Industry Standards 1

[liberoSimulation]

I'm looking for the popular industry standards as ASME, API ASTM..etc
Can anyone give references of websites that give such standards without fees (i.e. FREE)?

Most of the ones I have found are not free

Any help is highly appreciated

Cheers

 

[Montemayor]

Libero:

Contrary to your handle, the professional engineering societies and organizations that you've mentioned cannot -and will not- publish anything for free distribution.

They will may allow you on their website - but that's the extent of their charitable qualities. To think otherwise is to be naive. Sorry for the negative news.

 

[abeltio]

did you check with your company's in-house library, most of them carry legally owned copies of the standards...

a word of caution though... do not make illegal copies of those standards, it may and will get you and your company in trouble for copyright violation if found...

it may sound very unlikely... but i know for a fact that it happens... e.g. during a ISO 9000 audit

if you are self-employed... (and this also happened) and carry illegal copies of standards... your customer may have to report this situation, specially if it is a federal government agency.

so... here are a couple of reasons not to do it:
1.
how would you like it if people would get hold of YOUR original designs or know-how or calculation methods you developed, make copies and use them for their own profit?

our colleagues, that create the standards feel exactly the same way.

2.
in anything i do... i always think: would my children be proud of their dad doing this?


sorry for the sour tone... i did not mean to offend you.
Even in the struggle to get the job done, and with the pressure to save every penny: we cannot afford to loose sight of the ethics involved.
it is, after all, a question of integrity.

lastly, i did not red-flag this post because, with all due respect, thought that some calibration was required on this issue...


saludos.
a.

 

[JStephen]

For some of these groups, selling standards is a major source of the groups income.

 

[liberoSimulation]

What's up guys?
I'm just asking about something well-known to everybody even for kids in schools (i.e. STANDARDS as API< ASME..etc).
Just I want to know if it is possible to get references without charge as I have seen in this site someone has given a reference with the updated changes of one standard (I think API520.

Hope you understand the query well prior posting a reply

 

[Montemayor]

Libero:

I understood your question and I believe I answered it. The answer is no. Neither ASME, API, of ASTM publish free "Standards" or Recommended Practices. You have to pay for what you get. Nor is there a website where you can obtain such standards without fees (i.e. FREE).

The other responses also advise you not to copy or participate in using copied standards - it's illegal.

 

[liberoSimulation]

Montemayor
Thank you for the best reply

Cheers

 

[jsummerfield]

Exceptions exist outside the professional societies. The United States Government publishes extensive information within the public domain. The American Bureau of Shipping publish marine vessel requirements. These are available.

John

 

[moltenmetal]

This has always amazed me: we b*tch about people not knowing and following codes and standards and yet we charge considerable fees for access to the codes and standards!

Yes, I know the reality of organizations like ASME etc. requiring sources of revenue to fund ongoing operations. But just a copy of ASME VIII and B31.3, without any of the materials specs etc., can set you back nearly $500 USD. If that's not a deterrent for people to use these standards for public protection, I don't know what is.

libero: if you're interested in limited portions of these standards, you can find them in textbooks like the Chemical Engineers Handbook, Piping Design (Nayar) and others.

As far as other codes, you'd be surprised what you can find legally on the internet with some effort. The Ontario Building Code for instance is sold for $150 plus taxes but can be had on the internet for free. In this case it is available publicly because it is an regulation of the provincial legislature.

 

[JStephen]

moltenmetal, the problem is that these codes are not set up to be used on a hobbyist basis. If you're building pressure vessels and can't afford the codes to do it, then you probably don't need to be building pressure vessels. Those codes and other engineering references and handbooks and software are part of the overhead involved in building, designing, or evaluating the products. You might notice also that IBC, ASCE-7, and other similar building codes are not usually distributed free, either.

 

[MortenA]

If anyone now wants to go looking for a site to BUY these standard go to:

http://global.ihs.com/

This is a very complete selection of stadards - and not ONLY US standards! Some can be bougt in electronic formats so that you dont have to sit and wait for the mail

Best regards

Morten

 

[MortenA]

oh and by the way

API520 is not free - BUT the crossby engineering handbook is - and contains allmost the same info (and a little more).

Check out the TYCO site:

http://www.tycovalves-na.com/ld/CROMC-0296-US.pdf

Best regards

Morten

 

[jsummerfield]

Issues may still exist with the vendor stuff. It rarely includes all of the details. The Fisher Control Valve Handbook includes the control valve seat leakage tables from the FCI standard. Subsequently, FCI updated their standard in cooperation with IEC.

Did the leakage tables remain the same? I don't know what changed and what remained the same as I lack access to FCI and IEC without my checkbook. Perhaps one day I will find out. However, I can refer to API and other valve standards for positive shutoff applications.

John

 

[moltenmetal]

Every designer, specifier, procurer and installer of piping and pressure vessels for the chemical process industry hould have both of the codes I mentioned. Believe me, there are a great many firms which are far from DIY fly-by-night or hobbyist organizations which do not have ANY copy of these standards, much less the current version. That scares the bejeezus out of me.

The reason is the cost. Keeping current in these documents is costly, even for an organization making a business in these areas.