ASTM A572GR42|A572 Grade 42 steel plate Supplier

Resolve the plate schedule before considering another strength grade

ASTM A572 Grade 42 is high-strength low-alloy columbium-vanadium structural steel. It is the lowest strength grade in this family, not a generic name for any structural carbon plate. Under the A572/A572M-25 public Scope, Grade 42 is intended for riveted, bolted or welded structures. A bridge-only riveted/bolted description would unnecessarily narrow that intended-use statement.

For a Gangsteel enquiry, retain Grade 42 on each material line and identify the governing edition and units. The dimensional public reference is 6 in. [150 mm] maximum plate/bar, as restated by MetalMate citing the 25 edition and by the undated Ferrobend and American Alloy Steel tables. SSAB’s Grade 42 datasheet dated 20 May 2019 offers mill plate to 6.00 in.; a mill range does not establish either official scope or availability from Gangsteel.

The public Scope itself sends maximum sizes to Table 1, not to a numerical plate limit printed on that page. These are therefore public references, not an inspected official Table 1 extract. Confirm the ordered-edition provisions and requested dimensions rather than assume that every size in a catalogue can be supplied. The separate reference to shapes in all A6 sizes does not enlarge plate coverage.

A single carbon maximum applies throughout the Grade 42 size reference

MetalMate’s Grade 42 guide independently prints the following chemistry, citing A572/A572M-25. Ferrobend and American Alloy Steel corroborate basic C/Mn maxima, not every detailed footnote. This is a public-reference analysis summary, not an official chemistry table. Keep the limited heat/product distinctions shown rather than build an unsupported full product-analysis grid.

Carbon remains 0.21% maximum across the stated Grade 42 size range; do not import a thicker-band carbon increase from another grade. The conditional Mn allowance in MetalMate permits a 0.06 percentage-point increase above the maximum for each 0.01 percentage-point carbon reduction, up to 1.60%. A heat-analysis Mn/C ratio of at least 2:1 also applies in the public reference. An allowance is not an unrestricted chemistry target.

MetalMate’s silicon description also assigns 0.40% maximum to shapes with flange thickness through 3 in. [75 mm], sheet piling, bars, zees and tees; thicker shape flanges use 0.15–0.40%. That shape boundary is distinct from the 1 1/2 in. plate boundary. Product form should remain visible when comparing analyses.

The P/S exception is likewise conditional: MetalMate permits 0.04% P and 0.05% S for shapes, sheet piling, bars and plate no more than 15 in. [380 mm] wide. These are not universal plate limits. The principal 0.030% values and exceptions are compilation restatements, not verified official current-edition extracts. Copper minima apply only when copper is specified and do not make Grade 42 an A588 weathering substitute.

Distinguish the required microalloying type from a general element list

The official public Scope requires columbium, also called niobium, vanadium, titanium, nitrogen or combinations. Types 1, 2, 3 and 5 are normally selected by the producer unless the purchaser specifies otherwise under S90. The numeric ranges below are from MetalMate’s Grade 42 guide alone; they are not a second-source confirmation or a reproduction of the paid type table.

Check the specimen before judging a Grade 42 tension result

The strength/gauge set agrees across SSAB’s 2019 datasheet, MetalMate and American Alloy Steel. It remains a mill/compilation reference rather than an official mechanical-table extract. MetalMate states no general base-grade tensile maximum. For plate wider than 24 in. [600 mm], MetalMate and SSAB both restate a two-percentage-point elongation reduction plus applicable A6 adjustments. Establish the actual specimen and adjustment basis before acceptance.

A gauge length must accompany elongation. The 20% and 24% references do not divide a plate schedule into thin and thick groups. Ordinary plate also should not inherit heavy-shape or floor-plate testing exceptions without its own applicable provisions. Because inch-pound and SI are independent systems, keep the chosen system consistent across dimensions, properties and report review.

Do not let a lower strength grade become an unspecified replacement

A572 Grade 42 is not automatically A36, a higher-strength A572 grade or an overseas equivalent. The grade’s 290 MPa yield reference cannot validate a default SM570, Q460 or S355JR equivalence claim. Assess the whole specification and project approval route, not a near-sounding name. The public Scope also requires agreement before A588 is substituted.

For related selections, A572 Grade 50 plate and A572 Grade 60 plate address other family grades. A573 Grade 70 plate illustrates a different structural-carbon purpose. These are navigation choices, not sources of Grade 42 numerical requirements or substitution permission.

Specify actual delivered condition, required analyses, tension-test scope and any supplementary examinations. Where notch toughness matters, negotiate test conditions and acceptance values. No universal Charpy energy, test temperature, welding setting or certificate form follows from the grade. Keep heat/plate identity, dimensions, treatment and required results connected in the order documents.

Questions about a Grade 42 plate schedule

Does the 6 in. reference apply to every A572 strength grade?

No. It is the consistent Grade 42 plate/bar public-reference pattern, subject to the ordered edition. Higher family grades have their own size provisions. Do not transfer Grade 42 coverage to another material line or interpret a shape-size reference as permission for thicker plate.

Must carbon rise as Grade 42 plate becomes thicker?

The cited Grade 42 reference uses 0.21% maximum throughout its size range. There is no carbon step created here for thicker plate. Review carbon together with the applicable manganese requirements and analysis basis, rather than borrow a different grade’s carbon schedule.

Why does the chemistry table include product manganese but not product carbon?

MetalMate Grade 42 explicitly prints the manganese minima for both analysis bases. That does not establish a complete finished-product tolerance table for other elements. Obtain the ordered-edition analysis provisions where product carbon, phosphorus, sulfur or silicon acceptance needs to be assessed.

Can the 24% elongation reference be used for any specimen?

No. It belongs to the 2 in. [50 mm] gauge; the 8 in. [200 mm] reference is 20%. Width and other applicable A6 adjustments must be considered. A bare elongation percentage without gauge and specimen information is incomplete.

Does welded-structure scope mean impact testing is already included?

No. The public Scope permits riveted, bolted or welded structures for Grade 42, but required notch toughness still needs agreement for the application. Specify any impact test, temperature, specimen and acceptance values in the order; intended use is not a measured toughness guarantee.