Studing ASTM

[ENGMechanical]

I'm starting studing ASTM, but i believe it unorganized some times, because of so lot data. Some one know how can i organize my read? Exist a index or good separation by kind of material? I not have ASTM books. Tanks.

 

[Ron]

I'm not sure why you are attempting to "study" ASTM. It is actually rather organized, but consists of discrete standards, so unless you have need to study a specific subject or standard such study is without organization or merit...you'll end up with a lot of disjointed facts.

ASTM is generally intended to be supporting documentation for other study. I would suggest that you use ASTM as a supplementary source of your study of whatever subject you might be interested in, but not as your primary source of information.

 

[concretemasonry]

The published standards(materials and procedures) are grouped into books with similar subjects. They are revised annually, although some revisions are just for housekeeping and co-ordination to other standards they are related to. I think there are 10 to 15 parts/subjects with some having up to 10 or 12 volumes. Because of the break-down of the books, very often you will need several books to get some cross-references on similarly or commonly used used standards relating to design, construction, manufacturing or testing/inspection.

You can do a search on the ASTM site and even buy individual standards and books on line at a non-member price even though ASTM is not a for-profit organization. The standards have no legal standing or power until adopted by a code, specification or legal entity.

Membership is a bargain since you can get one free book of standards on a general subject(on line) every year for even less than the cost of the actual part. A complete set will run a well over $2000 plus shipping costs for the books (several hundred books). I know of no individual that owns a complete set and very few firms buy complete sets annually.

Membership entitles a person to serve on a committee if there is a space to preserve the balance between producers, users and interested parties. It took me a couple of years to get a seat on several committees and about 10 years to get a very elusive voting member status. Since the voting memberships are limited (especially to firms) there has always been a problem of hiding the deaths of individuals to maintain a seat as a voting member.

Dick

Engineer and international traveler interested in construction techniques, problems and proper design.

 

[BigH]

Interesting question. I was truly amazed when I worked in India and we had a couple of IIT students come to the site for 2 weeks. They had the bloody standards memorized! They could tell you the range of testing rates for compression testing, etc. - from memory and, if my foggy brain remembers correctly, the clause numbers too! My vision was clouded.

 

[ENGMechanical]

Ron, Dick and BigH, really your answer was what i'm need to know. Work in the institute perhaps will be fine, but too, will be fine a course online or not, or a book (as a resum) to improve and develop the start and good better undertand of codes. I know several peoples that has in memory the codes - so as the lawyers have the codes on memory. Perhaps not all, but in his area, and a minimum of the others. Thanks.