A36 steel

A36 steel is a common structural steel alloy used in the United States. The A36 standard was established by the ASTM International. The standard was published in 1960 and has been updated several times since. Prior to 1960, the dominant standards for structural steel in North America were A7 and A9. Note that SAE/AISI A7 and A9 tool steels are not the same as the obsolete ASTM A7 and A9 structural steels.

Chemical composition

Note: For shapes with a flange thickness more than 3 in, 0.85-1.35% manganese content and 0.15-0.40% silicon content are required.

Properties

As with most steels, A36 has a density of. Young's modulus for A36 steel is. A36 steel has a Poisson's ratio of 0.26 and a shear modulus of.
A36 steel in plates, bars, and shapes with a thickness of less than has a minimum yield strength of and ultimate tensile strength of. Plates thicker than 8 inches have a yield strength and the same ultimate tensile strength of. The electrical resistance of A36 is 0.142 μΩm at. A36 bars and shapes maintain their ultimate strength up to. Above that temperature, the minimum strength drops off from : at ; at ; at.

Fabricated forms

A36 is produced in a wide variety of forms, including:

Methods of joining

A36 is readily welded by all welding processes. As a result, the most common welding methods for A36 are the cheapest and easiest: shielded metal arc welding, gas metal arc welding, and oxyacetylene welding. A36 steel is also commonly bolted and riveted in structural applications. High-strength bolts have largely replaced structural steel rivets. Indeed, the latest steel construction specifications published by AISC no longer covers their installation.