Standard setters in the spotlight - Part 3: ASTM
The first two parts of our series on standardization dealt with standardization organizations from the European region. Today, we take a look at ASTM, one of the world's oldest standardization bodies.
Not only is ASTM International, which was established in the 19th century, one of the most significant standards organizations in existence today, but it is also one of the oldest. What is the current significance of this norm-setter and how did it come into existence?
Origins of ASTM
Charles Dudley, a chemist who was put in charge of the Pennsylvania Railroad's new chemical department in 1875, was a central figure in the organization's foundation. In this capacity, he researched a range of materials relevant to the railroad sector and created standardized material standards for the supplier base of the business. By doing this, he generated a more frequent communication between the railroad company and its suppliers, e.g., in regards to the optimum qualities of steel for railroad applications. To this end, experts on the manufacturer and customer sides met in technical committees to agree on material specifications and test methods. With his international activities, for example at the International Railway Congress, Dudley contributed to the founding of the International Association for Testing Materials (IATM), which also relied on this committee structure. On June 16, 1898, 70 IATM members formed the American IATM national association, which was renamed the American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) in 1902, with Dudley as its first president.
Expansion and growth in the 20th century
After initially focusing its work primarily on steel, ASTM was soon followed by other committees, for example on cement. Between 1902 and 1914, the number of members increased by a factor of almost 10 to 1687. From 1910, they were also able to obtain information on the current status of all ASTM standards in the ASTM Yearbook for the first time. With the outbreak of World War I, ASTM's standardization work also became important for military applications, such as the production of steel plates for warships and tanks, or the (cement-intensive) construction of fortifications on the Western Front. In 1918, ASTM was also involved in the founding of the American Engineering Standards Committee, which later became the American National Standards Institute. In the decades following the war, the number of ASTM committees grew steadily, and the organization's standardization work contributed significantly to the rise of the United States as an economic and military superpower. ASTM standards became increasingly important, both for civilian products, such as those manufactured by General Electric, and in World War II and later conflicts. When the organization changed its name from the American Society for Testing Materials to the American Society for Testing and Materials in 1961, it already had a wide variety of more than 80 different technical committees - far more than the original committees on steel and cement from the early days.
ASTM today
To reflect the increasing internationalization of its members and partners, the organization renamed itself ASTM International in 2001. This was followed by the opening of offices in Latin America (2002), China (2005), Europe, and Canada (2013), and board meetings around the world, such as in Mexico City (2002), Berlin (2004), Tokyo (2010) and Dubai (2016). Meanwhile, ASTM standards can also be purchased digitally online. In Germany, Beuth-Verlag offers the Annual Book of ASTM standards in both printed and digital form. Various testing laboratories in Europe today also perform tests under the standards contained therein. If you are looking for such a testing service provider, you can, for example, submit a free request on the online platform testxchange to receive comparative offers from laboratories that support ASTM standards.