Standard Method of Test for 

Steel Welded Wire Reinforcement, Plain,

for Concrete

AASHTO Designation: M 55M/M 55!"

ASTM Designation: A #$5!#

1. SCOP%

1.1. This s pecification covers welded wire reinforcement to be used for the reinforcement of concrete.
Note 1-Welded wire for concrete reinfo  rcement has been described by various terms:
welded wire fabric, WWF, fabric, and mesh. The wire reinforcement industry prefers the term
"welded wire reinforcement" (WW! as bein more representative of the rane of products
bein manufactured. Therefore, the term #Weldedwire fabric" has  been replaced with the term
"welded wire reinforcement" in this specification and in related specifications.

1. $. This specification is ap plicable fo  r orders in either %& units (' '! or in inch-pound units
(' !. %& units and inch- pound units are not necessarily e)uivalent &nch-pound units are
shown in brac*ets in the te+t for clarity but they are the applicable values when the material is
order ed tc ' . The values stated in each system are not e+act e)uivalents therefore, each
system must
 be used independently of the other. ombinin values may result in nonconformance with
the specification. .

2. R%&%R%'C%D DOC(M%'TS
 AASHTO Standard: 
. ' 32M1M /$, %teel Wire, 0lain, for oncrete einforcement

$.1.  ASTMStandard: 
.  233, %tandard 0ractices for 0ac*ain, 'ar*in, and 4oadin 'ethods for %teel
0roducts for 5omestic %hipment

$.$.  Military Standards:

. '&4-%T5-1$6, 'ar*in for %hipment and %torae
. '&4-%T5-17/, %teel 'ill 0roducts 0reparation for %hipment and %torae

$./.  Federal Standard: 

. Fed. %td. 8o. 1$/, 'ar*in for %hi pment (ivil encies!

3. T%RM)'O*O+

/.1.  Description of Terms Specific to This Standard:

/.1.1.
convoluted wire-when wire for welded reinforcement is formed into a sinusoidal9wave shape, it
is commonly referred to as convoluted wire. The wire is used in the manufacture of caes for
certain applications of concrete pipe reinforcin.

/.1.$. welde  d wire reinforcement-as used within the scopeand intent of this specification, desinates
a material composed of cold-drawn steel wire, as drawn or alvanied, fabricated into sheets or
rolls
 by cess of electric resistance weldin. The finished material shall consist essentially of a series of
the lonitudinal and transverse wires arraned substantially at riht anles to each other and
pro welded to"ether at points of intersection. .

;. ORD%R)'+ )'&ORMAT)O'

;.1.
=rder s for mater ial to this s pecification should include the followin

;.1.1. inf ormation: >uantity (mass or s)uare area!,

 8ame of material (welded wire reinforcement for concrete

;.1.$.
reinforcement!, Wire spacin and sies,
;.1./.
'inimum yield strenth if %up plement % & of ' 3  M  !    M

;.1.;. /$

a pplies. ?+clusion of oversreelin, if re)uired (%ection

;.1.(.
6.;.$!, 4enth and width of sheets or
;.1.7.
rolls, 0ac* a"in" (%ection 17!, and

;.1.2. %@T= 5esination and year of issue.

"t

;.1.<.
 8ote 2-A typical orderin description is as follows: 6/3 rrr9 welded wire reinforcement for 
concrete reinforcement, 133 + /33-W 1( + W7 in flat sheets, $.; m wide + 7.1 m lon, in
1 $cWureld l+ifts, to M %%'. A13333 rr welded wire reinforcement for concrete
se
W7 in flat sheets,
reinforcement, ; + 67 in. wide + $;3 in. lon, in secured lifts, to '
.B

5- MAT%R)A*S

(.1. The wire used in the manufacture of welded wire reinforcement shall conform to ' /$'f'
/$ and its %upplement % & if so ordered.

(.$. Welded wire reinforcement shall be furnished either in flat sheets or in rolls, as specified by the
 purchaser. .

6. MA'(&ACT(R%

7.1. The wires shall be assembled by automatic machines or by other suitable mechanical means
which will assure accurate spacin and alinment of all members of the finished reinforcement.
7. $. 4onitudinal and transverse members shall be securely connected at every intersection by a
 process of electrical-resistance weldin which employs the principle of fusion combined
with pressure.

7./. Wire of proper rade and )uality when fabricated in the manner herein re)uired shall result in a
stron, serviceable mesh-type product havin substantially s)uare or rectanular openins. It
shall be fabricated and finished in a wor*manli*e manner, shall be free from inCurious defects,
and shall conform to this specification.

Note3-A variation of manufacturin includes the application of one or more lonitudinal

convoluted wires at one ede of reinforcement for concrete pipe reinforcin caes. This
shape allows the cae ends to be e+panded to a larer diameter to accommodate the bell-
sha ped ends of concrete pipe.

7. M%CHA')CA* PROP%RT R%.()R%M%'TS

2.1. Tensile-"ire for the production of welded wire reinforcement is described in ' /$'&' /$.
Tensile tests may be made on wire cut. from the welded wire reinforcement and tested either
across or between the welds no less than 3 percent shall be across the welds. Tensile tests across
th e weld shall have the welded Coint located appro+imately at the center of the wire bein tested
and the cross wire formin the welded Coint shall e+tend appro+imately $ mm [I in.B beyond
each side of the welded Coint.
Note;-Tensile, reduction of area, and bend testin are normally done at the time the wire
is dra  wn. The manufacturer9s finished product still must satisfy the mechanical properties
when tested after fabrication.

2.$.  #eductionof Area-The ruptured section of the tensile specimen is measured to determine this
 pro perty. &n the case of a specimen that has been tested across a weld, the measurement shall be
made only when rupture  has occurred at a sufficient distance from the center of a weld to permit
.an accurate measurement of the fractured section. The wire shall meet the minimum reduction
of area re)uirements of ' /$'1'/$.

2./.  $end Test-The wire shall withstand the bend test as descri bed in ' /$'1' /$ and shall be
 performed on a specimen ta*en from between the welds.

%&'& "eldShearStren(th-The weld shear strenth between lonitudinal and transverse wires shall be
tested as described in %ection <. The minimum averae shear value in 8ewtons, shall not be less
than $;1, multiplied by the nominal area of the larer wire in s)uare millimeters Ain pounds-force
shall not be less than /333, multiplied by the nominal area of the larer wire in s)uare inchesB,
where the smaller wire is not less than sie W1.$ and has an area of;3 percent or more of the
area of the larer wire. Typical e+amples of the ;3 percent or more wire sie differential area
as follows:
4arer %maller 
%ie 8o. W$3 %ie 8o. W<
%ie 8o. W1 %ie 8o. W7
%ie 8o. W&= %ie 8o. W;

2.;.1. einforcement havin a relationship of lonitudinal and transverse wires other than those covered
in %ection 7.4 shall not be subCect to the weld shear re)uirement.

2.;.$. Weld shear tests for determination of conformance to the re)uirements of %ection 7.4 shall be
2.;./. 2.;.;.
F om from the specimen described in %ection 11.$ shall  be tested for weld shear strenth. The
ou transverse wire of each test specimen shall e+tend appro+imately $ mm A1 in.B on each side of
r the lonitudinal wire. The lonitudinal wire of each test specimen shall be of such lenth below
w the transverse wire so as to be ade)uately enaed by the rips of the testin machine. &t shall be
el of such lenth above the transverse wire that its end shall be above the centerline of the upper
ds bearin of the testin device.
se
le The material shall be deemed to conform to the re)uirements for weld shear strenth if the avera
ct
e of the four samples complies with the value stipulated in %ection 2.;. &f the averae fails to
ed
meet the prescribed value, all the welds across the specimen shall then be tested. The
at
reinforcement will
ra  be acceptable if the averae of all weld shear test values across the specimen meets the pr escribed
nd
minimum value.

8. W%*D SH%AR T%ST APPARAT(S A'D M%THODS

<.1. s the welds in welded wire reinforcement contribute to the bondin and anchorae value of th e
wires in concrete, it is imperative that the weld acceptance tests be made in a Ci that will str ess
the weld in a manner similar to which it is stressed in concrete. &n order to accomplish this, the
vertical wire in the Ci must be stressed in an a+is close to its centerline. lso the horiontal
wir e must be held closely to the vertical wire, and in the same relative position, so as to
prevent
ro  tation
of the horiontal wire  . When the welded wire reinforcement is desined with different wire 
sies,
the larer diameter wire  is the "vertical wire" when tested (see Fiure 1!.1

Vertia! "ire

I
Setion A #A

&igre i-Welded Wire einforcement Weld Tester 

 of the materia4 The certification shall include the specification number, year-dateof issue
and revision letter, if any.

1.$. This conformance is predicated upon testin and acceptance of wire prior to fabrication,
coupled with random shear testin durin production. Gecause of warehousin and stoc*in
problems, no efforts are normally ta*en to supply actual test data on material shipped. &f
this is deemed essential, outside inspection should be utilied.

1./. When %upplemental % & of ' 32M1M /$ is specified for the material, test results for yield
strenth, tensile strenth, reduction of area, and bend tests shall be reported (% 1.$.1  of' /
$'1'/$!.

16. PAC2A+)'+ A'D MAR2)'+

17.1. Hnless otherwise specified, pac*ain, mar*in, and loadin for shipment shall be
in accordance with %T'  233.

17.$. When welded wire reinforcement is furnished in flat sheets, it shall be assembled in bundles
of convenient sie containin not more than 1(3 sheets and securely fastened toether .

17./. When welded wire reinforcement is furnished in rolls, each roll shall be secured so as to prevent
unwindin durin shippin and handlin.

17.;. ?ach bundle of flat sheets and each roll shall have attached thereto a suitable ta
bearin the name of the manufacturer, description of the material, ' 44M5M , and such
other information as may be specified by the purchaser .

17.. When specified in the contract or order and for direct procurement by or direct to the
H.%. Jovernment, when 4evel  is specified, preservation, pac*ain, and pac*in shall be in
accordance with the 4evel  re)uirement of'&4-%T5-17/.

17.7. When specified in the contract or order and for the direct procurement by or direct shipment to the
H.%. Jovernment, mar*in for shipment, in additfon to re)uirements specified in the contract or
order, shall be in accordance with '&4-%T5-1$6 for H.%. military aencies and in accordance
with Fed. %td. 8o. 1$/ for H.%. Jovernment civil aencies.

#6- 2%WORDS

12.1. oncrete reinforcement reinforced concrete reinforcin steels steel wire welded
wire reinforcement.

I  detailed drawin showin complete dimensions of the testin Ci may be obtained from %T'
@ead)uarters. e)uest dCunct K 1$-13 1<3-33.