Reinforcing bar specifications

Update on ASTM requirements

BY DAVID P. GUSTAFSON
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
CONCRETE REINFORCING STEEL INSTITUTE

he widespread acceptance and use of voluntary the cost of the contested material.

T consensus standards in the American construc-

tion industry is an enviable accomplishment.
Voluntary standardization is an effective means
of reducing the cost of construction. Without widely ac-
cepted standardized requirements, confusion is created
in the specifying, ordering, production, testing, delivery
and use of materials. The resulting unnecessary mis-
understandings and disputes cause job delays which
may increase the cost of construction even more than
Howe ve r, to maximize the benefits of standardization,
it is essential that up-to-date materials standards be ref-
erenced in the contract documents. Current standards
assure that the latest technology is being incorporated
into a project and the availability of materials is more
certain. The person preparing the project specifications
should know what the current standards are and be
knowledgeable about their provisions.
The purpose of this brief article is to provide up-to-

ASTM BAR SIZES, GRADES AND MARKING REQUIREMENTS

Specification number Available grades Meets exceptions
and Bar (minimum yield, ksi)* in ACI 318-77, Mark for
type of steel sizes 40 50 60 AASHTO and type
Federal specifications of steel
A615-81 #3-#5 Yes, if S1 specified S
Billet Steel No, if S1 not specified N
#6 Yes S or N
#3-#5 Yes, if S1 specified S
No, if S1 not specified N
#6 Yes S or N
#7-#11 & #14, #18 Yes, if S1 specified S
No, if S1 not specified N
A616-79 #3-#11 No
Rail Steel #3-#11 No
A617-79 #3-#5 No A
Axle Steel #6-#11 Yes A
#3-#5 No A
#6 Yes A
#7-#11 No A
A706-80 #3-#11 & #14, #18 Yes** W
Low-Alloy Steel

* Grades 40 and 50 do not have grade marks required. All Grade 60 Bars must have either grade mark line or number 60 rolled into bar surface.
** There are no exceptions to A706 per se. The bend test requirements in A706 are even more restrictive than the ACI exceptions. A706 also contains a supple-
mentary requirement which applies only when specified by the purchaser. The supplement permits turned-down tension test specimens for bar sizes #14
and #18. Thus, the provisions in the body of A706, which require tension tests on full-size bars, meet ACI 318-77 requirements.
date information on the specifications for reinforcing
bars which are published by the American Society for
Testing and Materials (ASTM).
Current editions of specifications
The current editions of the basic ASTM specifications
for reinforcing bars are:
A615-81 Standard Specifications for Deformed and
Plain Billet-Steel Bars for Concrete Rein-
forcement
A616-79 Standard Specification for Rail-Steel De-
formed and Plain Bars for Concrete Rein-
forcement
A617-79 Standard Specification for Axle-Steel De-
formed and Plain Bars for Concrete Rein-
forcement
A706-80 Standard Specification for Low-Alloy Steel
Deformed Bars for Concrete Re i n f o rc e-
ment
The last two digits indicate year of adoption of each
standard. The accompanying table shows the specified
bar sizes, grades (minimum yield strengths) and mark-
ing requirements, and the drawing illustrates the mark-
ing requirements.
Billet steelA615
Grade 60 reinforcing bars conforming to A615 are the
most widely used type and grade of reinforcing steel. A
major revision in the 1981 edition of the A615 standard is
the deletion of Grade 40 bar sizes #7 through #11. The
standard now covers Grade 40 bars only in sizes #3
through #6.
Reinforcing bar identification marks required by ASTM specifications; symbols for the infrequently used rail and axle steel
are not shown. Bar identification marks may also be oriented to read when bar is in horizontal position. Note that Grade 60
may be indicated either by the number 60 or by a single continuous line. Grades 40 and 50 are not required to show grade
designation. Illustration courtesy Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute.
Since most reinforced concrete construction in the
United States is covered by the ACI Building Co d e, 1
AASHTO Specifications,2 or specifications issued by
Federal agencies such as the Corps of Engineers, it is es-
sential that specifiers be reminded of the special provi-
sions (exceptions to ASTM basic standards) for reinforc-
ing bars, contained in these design codes and
specifications. These special provisions involve more re-
strictive requirements for bend tests and tensile tests.
A615-81 contains a set of Supplementary Require-
ments (S1) which apply only when specified by the pur-
chaser. S1 prescribes tighter bend tests (smaller pin di-
ameters) for #3, #4 and #5 bars in Grade 40; for #3, #5 and
#7 through #11 bars in Grade 60; and bend tests for #14
and #18 bars in Grade 60. The supplement also requires
tension tests on full-size bars for #11, #14, and #18 bars
in Grade 60. These more restrictive provisions for bend
tests and tension tests satisfy the exceptions in the ACI
Building Code, AASHTO and Federal specifications. If a
project in which A615 rebars are to be used must con-
form to the ACI Code or these specifications, the speci-
fier should state that reinforcing bars shall conform to
A615-81 including Supplementary Requirement S1.
Since the 1978 edition, A615 has required that rein-
forcing bars furnished to the supplementary require-
ments be identified by the symbol S instead of the tradi-
tional N (see drawing). Use of the S-marking can cause
confusion, misunderstandings and project delays if its
significance is not understood.
The Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute has adopted
the following recommendation for dissemination to pro-
ducers, fabricators and users of reinforcing bars: To
avoid confusion among purchasers, CRSI strongly rec-
ommends that all producers of reinforcing bars for use
under ACI Building Code, AASHTO, and Federal specifi-
cation re q u i re m e n t s, and which meet ASTM A615-81
and Supplement S1, identify these bars by the mark S as
soon as possible.
Rail and axle steelA616 and A617
Re-rolled rail and axle steel bars are available in some
local areas of the United States. Rail steel bars (A616-79)
in Grades 50 or 60 are generally used only where code re-
quirements for bend testing are not applicable. The axle
steel specification A617-79 for Grades 40 and 60 is
presently being revised to meet all special code require-
ments.
Low-alloy steelA706
The A706 specification is a relatively new ASTM stan-
dard. First issued in 1974, the specification resulted from
users demand for weldability and for more bendability
and controlled ductility in reinforcing bars for high-lev-
el seismic-resistant design.
Note in the table that the A706 specification covers
Grade 60 only. The standard does not actually use the
term grade; it simply states bars are of a single mini-
mum yield strength level; namely 60,000 psi. The cur-
rent standard is being revised to include the word grade.
To achieve greater bendability and ductility, the A706
specification contains more restrictive requirements for
bend tests and tensile properties.
Weldability of steel established by its chemical analy-
sis limits the applicable welding procedures and sets
preheat requirements. The mill test report (available up-
on request) for standard A615 billet bars is incomplete
for determining welding requirements under the St ru c-
tural Welding CodeReinforcing Steel (AWS D1.4-79).
Special complete analyses may be secured, usually at an
extra cost. Without such analyses, welding performed in
accordance with AWS D1.4-794 would require preheat-
ing all bars to be welded to 500 degrees F and the use of
low hydrogen electrodes. The standard bar specifica-
tions A615, A616 and A617 state that weldability of the
steel is not part of this specification. A706 reinforcing
bars, on the other hand, are intended for welding, and
control of chemical composition is provided by restric-
tions on individual chemical elements and by a limit on
carbon equivalent based upon the AWS formula for car-
bon equivalent.
The Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute recommends
that before specifying A706 reinforcement, local avail-
ability should be investigated.
Epoxy-coated reinforcing bars
As reported in CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION,3 epoxy-
coated rebars are considered by many engineers to be
one of the most effective and practical corrosion-protec-
tion systems from the standpoint of cost. Epoxy-coated
bars were first used in bridge decks as early as 1973 in
Pennsylvania. Since then end uses of coated bars have
continually expanded. More states and gove rn m e n t
agencies are specifying coated bars in bridge decks and
in other transportation structures. Coated bars are now
being used in parking garages, marine structures, water
and wastewater treatment plants and other hyd ra u l i c
structures.
The lack of a voluntary consensus standard has
caused some problems in the furnishing of epoxy-coat-
ed bars, but in July 1981, ASTM issued a new specifica-
tion for epoxy-coated reinforcing bars. It is designated
A775-81. To minimize confusion, the Concrete Reinforc-
ing Steel Institute recommends that when coated bars
are specified for a project, the bars should be required
to conform to A775.
Editors Note:
A second specification for epoxy-coated reinforcing bars
has been developed and approved in ASTM Committee D-4
on Highway and Paving Materials. At press time, this D-
specification had not yet been promulgated by ASTM. If the
second specification is also promulgated, there may be a ju-
risdictional question between Committees A-1 on Steel and
D-4 on Highway and Paving Materials. It is obvious that the
Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute recommends ASTM
Specification A775-81 for epoxy-coated reinforcing bars.
References
1. Building Code Requirements for Reinforced Concrete
(ACI 318-77), American Concrete Institute, Detroit, 1977.
2. Standard Specifications for Highway Bridges, 12th Edi-
tion, 1977 (including Annual Supplements 1978-81), Ameri-
can Association of State Highway and Transportation Offi-
cials, Washington, D.C.
3. Fusion-Bonded Epoxy-Coated Rebars, Concrete Con-
struction, August 1980, pages 587-591.
4. ASTM standards cited throughout the text are available
from American Society for Testing and Materials, 1916 Race
Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103.
PUBLICATION#C810819
Copyright 1981, The Aberdeen Group
All rights reserved