ASTM A501 vs A500
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- May 31,2024

ASTM A500 VS ASTM A501
ASTM A500 and ASTM A501 are widely used standard specifications for carbon steel structuralpipe. When purchasing structural steel pipe, choosing the right standard is critical to the successof your project. Next, we will compare the differences between these two standards in severaways to help you make a better choice.
The main differences between ASTM A501 and A500 are that A501 provides standards for hot-formed welded and seamless carbon steel structural tubing, covering round, square, and other configurations, while A500 may be more concerned with cold-formed welded and seamless carbon steel structural tubing, and the specific standards may be different.A501 allows for special shapes and sizes, while the specific sizes and shapes for A500 may be detailed in its standard. A501 allows special shapes and sizes, while the specific sizes and shapes of A500 may be specified in its standard.
Forming Processes
The forming process is the most obvious and fundamental difference between ASTM A500 andA501.
ASTM A500: The final molding process is cold-forming
ASTM A501: The final molding process is hot-forming.
Standard | Acceptable Manufacturing Processes | |||
ASTM A500 | Seamless | electric-resistance welding | ||
ASTM A501 | Seamless | furnace-butt-welding | electric-resistance welding | submerged arc welding |
Heat Treatment
ASTM A500 is permissible for the tubing to be stress-relieved or annealed. Grade D tubingshall be heat treated at a temperature of at least 1100 'F [590 'C] for one hour per inch [25mml of thickness.
ASTM A501 was permissible to add a normalizing heat treatment for tubing with a wallthickness greater than 1/2 in [13 mm]
ASTM A500: This is a standard specification for cold-formed welded and seamless carbon steel structural tubing in round, square, and rectangular shapes. It specifies the material, chemical composition, mechanical properties, and allowable deviations in dimensions and weight per foot. ASTM A500 is widely used in construction, manufacturing, transportation, and industrial applications due to its high strength, excellent welding properties, and formability.
ASTM A501: This is also a standard specification for hot-formed welded and seamless carbon steel structural tubing. It primarily applies to round tubes, but also covers square and rectangular tubes.