalloy structural steel sha,pes,plates, arid 4. Chenucal Requirements
bars for welded, riveted, or bolted construction
but intended, primarily fo~ 'use .in welded . 4.1, The heat. aI).aly~is snaIl 'conform to' the
bridges and buildings where savings in weight requirements prescribed inTable 1.
or added durability are important. The atmos- 4.2 The steel shall conform on product anal-
pheric corrosion resistance of this steel is ap- ysis to the requirements prescribed in Table 1,
proximately two times that of carbon structural subject to the product analysis tolerances in
steel with copper (Note 1). Welding technique Specification A 6.
is of fundamental importance, and it is presup- 4.3 When required, the manufacturer shall
posed that welding procedure will be suitable supply evidence. of corrosion re~istance satis-
for the steel and the intended service. This factory to the purchaser.
specification is limited to material up to 8 in.
5. Tensile Requirements
(203.2 mm) inclusive in thickness.
5.1 The material as represented by the test
NOTE I-Two times carbon structural steel with
copper is equivalent to four times carbon structural specimens shall conform to the requirements
steel without copper (eu 0.02 max). for tensile properties prescribed in Table 2.
NOTE 2-The values stated in inch-pound units 5.2 For material under 5/16 in. (7.9 mm) in
are to be regarded as the standard. thickness or diameter, as represented by the test
specimen, a deduction of 1.25 percentage points
2. General Requirements for Delivery
from the percentage of elongation in 8 in. or
2.1 Material furnished under this specifica- 200 mm specified in Table 2 shall be made for
tion shall conform to the applicable require- each decrease ofVa2 in. (0.8 mm) of the specified
ments of the current edition of ASTM Specifi- thickness or diameter below 0/16 in. (7.9 mm).
cation A 6, for General Requirements for
Rolled Steel Plates, Shapes, Sheet Piling, and I This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM
Bars for Structural Use. 2 Committee A-Ion Steel, Stainless Steel and Related Alloys
and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee AO 1.02 on
3. Process Structural Steel for Bridges, Buildings, Rolling Stock, and
Ships.
3.1 The steel shall be made by one of the Current edition approved Jilly 27 and Nov. 5; 1979.
Published January 1980. Originally published as A 588 - 68.
following processes: open-hearth, basic-oxygen, Last previous edition A 588 - 77a. ,
or electric-furnace. 2 Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Part 4.

SUPPLEMENTARY REQUIREMENTS

Standardized supplementary requirements for use at the option of the purchaser are
listed in Specification A 6. Those which are considered suitable for use with this
specification are listed below by title.

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 A 588

S2. Product Analysis, S8. Ultrasonic ExamiIiation,

S3. Simulated Post-Weld Heat Treatment of S14. Bend Test,
Mechanical Test Coupons, S15. Reduction of Area, and
S5. Charpy V-Notch Impact Test, S18. Maximum Tensile Strength.
S6. Drop Weight Test,

TABLE 1 Chemical Requirements (Heat Analysis)

Composition, %
Element
Grade A Grade B Grade C Grade D Grade E Grade F Grade G Grade H Grade J
Carbon 0.19 max 0.20 max 0.15 max 0.10-0.20 0.15 max 0.10-0.20 0.20 max 0.20 max 0.20 max
Manganese 0.80-1.25 0.75-1.25 0.80-1.35 0.75-1.25 1.20 max 0.50-1.00 1.20 max 1.25 max 0.60-1.00
Phosphorus 0.04 max 0.04 max 0.04 max 0.04 max 0.04 max 0.04 max 0.04 max 0.035 max 0.04 max
Sulfur 0.05 max 0.05 max 0.05 max 0.05 max 0.05 max 0.05 max 0.05 max 0.040 max 0.05 max
Silicon 0.30-0.65 0.15-0.30 0.15-0.30 0.50-0.90 0.30 max 0.30 max 0.25-0.70 0.25-0.75 0.30-0.50
Nickel 0.40 max 0.50 max 0.25-0.50 ... 0.75-1.25 0.40-1.10 0.80 max 0.30-0.60 0.50-0.70
Chromium 0.40-0.65 0.40-0.70 0.30-0.50 0.50-0.90 ... 0.30 max 0.50-1.00 0.10-0.25 ...
Molybdenum ... ... ... ... 0.08-0.25 0.10-0.20 0.10 max 0.15 max .. .
Copper 0.25-0.40 0.20-0.40 0.20-0.50 0.30 max 0.50-0.80 0.30-1.00 0.30-0.50 0.20-0.35 0.30 min
Vanadium 0.02-0.10 0.01-0.10 0.01-0.10 ... 0.05 max 0.01-0.10 0,02-0.10 ...
Zirconium ... ... ... 0.05-0.15 ... ...
'"
.. . ...
Columbium ... ... ... 0.04 max ... .. .
'"
'" . .. ...
Titanium '" ... ... ... ... ... 0.07 max 0.005- 0.03-0.05
0.030

TABLE 2 Tensile Requirements

Structural
Plates and Bars
Shapes

For Thick- For Thick

For Thick-
nesses Over 4 nesses Over 5
nesses 4 in.
in. to 5 in. in. to 8 in. All Groups'
and Under
incl (101.6 to incl (127.0 to
(101.6 mm)
127.0mm) 203.2mm)
Tensile strength. min, psi (MPa) 70000 67 000 63 000 70000
(485) (460) (435) (485)
Yield point. min. psi (MPa) 50000 46 000 42 000 50 000
(345) (315) (290) (345)
Elongation in 8 in. or 200 mm, min. % 18b,c. d 18 h
Elongation in 2 in. or 50 mm, min. % 2l c ,d 21"" 21'
" For plates wider than 24 in. (610 mm), the test specimen is taken in the transverse direction. See 11.2 of Specification A 6.
b See 5.2.
, Elongation not required to be determined for floor plate .
." For plates wider than 24 in. (610 mm),. the elongatiqn req\lirement is reduced two percentage points .
For wide flange shapes over 426 lb/ft elongation in 2 in. of 18 % minimum applies.
'See Specification A 6.

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