Smb4050:
You are probably over-thinking/worrying this design project, in all the wrong ways. Why does AISI 1018 mat’l. figure so prominently in your question? How is it going to be used in your design; as a shear pin or as a long bent bar or hook for lifting the belting? If it’s a bent bar is that the best design? It’s just merchant quality mild steel bar stock which can be purchased from most any steel supply warehouse, isn’t it? The one thing you might do for materials on this kind of a design is get mill certs. from your suppliers, and consider those values in your design, then put these certs. in the design file as documentation. Otherwise, these things are usually fairly std. design problems for a Structural Engineer, although somewhat different than a simple beam in a building, but more interesting too. I don’t have recent copies of the ASTM BTH codes, so I can’t comment on specific paragraphs without your posting them. Any of the codes, and your client’s location and end use will dictate these, give FoS vs. Fy or Fu, etc., they give test loading instructions, in-use inspection requirements, and the like; otherwise they assume design using normal, well established, engineering and mechanical principles and methods of fabrication. They do pay some extra attention to the potential of dynamic loading, repeated loading and use, misuse and the like. So, good clean design, fabrication, welding, fatigue resistance, etc. come into play. OSHA may come into play in the plant also.
Other than the appropriate design code, you might do well to dig out a couple text books on Strength of Materials, Machine Design, Rigging/Lifting Equip. and the like. If you already have ASTM B30.20, what’s your question? You have to explain your design issues and problems in more detail, if you want more help.