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New welded wire fabric

numbering system explained


Though designations look cumbersome they make sense

ecause of the numerous


changes made during recent
years in the designations of welded
wire fabric, some tips may be in order on how to specify and order it
for use in reinforcing concrete.
In 1970 the American Society for
Testing and Materials changed from
the gage system to a numbering system designed to simplify use of wire
fabrics in concrete design. The more
rational numbering system relates
to the cross-sectional area of the
wire and involves a letter-number
combination. W designates
smooth wire and D designates deformed wire. The number following
the letter gives the cross-sectional
area of the wire in hundredths of a
square inch. This system makes it
easy for the designer. For example, if
a steel cross-sectional area of 0.15
square inch per lineal foot is needed, it can be met with W5.0 wires on
4-inch centers wires per lineal foot,
each with a cross-sectional area of
0.05 square inch.
Welded wire fabric is designated
by two numbers and two letternumber combinations. An example
is 6 by 8W8.0 by W4.0. The first
number gives the spacing in inches
of the longitudinal wires, the second
gives the spacing of the transverse
wires. The first letter-number combination gives the type and size of
the longitudinal wire, the second
designates the transverse wire. Thus,
in the example the longitudinal
wires are 6 inches apart and the
transverse wires are 8 inches apart.
The wires are smooth and the crosssectional areas are 0.08 square inch
in the longitudinal direction and
0.04 square inch transversely.

Table ICommon stock styles of welded wire fabric


STYLE DESIGNATION |
New Designation
(By W-number)

Steel Area,
Approximate
square inches
Weight,
Old Designation
per foota
pounds per 100
(By Steel wire Gage) Longitudinal Transverse square feet6

ROLLS
6x6W1.4xW1.4
6x6W2.0xW2.0
6x6W2.9xW2.9
6x6W4.0xW4.0
4x4W1.4xW1.4
4x4W2.0xW2.0
4x4W2.9xW2.9
4x4W4.0xW4.0

6x610x10
6x68x8 c
6x66x6
6x64x4
4x410x10
4x48x8c
4x4 6x6
4x44x4

.028
.040
.058
.080
.042
.060
.087
.120

.028
.040
.058
.080
.042
.060
.087
.120

21
29
42
58
31
43
62
85

6x66x6
6x64x4
6x62x2d
4x44x4

.058
.080
.110
.120

.058
.080
.110
.120

42
58
80
85

SHEETS
6x6W2.9xW2.9
6x6W4.0xW4.0
6x6W5.5xW5.5
4x4W4.0xW4.0

a To obtain square millimetres per metre multiply by 2117.


b To obtain kilograms per 100 square metre multiply by 4.883
c Exact W-number size for 8 gage is W2.1.
d Exact W-number size for 2 gage is W5.4

Table II Example of typical purchase order

Item

Quantity

Style

Width

Side
Overhangs

Overall
Width

Length

1000Sheets

6x12W16xW8

90

(+0,+0)

90

200

150 Rolls

6x6W4xW4

60

(+0,+0)

60

1500

500 Sheets

4x8D10xD4

76

(+2, +12)

90

174

94

4000

(Special end overhangs: 2 one end, 6 other end)


4

85 Rolls

2x8W7.5xW3.0

Table I compares the new designations to the old gage designations


for the common stock sizes of welded wire fabric.

93

(+0, +1)

Fabric sizes
End overhangs, unless otherwise
specified, are one-half of the transverse spacing. For instance, a 6 by 6

fabric would have a 3-inch overhang


on each end. The length of a fabric
roll or sheet is tip-to-tip length and
includes the end overhangs. Side
overlays will not be furnished unless
specified. The width of the fabric is
the center-to-center distance between the outside longitudinal
wires but includes side overhangs if
specified (tip-to-tip length of transverse wires).
Normally, fabric sheets with a
width of 8.5 feet or less can be transported on a truck; this simplifies delivery and reduces costs. Widths for
rail shipment are generally limited
to 11.5 feet. In both cases the length
of sheets is limited to 40 feet.
Fabric is available in both rolls
and sheets. Lighter fabric is often
supplied in rolls, while heavier fabric such as that used for pavement is
generally supplied as flat sheets.

Strength
Welded wire fabric is available
with either deformed or smooth
wires, as indicated earlier. Smooth
welded wire fabric has a yield

strength of 65,000 psi and deformed


fabric has a yield of 70,000 psi.
Smooth wire develops anchorage of
the steel at the welded intersections.
In the smooth fabric the smaller
wire should have a cross-sectional
area equal to at least 40 percent of
the area of the larger wire. With deformed fabric, anchorage is developed by virtue of the deformations
as well as at the welded intersection.
In deformed fabric the smaller wire
should have at least 35 percent of
the cross-sectional area of the larger
wire.

Ordering
Table I lists many of the commonly stocked items. In other instances
fabric is produced specifically for an
individual project. When specifying
nonstock items, the volume must be
sufficiently large to justify production at an economical cost. Generally a minimum quantity of 20,000 to
40,000 pounds is required to justify
a special order involving a major
change, such as a change in longitudinal wire size or spacing. The cost

of minor changes, such as size and


spacing of transverse wire, length of
side or end overhangs, or length
changes is considerably less. Minimum quantity for minor changes is
usually between 4,000 and 10,000
pounds.
For maximum economy in the
cost of fabric, the use of a minimum
number of styles is suggested. Also,
use of fewer styles reduces on-site
costs since there are fewer pieces to
inventory and handle and there is
less chance for error.
An example of information needed when ordering welded wire fabric is shown in Table II.

PUBLICATION #C750454
Copyright 1975, The Aberdeen Group
All rights reserved

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