Of course, covering this breadth of materials requires the work of many people and there are 143 different technical writing committees who contribute to the annual publication of standards which is made up of several volumes.

Going beyond ferric metals, there are standards relating to nonferrous metal materials, ceramics, energy, polycarbonates, x-ray testing, textiles, medical devices, environmental technology, sports equipment and more. Standards for various types of galvanizations, metal coatings, welded metal tubes, pressure vessel plates exist alongside those for polymer precoated sheet steel, epoxy-coated steel wire, and borated steel for use in nuclear applications. The vast majority of standards relate to iron and steel materials, a legacy of its railroad origins.

Terminology – A document comprising definitions of terms explanations of symbols, abbreviations, or acronyms.

Guide – A compendium of information or series of options that does not recommend a specific course of action.

Practice – A definitive set of instructions for performing one or more specific operation that does not include a test result.

Classifications – A systematic arrangement or division of materials, products, systems, or services into groups based on similar characteristics such as origin, composition, properties, or use.

Specification – An explicit set of requirements to be satisfied by a material, product, system or service.

Test Method – A definitive procedure that produces test result.

The ATSM defines their standards as “a document that has been developed and established within the consensus process of the Society and that meets the approval requirements of ASTM procedures and regulations.” Those standards are categorized into six different types which are defined in their Regulations: Throughout the over 120 years of its existence, the organization has developed and published over 12,000 voluntary consensus technical standards that cover a broad range of materials, products, services and systems. In 1961, the acronym became the name and it became ATSM International. Changing its name (adding “and”) in 1902 to become the American Society for Testing and Materials as the organization moved beyond an exclusive focus on railroad components. The ASTM worked to develop a standard used to fabricate the rails that formed the literal backbone of the rapidly expanding rail industry. In response, engineers and scientists working for the Pennsylvania Railroad formed the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) in 1898.

At the end of the 19 th century, as American commerce was increasingly dependent on the rail network tying the country together, there was a prolonged spate of accidents that threatened to disrupt the Second Industrial Revolution.

Astm standards