Category 3 vs. Category 2

[ghateefar]

Dear all Steel Experts,
If a contractor ordered and received! Steel Category 2 instead of Category 3 for a steel plate girder. What material tests would you ask the contractor to support that category is still good enough to be used in the girders if the yielding and tensile strength met your design specs... Charpy test results? Chemical components? Any other ideas?

 

[Smoulder]

What country? Your profile says USA so you just reject (notify contractor of non conformance). Then they decide whether to buy the right stuff or get a licensed engineer to prove it's ok. Still client's decision to accept or not.

If other country, designer should advise you. Or are you the contractor?

 

[ghateefar]

Thanks, @smoulder. I am the EoR of the project for BD project. It means we are in the same boat as the contractor! Even though they tested in a certified lab and met category 3 specifications, they met cat 3 energy absorbent test ranges differently than Cat 3.

 

[Smoulder]

What do you mean by category 2 and 3 - what standard? Why did you specify the higher grade? Why are you in the contractor's boat? You won't get good answers if you only tell 1% of the story.

What do you mean that it met category 3 specification, but differently? Did it meet category 3 or not?