1.

1 Structural Shapes and Plates

AISC and other specifications for the design of
structural steel usually refer to standards
published by the American Society for Testing
and Materials (ASTM). Table 1.1a presents a
historical summary of the pertinent ASTM
standards for structural steels for buildings over
the last century, with the relevant yield points
and tensile strengths specified.
For further information on specific ASTM
standards, refer to the appropriate Annual Book
of ASTM Standards where available or contact
ASTM, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West
Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959 (telephone 610-
832-9585, website www.astm.org). Always refer
to the latest published ASTM standard for
current information on present structural steels.
Properties of rivet steel through 1949 are
also included in Table 1.1a. For information on
rivets after 1949, see Section 1.3. For
information on bolts, steel pipe, and hollow
structural sections, see Section 1.2. A review of
structural bolts is presented in Section 1.4 and
Appendix A3. A review of structural welding is
presented in Section 1.5, and Appendix A4.
Table 1.1b lists the basic allowable stresses
for members given in AISC allowable stress
design (ASD) specifications since 1923. The
allowable stress was initially 18 ksi, increasing
to 20 ksi in 1936. With the advent of higherstrength
steels, the allowable stress was
expressed in terms of the specified minimum
yield stress Fy in 1963. In 1986, the load and
resistance factor design method (LRFD) was
introduced. This method provided an improved
design approach that included explicit
consideration of limit states, load factors,
resistance factors, and implicit determination of
reliability. Further information on historical
developments in AISC specifications, both ASD
and LRFD, is given in Appendix A1. A
chronological listing of publishing dates of the
various versions of the AISC Manual is provided
in Appendix A2