Stainless steel availability I've found is highly dependent on the company and prevalence of use in the area. Your best bet would be to call a few of the stainless steel guys in the area. It is expensive enough when it is standard stock items, once they have to special order it in the cost becomes even more prohibitive.
I am looking for something that can be bent to form 6" wide by 10 foot long pieces, with the 6" comprised of a 2" vertical and a 4" portion bent about 45 degrees to the vertical 2" portion, and perhaps 1/16" thick, to be fastened to a vertical concrete surface at 12" centres with 1/4" diameter x 1.75" long Tapcon screws. I would say that this would be a sheet stock. Can I specify it as 16 gauge?
When you specify a gage, most manufactures can consistently roll that gage to the absolute minimum thickness that meets the criteria for that gauge but is actually measurably thinner that the ordered nominal gage thickness. Buyer and analyst beware.
ajk1... yes, SS is specified by gauge up to about 1/8" thickness (roughly 10 ga). Keep in mind that SS sheet is generally stiffer than carbon steel sheet. As an example, I specify 26 ga SS where I would use 22 ga galvanized sheet.
When I was designing for the company I worked for, we normally used a lot of stainless in both structural and grating. The structural had sections with measurements (size, thickness, webs and flanges) in inches. - Pricey but necessary and our purchasing department did a great job on 1 to 7 deliveries to the site for use in modifications of structures on short schedules. From field sketch to fabrication in 10 days was usually required. - (Crazy business, but fun).
Dick
Engineer and international traveler interested in construction techniques, problems and proper design.
Gauge...what a nightmare of a thickness 'measurement' unit. Give me "mm" thickness anyday of the week, regardless of material - mild steel, SS, alum etc. Just saying!
