British Standards & CE Mark

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To learn more about British Standards, please read our British Standards Explained section below.

Specifications - Modern / Old Standards

Tolerances - Modern / EU / Old Standards

Explanation of the BS EN 10027-1 : 1992 Specifications

The latest European Standards incorporate numbers and letters which identify the Properties of the various grades within the Standard.
A typical Specification example might be:

BS - indicates that this is a British Standard

EN - indicates that it holds the status of a European Standard

10027 - indicates the number of the relevant Standard

Next is a Letter denoting the type of steel. Followed by a number, being the characteristic Yield Strength in N/mm² or the specified Minimum Tensile Strength in N/mm².

'G' - Steel Castings.

'S' - Structural Steels.
The Number = minimum yield strength for smallest thickness.

'P' - Pressure Vessel Steels.
The Number = minimum yield strength for smallest thickness.

'L' - Linepipe Steels.
The Number = minimum yield strength for smallest thickness.

'E' - Engineering Steels.
The Number = minimum yield strength for smallest thickness.

'B' - Steels for Reinforcing Concrete.
The Number = characteristic yield strength.

'Y' - Steels for prestressing concrete.
The Number = minimum tensile strength.

'R' - Steels for or in the form of Rails.
The Number = minimum tensile strength.

'H' - Steels for Cold Rolled Flat Products of high strength steels for Cold Forming.
The Number = characteristic yield strength.

'D' - Flat Products for Cold Forming (except 'H'). Followed by:
'C' for Cold Rolled
'D' for Hot Rolled products for direct Cold Forming and
'X' for non specified rolled condition.

'T' - Tinmill Products.

'M' - Electrical Steels.

'JR' - Indicates that the Charpy Impact Test was conducted to 27 joules minimum at room temperature.

'J0' - Indicates that the Impact Test was performed to 27 joules minimum at 0°C.

'J2' - Indicates that the Impact Test was performed to 27 joules minimum at -20°C.

'K2' - Indicates that the Impact Test was performed to 40 joules minimum at -20°C.

'G3' - Indicates delivery conditions are at the manufacturers discretion.

The last letter, if applicable:

'H' - Indicates Hollow Section.

'L' - Indicates qualities with specified minimum values of impact energy at a temp. of -50°C

'M' - Indicates Thermomechanically rolled feedstock material.

'N' - Indicates Normalised or Normalised Rolled Feedstock material.