ASSIST- Military and federal specifications & standards
IEEE Explore - provides full-text access to IEEE and IEE standards covering electrical and computer engineering, electronics, computer science, and physics.
IHS - Select "IHS Standards Expert"- Our subscription only includes the current standards.
- API - American Petroleum Institute
- ASTM - American Society for Testing and Materials
- ANSI - American National Standards Institute [Note: a specific standard is available through ANSI ONLY if ANSI holds the copyright for the item]
- AASHTO - American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
- ASHRAE - American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers
- ASME - American Society of Mechanical Engineers
- AWS - American Welding Society
- NFPA - National Fire Protection Association [Life Safety Code: see NFPA 101; National Electrical Code: see NFPA 70; Uniform Fire Code: see NFPA 1]
- UL - Underwriters Laboratories
- ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code
PLEASE NOTE: To access the BPVC you must follow the IHS Standards Expert link and then
Search Tips:
- Do not include dates (ASTM F1511-2005)
- Do not include special characters (#, -, *, &, etc.)
- Do not search for general terms such as "pump standards." Search by document title or number; if you don't have this information type specific words that should appear in the title, for example "titanium welding."
- If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to email the Engineering Library or call us at (512) 495-4511.
ACI (American Concrete Institute) Manual of Concrete Practice
TA 439 A252 V.1- V.6
Most recent edition is available in Engineering Library Reference LIBRARY USE ONLY
Check the catalog for older volumesInternational Building Code
KF 5701 A329 I524 2009
KF 5701 A329 I524 2006
KF 5701 A329 I524 2003
KF 5701 A329 I524 2000
Engineering Library Reference LIBRARY USE ONLY
International Existing Building Code
TH 420 I573 2003
Engineering Library Reference LIBRARY USE ONLY
NACE (National Association of Corrosion Engineers ) International book of standards
TA 462 N334 2001 V.1 - V.2
Engineering Library Reference LIBRARY USE ONLY
"Standards and specifications are documents that stipulate or recommend 1) minimum levels of performance and quality of goods and services, and 2) optimal conditions and procedures for operations in science, industry, and commerce, including production, evaluation, distribution, and utilization of materials, products, and services." - Subramanyam, Krishna. Scientific and Technical Information Resources.
Types of standards:
- Category, type, dimension, structure, equipment, quality, grade, component, performance, durability, or safety
- Methods of manufacturing, methods of designing, methods of drawing, methods of using, or methods of operation of safety condition of production
- Methods of testing, analyzing, appraising, verifying, or measuring
- Terms, abbreviations, symbols, marks, preferred numbers, or units
- Design, methods of execution, or safety conditions
What are some points to remember when using standards?
- Some standards are government-mandated, and others are voluntary. There may be various penalties associated with not adhering to the standard.
- Standards are updated frequently to keep pace with changing technology -- check to see if the standard you are using is the latest version.
- Older, superceded versions of standards may be useful in many cases, such as legal disputes concerning the performance of a product that was manufactured when the older standard was in force. The Engineering Library DOES NOT maintain historical or superceded standards.
More information about standards
- ANSI Through History With Standards Overview
- Standards.gov - offers background materials and useful links for locating information about the use of standards in government. Our primary focus is on federal agency use of standards for regulatory and procurement purposes.
Standards are created by a wide variety of organizations. The most common are:
- Professional societies, such as the IEEE
- Industrial or manufacturing associations, such as the American Wire Rope Manufacturers
- Governmental agencies or bodies, such as the U.S. Department of Defense
- Companies, such as General Motors [Company standards are often proprietary and therefore are available only to approved subcontractors.]
- International bodies
Many countries also have national standardization organizations. Country standards are in the language of the country. English translations are not typically available. The most prominent countries with national standards organizations are:
- American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
- British Standards Institute (BSI)
- Deutsches Institut fur Normung (DIN)
- Canadian Standards Association (CSA)
- Association Francaise de Normalisation (AFNOR)
- Japanese Industrial Standards Committee (JIS)
There is also the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The ISO is a non-governmental organization that both creates and approves international standards. ISO deals with all subject areas except electrical and electrotechnical matters. These are handled by the International Electrotechnical Association (IEC).
Specifications are concise statements of requirements for materials, products or services that are to be purchased by an industry or government agency. Specifications are limited to a specific project or government agency. Standards are specifications that are recognized as the most practical and appropriate current solution, that is agreed upon by a recognized authority, for a recurring problem.
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