ASTM A516 Grade 70 steel plate from Gangsteel
Gangsteel supplies ASTM A516 Grade 70 carbon steel plate for pressure vessels operating in moderate and lower temperature service. Our focus for a Grade 70 enquiry is the plate your project specifies: its dimensions, delivery condition, inspection requirements and material documents.
Send your drawing or material specification with the enquiry. Identify ASTM A516/A516M, Grade 70, the applicable edition and the unit system used in the order. These details provide a common basis for discussing the material and comparing quotations.
Ordering Grade 70 in the required delivery condition
Thickness and delivery condition belong together in a plate enquiry. State whether your project requires normalized material or another condition permitted by the applicable specification. Where normalization is required, write it in full in the purchase requirements rather than relying only on an abbreviated grade description.
The ordered thickness, applicable ASTM edition and project requirements determine the heat-treatment conditions to address in the offer. Include any additional processing requirements at the enquiry stage so that delivery condition, testing and documentation can be considered as one package.
Chemical composition
The tables below are a public reference for ASTM A516/A516M Grade 70 [Grade 485] chemical limits, in mass percent. They are not a substitute for the official specification, and they are not mill typical values or a mill’s tighter product guarantee. Accept plate against the designation, edition and unit system named in the purchase order.
Heat analysis and product analysis are shown separately. Carbon maxima are the same on both bases and increase with plate thickness. Thickness bands use the specification’s paired inch-pound [SI] wording. Do not mix the two systems when classifying a plate at the ½ in. / 12.5 mm boundary; apply the “and under” / “Over” wording in the unit system of the order.
| Plate thickness | Heat analysis | Product analysis |
|---|---|---|
| ½ in. [12.5 mm] and under | 0.27 | 0.27 |
| Over ½ in. to 2 in. [12.5 to 50 mm], incl. | 0.28 | 0.28 |
| Over 2 in. to 4 in. [50 to 100 mm], incl. | 0.30 | 0.30 |
| Over 4 to 8 in. [100 to 200 mm], incl. | 0.31 | 0.31 |
| Over 8 in. [200 mm] | 0.31 | 0.31 |
For Grade 70 [485], the carbon maximum at each thickness is the same for heat analysis and for product analysis.
| Element | Heat analysis | Product analysis |
|---|---|---|
| Manganese | 0.85–1.20 | 0.79–1.30 |
| Silicon | 0.15–0.40 | 0.13–0.45 |
| Phosphorus, max | 0.025 or 0.035, see note | 0.025 or 0.035, see note |
| Sulfur, max | 0.025 or 0.035, see note | 0.025 or 0.035, see note |
For Grade 70 [485], the manganese ranges above apply in both the ½ in. [12.5 mm] and under band and the over ½ in. [12.5 mm] band. Silicon, phosphorus and sulfur are not thickness-dependent in the public tables consulted.
Carbon–manganese adjustment: for each reduction of 0.01 percentage point below the specified carbon maximum for that thickness, an increase of 0.06 percentage point above the specified manganese maximum is permitted, up to 1.50% by heat analysis and 1.60% by product analysis.
Phosphorus and sulfur: two maxima appear in public references, and both apply to heat analysis and to product analysis. Use the figure in the edition named on the order.
- 0.035% is given in public tables identified with ASTM A516/A516M-06, and with SA-516 described as identical with A516/A516M-06.
- 0.025% is given in several later public technical compilations, including a January 2022 compilation that does not print an ASTM year, and compilations that cite A516/A516M-25. Official ASTM Table 1 was not inspected in this review, so 0.025% is not presented here as a confirmed official value of any named current edition, and this page does not state which edition introduced that figure.
A mill certificate may report a lower phosphorus, sulfur or carbon than the specification maximum. Those tighter results are product controls and do not change the specification limits used for acceptance unless the order itself imposes a tighter limit.
Mechanical properties
Read strength and elongation requirements together with their thickness range, units and test basis. If your project also requires impact testing, include the test temperature, specimen orientation and acceptance criteria in the purchase specification.
| Property | Published reference value | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Tensile strength, Grade 70 | 70–90 ksi | Inch-pound; as given in the ASTM A516/A516M public Scope. |
| Tensile strength, Grade 485 | 485–620 MPa | SI; as given in the ASTM A516/A516M public Scope. |
| Yield strength, minimum | 38 ksi | Inch-pound; published required property for Grade 70. Use the ordered edition for acceptance. |
| Elongation, minimum, 2 in gauge length | 21% | Published required property for Grade 70; ASTM A20/A20M thickness adjustments apply. |
| Elongation, minimum, 8 in gauge length | 17% | Published required property for Grade 70; ASTM A20/A20M thickness adjustments apply. |
ASTM treats inch-pound and SI values as independent standard values, not exact conversions. Use the unit system and edition specified in the order; take the SI yield requirement from that edition. Transverse tensile testing is specified in accordance with ASTM A20 in the published Grade 70 required-property basis used here; confirm the test direction in the ordered specification.
Comparable grades
The table lists commonly compared designations for ASTM A516/A516M Grade 70 [Grade 485]. They are approximate counterparts or related names, not equivalent specifications. None of them may be substituted, restamped or dual-named on the basis of this table alone. Confirm the ordered standard and edition, and obtain project or code approval before any substitution.
| System | Reference grade | Degree of correspondence | Key differences or approval conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASME | SA-516/SA-516M Grade 70 | Related designations — not automatic substitution | Same grade family as ASTM A516 Grade 70, but the ASME Code material specification. For Code work, the order and certificate should use the required ASME designation and edition. Dual certification only if agreed in the order. |
| EN | EN 10028-2 P355GH (1.0473) | Approximate counterpart — not a direct substitute | Usually supplied normalized. Yield 355 MPa at t ≤ 16 mm, falling with thickness, against a Grade 70 minimum of 38 ksi. Thin-plate tensile 510–650 MPa (490–630 MPa published at >60–100 mm), against 485–620 MPa. Mill tables publish Charpy values (commonly 27/34/40 J at −20/0/+20 °C). Chemistry differs (typically C 0.10–0.22%, Mn 1.10–1.70%). |
| EN | EN 10028-3 P355NH (1.0565) | Approximate counterpart — not a direct substitute | A different EN part from P355GH (fine-grain, EN 10028-3). Same 355 MPa yield class at t ≤ 16 mm in public tables, but thin-plate tensile often 490–630 MPa, not the P355GH 510–650 MPa range. P355N, NH, NL1 and NL2 are not one grade. A mill multi-certificate covering Grade 70 and a P355 family is a product certification, not identity of the standards. |
| JIS | JIS G 3118 SGV480 | Approximate counterpart — not a direct substitute | Public compilations: yield 265 N/mm² min, tensile 480–590 MPa. The tensile upper limit is below Grade 70 (590 MPa against 620 MPa). Confirm the ordered JIS edition. Not interchangeable with SB480 or with Grade 70. |
| JIS | JIS G 3103 SB480 | Approximate counterpart — not a direct substitute | Public compilations: yield 265 N/mm² min, tensile 480–620 MPa. The tensile band is closer to Grade 70 than SGV480, but compiled chemistry is looser (carbon up to 0.35%; P and S 0.03% max). Confirm the ordered JIS edition. Not a direct substitute. |
| GB | GB/T 713.2 Q345R | Approximate counterpart — not a direct substitute | Public compilations of GB/T 713.2-2023: at 3–16 mm, yield 345 MPa, tensile 510–640 MPa, and 34 J at 0 °C; strength then falls with thickness. Delivery may be hot rolled, normalized-rolled, normalized, or normalized and tempered; the vessel code may still require normalizing. Not an ASME Code material by default. |
The following names sometimes appear on informal “equivalent” lists, but they are not Grade 70 candidates and are not in the table above. EN 10028-2 16Mo3 is a molybdenum-alloyed steel (typically Mo 0.25–0.35%), not a carbon-manganese counterpart. 20R is a withdrawn GB 6654 designation; it was combined into Q245R, not Q345R, and belongs to a lower strength class usually compared with A516 Grade 60. P265GH, P295GH, Q245R, Q370R, and JIS names such as SB450 or SPV315 were likewise not evidenced as interchangeable with Grade 70.
If a project needs a counterpart from another system, or proposes a mill dual-certified plate, write the required standard, edition, delivery condition, impact test and design code on the purchase order and obtain project approval before substitution.
Inspection and material documents
Specify the examination requirements
For ultrasonic examination, name the required standard and edition, acceptance requirements and reporting scope. If your enquiry cites ASTM A435, A577 or A578, include the relevant project instructions rather than listing the standard number alone. Testing arrangements form part of the requirements to be agreed for the order.
Set out the document scope
Tell Gangsteel which material inspection documents your project needs. Include any requirements for chemical analysis, mechanical test results, heat-treatment records, plate identification and traceability. Agreeing this scope before ordering helps keep the purchase specification and the documents submitted for acceptance aligned.
Frequently asked questions about A516 Grade 70 plate
What is ASTM A516 Grade 70 material?
ASTM A516 Grade 70 is carbon-manganese steel plate intended for welded pressure vessels in moderate and lower temperature service where notch toughness is important. For a Gangsteel enquiry, specify the plate dimensions, delivery condition and required documents. State the governing ASTM or ASME designation and edition explicitly; acceptance under a particular project code needs to follow that project’s requirements.
What is the difference between product analysis and heat analysis?
Heat analysis determines the chemical composition of a steel heat, while product analysis checks a sample taken from the finished product. They are different analysis bases, with acceptance limits and permitted variations governed by the applicable material specification. When reviewing Grade 70 material documents, identify which basis is reported and relate the results to the ordered specification and edition.
What is the difference between SA516 Gr 70 and SA516 Gr 70N steel?
The “N” indicates a normalized delivery condition, not a different strength grade. A Grade 70 designation without that suffix does not, by itself, establish that the plate is as-rolled. Specify normalization where required and request the delivery condition in the material documents. Normalizing alone does not establish compliance with an order’s impact-test temperature or acceptance criteria.
Can ASTM A516 Grade 70 plate be welded?
Yes. A516 Grade 70 is intended for welded pressure vessel construction, but fabrication requires a suitable welding procedure under the applicable code. Low-hydrogen practices and control of surface moisture are important considerations. Give the fabricator the plate thickness, material analysis and delivery condition so that consumables, preheat and any post-weld heat treatment can be addressed for the specific application.
What is the Charpy V-notch impact test used for?
A Charpy V-notch test measures the energy absorbed when a notched specimen fractures under impact at a specified temperature, helping assess notch toughness. For a Grade 70 enquiry, state the required test temperature, specimen orientation, acceptance criteria and governing specification. The required test conditions and reported results—not the grade name or normalized condition alone—establish whether the material meets the order’s impact requirements.
Request a quotation for A516 Grade 70 plate
For an enquiry that can be assessed against your purchase requirements, please send:
- Specification, Grade 70, applicable edition and project requirements.
- Plate thickness, width, length, dimensional tolerances and quantity.
- Required delivery condition and any specified heat treatment.
- Impact testing, ultrasonic examination and other inspection requirements.
- Material documents, marking and traceability requirements.
- Delivery destination or port and your requested delivery date.
Send these details for a Gangsteel quotation covering the proposed supply and delivery terms.
Availability and any special requirements are subject to the offer for your order.
Working from a specification that calls for Grade 65? See our A516 Grade 65 steel plate page for that grade.