Facts for Members
FACTS FOR MEMBERS
ASTM COMMITTEE A-1 ON
STEEL, STAINLESS STEEL
AND RELATED ALLOYS
PREFACE
The basic philosophy, rules and information that guide committee A-1 are provided in this pamphlet. It is not meant to be a substitute for either the formal Bylaws of ASTM or the Regulations Governing ASTM Technical Committees. It does include the Bylaws governing ASTM Committee A-1 on Steel, Stainless Steel and Related Alloys. This pamphlet will enable all A-1 members to understand and interpret these regulations.
Members should acquire a copy of the following ASTM documents from Headquarters, as appropriate:
1. ASTM Directory (contains ASTM Bylaws)
2. Regulations Governing ASTM Technical Committees (Green Book)
Available on the ASTM Web Site
3. Form and Style for ASTM Standards (Blue Book)
Available on the ASTM Web Site
4. ASTM Technical Committee Officer Handbook (Red Book)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. INTRODUCTION
II. HISTORY
III. COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES
Principal Activities
Liaison Activities
Miscellaneous
IV. THE ORGANIZATION OF A-1 (Committee A-1 Bylaws)
ARTICLE 1 – General
ARTICLE 2 – Scope
ARTICLE 3 – Membership
ARTICLE 4 – Committee Officers and Their Election
ARTICLE 5 – Executive Committee
ARTICLE 6 – Advisory Council
ARTICLE 7 – Duties of the Officers
ARTICLE 8 – Subcommittees
ARTICLE 9 – Meetings
ARTICLE 10 – Ballots and Reports
ARTICLE 11 – Amendments
APPENDIX X.1 – Committee A-1 Resolution Policy
V. INFORMATION ITEMS
Attachment I: Structure of ASTM Committee A-1
Attachment II: Scopes of the Subcommittees
Attachment III: Development of ASTM Standards (Ballot Process)
Attachment IV: Procedures for A-1 and Subcommittee Membership
Attachment V: Subcommittee Report to A-1
Attachment VI: Committee A-1 Awards and Recipients
ASTM COMMITTEE A-1 ON STEEL, STAINLESS STEEL AND RELATED ALLOYS
FACTS FOR MEMBERS
I. INTRODUCTION
ASTM was founded in 1902 for the purpose of promoting knowledge of the materials of engineering and for standardizing specifications and methods of testing. Each of the more than 130 technical committees is responsible for developing standards in its own area of interest and expertise, while following the principles of due process, open debate, and fair treatment of all interests that have been established by the parent ASTM organization.
Committee A-1 on Steel, Stainless Steel and Related Alloys is one of these technical committees. A sharp rise in A-1 membership occurred in 1973 with the absorption of Committee A10 on Fe-Cr, Fe-Cr-Ni and Related Alloys in to Committee A-1. At present, more than 600 individuals are engaged in the work of Committee A-1 and its Subcommittees.
II. HISTORY
Committee A-1 dates back to the very beginning of ASTM, formed in 1898, as the American Section of the International Association for Testing Materials (IATM). The first American Committee was on Standard Specifications of Testing Iron and Steel, which became known as Committee A on Standard Specifications for Steel, and subsequently as Committee A1 on Standard Specifications for Steel. Today, we are known as Committee A-1 on Steel, Stainless Steel and Related Alloys.
The first meeting of the American Section of (IATM) was held in June 1898 with some 30 members present. Mr. Mansfield Merriman, Professor of Civil Engineering and Mathematics at Lehigh University, in his first speech as Chairman of ASTM, supplied the reason for the formation of ASTM. Prior to the 1800s, according to Merriman, very little was known about metal properties, and test methods were less than perfect.
At this meeting, six problems were identified as the root cause of many steel failures. It became apparent that there was a need to correct this lack of information, improve steels and perform more physical tests in order to gain uniformity of products.
The original 20 some persons at the first meeting has grown to over 600 members, and from the original committee to our current A-1 Main Committee, comprised of 28 Subcommittees and 7 Sections of 2 of the Subcommittees. See Attachment II for the scopes of these Subcommittees and Sections.
We started with but a single specification, A1, for Steel Rails, now titled, “Specification for Carbon Tee Rails”. Currently, approximately 485 specifications fill the six volumes of Section 1, Iron and Steel Products, Annual Book of Standards.
Committee A-1 has accomplished many fine things in our first one hundred years, as a community of professionals in the steel industry comprised both of suppliers and users. A significant part of this greatness, from the Committee’s foundation until today, has been its membership. There is no doubt that Committee A-1 will be as great or greater in its second 100 years! We invite you to join us.
PAST CHAIRMEN OF A-1
1899-1913 / W.R. Webster1913-1918 / C.D. Young
1918-1920 / J.A. Capp
1920-1926 / F.M. Waring
1926-1932 / J.B. Young
1932-1938 / H.H. Morgan
1938-1953 / N.L. Mochel
1953-1956 / H.B. Oatley
1956-1958 / W.F. Collin
1958-1964 / J.J. Kanter
1964-1971 / A.O. Schaeffer
1971-1976 / I.A. Rohring
1976-1980 / A. Van Echo
1980-1986 / O.L. Nordin
1986-1992 / H.E. Lunt
1992-1998 / A.S. Melilli
1998- / B.M. Dingman
III. COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES
A. Principal Activities
The principal activity of Committee A-1 is the development of standard test methods,
specifications, practices, terminology and classifications for steel, stainless steel and related products. Since preparing the first ASTM standard in 1898, the committee has prepared over 1000 standards approved by ASTM. Publications in which these methods or specifications appear include:
1. ASTM Annual Book of Standards, Volume 01.01, 01.02, 01.03, 01.04, 01.05, 01.06 and 01.07.
2. ASME Boiler and pressure Vessel Code Section II Part A.
B. Liaison Activities
ASTM Committee A-1 on Steel, Stainless Steel and Related Alloys produce standards for use by design and construction organizations such as ANSI, ASME, and BOCA. The committee does not generally have liaison activities with user organizations, but the user organizations normally have liaison activities with A-1. Committee A-1 cooperates with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in the development of the United States position for the International Organization for Standards (ISO), Technical Committee 17 (TC 17) on Steel. Several A-1 members serve on the U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) for ISO/TC 17. A-1 also participates in ISO activities of TC5/SC1 on steel tubes, TC11/SC1 on materials for boiler and pressure vessels, TC105 on steel wire ropes, TC111 on round steel link chains, lifting hooks and accessories, and ICASI – International Committee for Analysis of Steel and Iron..
Within the ASTM family, Committee A-1 maintains contact with a number of other technical committees which are active in the fields of interest to A-1 members. Some of these committees are:
A05 Metallic-Coated Iron and Steel Products
E01 Analytical Chemistry for Metals, Ores and Related Materials
E04 Metallography
E07 Nondestructive Testing
E08 Fatigue and Fracture
E28 Mechanical Testing
F16 Fasteners
G01 Corrosion of Metals
The above committees usually meet at the same time and place as Committee A-1 during the biannual Committee Weeks in May and November of every year.
C. Miscellaneous Activities
The committee's other activities fall within the area defined in its scope as promotion of
knowledge of cast or wrought steels, stainless steels and related alloys. To achieve this objective the committee sponsors special technical publications and symposiums.
Generally symposiums are held when there is a specific need within Committee A-1 to present and discuss new developments in technology and testing techniques. Usually the symposiums have international participation. Papers and discussions presented at symposiums are often published as an ASTM publication.
Subcommittees of Committee A-1 may conduct cooperative laboratory test programs to evaluate new test methods and improvements in existing methods. Subcommittees are required to officially file Research Reports with the Society to receive assigned permanent RR numbers. Individuals may avail themselves of this information by requesting the appropriate RR number
from ASTM Headquarters.
Some members of A-1 also promote knowledge as instructors for the ASTM Technical & Professional Training courses. Courses currently being offered related to steel are (1) Mechanical Metallurgy and ASTM Test Method A 370, (2) Selection, Specification, and Application of Stainless Steels, and (3) Understanding ASTM Steel Standards.
IV. THE ORGANIZATION OF A-1 (COMMITTEE A-1 BYLAWS)
COMMITTEE A-1 ON STEEL, STAINLESS STEEL, AND RELATED ALLOYS
BYLAWS
Initially Adopted by Committee: 26 March 1987
Current Revision: August 1997
1. GENERAL
1.1 These bylaws are subject to the “Regulations Governing ASTM Technical Committees” hereinafter referred to as the Regulations. Committee A-1 is hereinafter referred to as the COMMITTEE.
2. SCOPE
2.1 The scope of the COMMITTEE shall be: The promotion of knowledge; the stimulation of research; and the development of specifications, test methods, terminology, and other types of standards relating to cast or wrought steels, stainless steels, and related alloys and ferrous alloys.
2.2 Areas of Interest
2.2.1 The COMMITTEE’S interest includes the following materials: carbon and alloy steels, tool steels, tin mill products, corrosion and heat resistant alloys, super-strength alloys, and clad steels.
2.2.2 The COMMITTEE, unless specifically requested by the Chairman of the committee having prime responsibility, is not concerned with materials which are of interest to Committees:
A06 on Magnetic Properties;
B02 on Non-ferrous Metals and Alloys;
B04 on Metallic Materials for Thermostats and for Electrical Resistance, Heating, and Contacts
F04 on Surgical Implants
2.2.3 The COMMITTEE specifically excludes the following areas of interest:
2.2.3.1 Aluminum-coated, zinc-coated, or terne-coated steel products covered by Committee A-5.
2.2.3.2 Alloys in those forms for which the principal use results from specifically controlled electrical resistance, thermal expansion, or magnetic characteristics which pertain to electrical resistance devices, electrical contacts, thermostats, and electrical steel.
2.2.3.3 Materials for surgical implants.
2.3 Policy on Material Specification Coverage
2.3.1 The material specifications prepared by the COMMITTEE are available for use by producers and users anywhere in the world. To maintain a practical limit to the amount of COMMITTEE effort, the COMMITTEE will prepare and administer specifications within its expertise. Requests for new specifications or standards or for new grades or types of material should be supported by a regulatory body, a code-writing body or a member of ASTM.
3. MEMBERSHIP
3.1 Membership on the COMMITTEE, its subcommittees, and any section thereof, shall be as members, official representatives of organizational memberships, affiliates, and official representatives of other ASTM Technical Committees, all being current members of the Society. It is anticipated that appointment for membership in the COMMITTEE will be accepted with the recognition that such acceptance entails an obligation to contribute to the purpose of the work of the COMMITTEE.
3.2 All individuals applying for membership on the COMMITTEE shall furnish a completed application form containing information on their qualifications to serve. Applications will be subject to approval by the Executive Committee.
3.3 Membership in the COMMITTEE shall be in accordance with the Common Classification System of the REGULATIONS.
3.4 There are only two justifiable reasons for not accepting an individual who is a Society member as voting member of the COMMITTEE. These are:
3.4.1 Acceptance would create an imbalance of voting interests. Where there is more than one member of the COMMITTEE from a voting interest, the voting member shall be designated by the voting interest since each voting interest shall be entitled to only one vote on all COMMITTEE actions on standards,
3.4.2 The individual is not qualified or knowledgeable in the area of the COMMITTEE’S scope.
3.5 A voting member of the COMMITTEE who fails to respond to three consecutive letter ballots shall be notified an reminded of a member’s obligation. Continued failure to respond to letter ballots shall be cause of termination of membership. Upon approval of the Executive Committee, notice of termination of membership on the COMMITTEE shall be sent to the member by the Membership Secretary.
3.6 Resignations should be submitted, preferably in writing, to Society Headquarters.
4. COMMITTEE OFFICERS AND THEIR ELECTION
4.1 The officers of the COMMITTEE shall be a Chairman, two, four or six Vice-Chairman, a Secretary, and a Membership Secretary, each of whom shall hold the same office in the Executive Committee and the Advisory Council (see 6.1). The Vice- Chairman shall be evenly divided between producer and other-than-producer interests.
4.2 The officers shall be elected by the COMMITTEE membership.
4.3 Any member of the COMMITTEE, who has been a member of the COMMITTEE for at least two years, shall be eligible for office.
4.4 The term of elected officers shall be two years beginning January 1 of the even-numbered years.
4.5 The officers shall serve for the terms to which they are elected or until their successors are either elected or appointed.
4.6 Officers shall be eligible for election for not more than three consecutive terms in one office.
4.7 Election of Officers
4.7.1 The officers of the COMMITTEE shall be elected by letter ballot of the COMMITTEE membership prior to December 1 of the odd-numbered years with provisions for write-in votes on the ballot.
4.7.2 An Ad Hoc Committee on Nominations, consisting of a Chairman and three other members of the Committee, shall be designated by the Executive Committee at its Fall meeting in the even-numbered years to nominate at least one candidate for each office. The nominations shall be presented to the Executive Committee no later than its Spring meeting in the odd-numbered years for possible additional nominations and authorization for letter ballot. Members of the Ad Hoc Committee on Nominations shall be eligible for nomination.
4.8 Vacancies in Office
4.8.1 Vacancies in elective offices occurring during the regular term of office shall be filled by appointment by the Executive Subcommittee.
5. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
5.1 The executive direction of the committee shall be vested in the Executive Committee (A01.90)
which shall consist of the immediate past chairman, the elected officers and the Chairmen of the A-1 Subcommittees.
6. ADVISORY COUNCIL
6.1 An Advisory Council, consisting of the officers of the COMMITTEE, the immediate past chairman, and the staff liaison representative, will review organization and policy matters and recommend disposition to the Executive Committees.
7. DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS