ASTM International

2022-03-05T06:01:38Z

103.126.23.221:

{{short description|Standards organization}}
{{use mdy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{primary sources|date=April 2014}}
{{Infobox company
|name = ASTM International
|logo = ASTM International logo.svg
|logo_size = 150px
|alt = 
|logo_caption =
|image = Astm hq west conshohocken 019.png
|image_caption = ASTM HQ in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, as seen from a nearby bridge
|foundation = 1902
|defunct = 
|type = 
|location = [[West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania]], U.S
|area_served = United States (1898–present)<br>International (1898–present)
|members = 30,000
|homepage = {{URL|www.astm.org}}
}}
'''ASTM International''', formerly known as '''American Society for Testing and Materials''', is an international [[standards organization]] that develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical [[International standard|standard]]s for a wide range of materials, products, systems, and [[Service (economics)|services]]. Some 12,575 ASTM voluntary consensus standards operate globally. The organization's headquarters is in [[West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania]], about {{convert|5|mi|km|abbr=on}} northwest of [[Philadelphia]].

Founded in 1902 as the American Section of the [[International Association for Testing Materials]] (see also [[International Organization for Standardization]]), ASTM International predates other standards organizations such as the [[International Electrotechnical Commission|IEC]] (1906), [[Deutsches Institut für Normung|DIN]] (1917), [[American National Standards Institute|ANSI]] (1918), [[Association Française de Normalisation|AFNOR]] (1926), and [[International Organization for Standardization|ISO]] (1947).

== History ==
A group of [[scientist]]s and [[engineer]]s, led by [[Charles Benjamin Dudley|Charles Dudley]], formed ASTM in 1898 to address the frequent [[rail tracks|rail]] [[fracture|breaks]] affecting the fast-growing [[Rail transport|railroad]] industry. The group developed a standard for the steel used to fabricate rails. Originally called the "American Society for Testing Materials" in 1902, it became the "American Society for Testing And Materials" in 1961. In 2001, ASTM officially changed its name to “ASTM International" and added the tagline "Standards Worldwide". In 2014, it changed the tagline to "Helping our World Work better". Now, ASTM International has offices in Belgium, Canada, China, Peru, and Washington, D.C.<ref>{{cite web|last1=ASTM International|title=What is ASTM International?|url=https://www.astm.org/ABOUT/history_book.html|website=The History of ASTM International |access-date=12 May 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Gerard|first1=Barbara|title=What is ASTM International?|url=http://info.craftechind.com/blog/what-is-astm-international|website=Craftchind: Craftech Industries|access-date=1 February 2017|date=2015-04-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170425235851/http://info.craftechind.com/blog/what-is-astm-international|archive-date=25 April 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Membership and organization ==
Membership in the organization is open to anyone with an interest in its activities.<ref name=membership>{{cite web |url=http://www.astm.org/MEMBERSHIP |title=Membership|publisher=ASTM International}}</ref> Standards are developed within committees, and new committees are formed as needed, upon request of interested members. Membership in most committees is [[Volunteering|voluntary]] and is initiated by the member's own request, not by appointment nor by invitation. Members are classified as users, producers, consumers, and "general interest". The latter includes academics and consultants. Users include industry users, who may be producers in the context of other technical committees, and end-users such as consumers. In order to meet the requirements of [[antitrust]] laws, producers must constitute less than 50% of every committee or subcommittee, and votes are limited to one per producer company. Because of these restrictions, there can be a substantial waiting-list of producers seeking organizational memberships on the more popular committees. Members can, however, participate without a formal vote and their input will be fully considered.

As of 2015, ASTM has more than 30,000 members, including over 1,150 organizational members, from more than 140 countries.<ref name=DetailedOverview>{{cite web |url=http://www.astm.org/ABOUT/full_overview.html|title=Detailed Overview|publisher=ASTM International}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.astm.org/COMMIT/BOD/ASTM|title=ASTM International Board of Directors|publisher=ASTM International}}</ref> The members serve on one or more of 140+ ASTM Technical Committees. ASTM International has several awards for contributions to standards authorship, including the [[ASTM International Award of Merit]] (the organization's highest award)<ref name="ASTM International Award of Merit">{{cite web |url=http://www.astm.org/MEMBERSHIP/socawards.htm#Award |title=Society Awards|publisher=ASTM International}}</ref> ASTM International is classified by the United States [[Internal Revenue Service]] as a [[501(c)(3)]] nonprofit organization.

== Standards compliance ==
ASTM International has no role in requiring or enforcing compliance with its standards. The standards, however, may become mandatory when referenced by an external contract, corporation, or government.<ref name=DetailedOverview />

* In the United States, ASTM standards have been adopted, by incorporation or by reference, in many federal, state, and municipal government regulations. The [[National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act]], passed in 1995, requires the federal government to use privately developed consensus standards whenever possible. The Act reflects what had long been recommended as best practice within the federal government.
* Other governments (local and worldwide) also have referenced ASTM standards.<ref name=TC>[http://www.tc.gc.ca/tdc/summary/14000/14063e.htm Transport Canada use of ASTM] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051119212130/http://www.tc.gc.ca/tdc/summary/14000/14063e.htm |date=November 19, 2005 }}</ref>
* Corporations doing international business may choose to reference an ASTM standard.
* All toys sold in the United States must meet the safety requirements of ASTM F963, Standard Consumer Safety Specification for Toy Safety, as part of the [[Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act]] of 2008 (CPSIA). The law makes the ASTM F963 standard a mandatory requirement for toys while the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) studies the standard's effectiveness and issues final consumer guidelines for toy safety.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.astmnewsroom.org/default.aspx?pageid=1663|title=Safer Children's Toys – ASTM F963 Toy Safety Standard Required by U.S. Law|publisher=ASTM International}}</ref>

== See also ==
*[[International Organization for Standardization]]
*[[Materials property]]
*[[Pt/Co scale]]
*[[Technical standard]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Commons category-inline|ASTM}}
* [http://www.astm.org ASTM International]
** [https://www.astm.org/Standard/standards-and-publications.html Standards and Publications]
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{{ASTM standards}}
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[[Category:Standards organizations in the United States]]
[[Category:ASTM standards| ]]
[[Category:Organizations based in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1898]]
[[Category:International organizations based in the United States]]
[[Category:Technical specifications]]
[[Category:Entertainment companies of the United States]]

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ASTM International