Every once in a while, I like to take a moment out and explain some of the basics of the standards world. One issue that always perplexes new standards users is the way that various standards are numbered. However, every standards professional knows that the actual document numbers are a treasure trove of information. So let’s take a look and discover how to read the numbering for ASTM Standards.
Each ASTM Standard is given a unique number. It’s a combination of a letter and numbers. So we can have an ASTM standard that’s numbered B211 or D3951. The letter is determined by the general topic of the document, as shown below.
- A – Ferrous metals
- B – Nonferrous metals
- C – Cementitious, Ceramic, Concrete, and Masonry materials
- D – Miscellaneous materials
- E – Miscellaneous subjects
- F – Materials for specific applications
- G – Corrosion, deterioration and degradation of materials
- ISO/ASTM – documents released as co-numbered publications by ISO and ASTM
- ES – Emergency standards
- P – Proposals
- PS – Provisional standards
Originally, standards were released in inch-pound format. But as ASTM standards started to reach an international audience, the use of metric measurements became important. So the next thing to know is that if a number is followed by an M, the document’s measurements are based on the metric scheme. ASTM publications that have both inch-pound and metric are co-numbered. An example of an all-metric standard is ASTM B251M and a dual designated standard is ASTM D2950/D2950M.
The next thing you’ll want to know are the various types of publications that make up the ASTM standards set. These are:
- Classification – a systematic arrangement or division of materials (See ASTM F2043)
- Guide – a compendium of information or options (See ASTM F2974)
- Practice – a set of instructions (excluding those producing a test result) (See ASTM F2444)
- Specification – a set of requirements that a material, product, system or service must meet (See ASTM D7194)
- Terminology – definition of terms (See ASTM D16)
- Test Method – a set of instructions producing a test result (See ASTM D4424)
Next let’s talk about the information that follows the main ASTM number on every document released. Usually this is just two digits that provide you with the year the document was released, like ASTM-D3951-10 (ASTM D3951 2010 Edition) or ASTM-A482-11 (ASTM A482 2011 Edition). If a document is revised more than once during any given year, a letter is added to the year, as in ASTM-E18-14a (ASTM E18 2nd 2014 update).
You’ll also sometimes find a letter or letter and number following the year designation as well. These represent editorial corrections, like ASTM-F543-13e1 with 1 editorial correction or ASTM-G5-13e2 that’s had 2 editorial corrections made since the release of the 2013 Edition. FYI: An editorial correction does NOT affect the technical content of the document. It is an update that is made for editorial reasons only.
And you may see a reaffirmation date as part of the numbering sequence as well. This means that during the year in parentheses, the document was reviewed and determined to be valid exactly as written. So the ASTM-C1014-08(2013) was issued in 2008 and reapproved in 2013. This follows good standards practice, by the way, since standards should be reviewed every five years to insure that the information remains valid.
So let’s take some examples to recap what we’ve learned. ASTM-A508/A408M-14 is a specification for a ferrous metal that was last revised in 2014. It will have measurements both in inch-pound and metric (SI) format. ASTM D2203-01(2011) is a test method standard for a miscellaneous material from 2001 that was reviewed in 2011 and is still valid. ASTM-F718-07(2011)e1 is a specification for a specific application that was released in 2007 and reapproved in 2011 with an editorial correction.
One last note: When you find an ASTM standard that is similar to what you’re looking for but not exactly correct, one good resource is to review the standards in the same volume of the complete set. So if you find ASTM-G36 and you want to see more standards like that one from ASTM, just click the link on the Document Center website for the ASTM Volume 03.02. This will provide you with a listing of all ASTM standards on erosion and wear.
So there you have it! Document Center’s lesson on the numbering for ASTM standards that you’ll surely run into if you spend any time working with compliance information at all. Remember, you’ll find all current and many obsolete copies of ASTM standards for sale at the Document Center webstore at www.document-center.com. You’ll especially appreciate the revision history information provided for each document (see the history for ASTM-A480/A480M as an example). And now you’ll know what the number for each revision actually means! And if you have any more questions, please just let us know. You can reach our staff by phone (650-591-7600), fax (650-591-7617) or email (info@document-center.com). We’re your Standards Experts!
