ASTM A516 Grade 60

Killed, fine-grain carbon steel pressure-vessel plate · ASTM A516/A516M-25 — Pressure Vessel Plates, Carbon Steel, for Moderate- and Lower-Temperature Service · ASTM A20/A20M-20 — General Requirements for Steel Plates for Pressure Vessels · ASME SA-516/SA-516M — ASME-adopted material specification in BPVC Section II, Part A, when ASME Code material is required

ASTM A516 Grade 60 is a weldable carbon steel plate grade for pressure-containing equipment where better notch-toughness capability than ordinary structural-quality plate is important. Its defining requirements are plate-specific chemistry, a 60–80 ksi (415–550 MPa) tensile range, 32 ksi (220 MPa) minimum yield strength, killed fine-grain steelmaking, and thickness-dependent heat treatment. The designation alone does not guarantee a particular Charpy result, minimum design temperature, allowable stress, ultrasonic quality level, or post-weld heat-treatment response; these must be established by the construction code and purchase specification.

60–80 ksi (415–550 MPa)Specified tensile strength · Grade 60/Grade 415 is named from the lower bound of this tensile range.
32 ksi (220 MPa)Specified minimum yield strength · Determined by the specified tension-test method; this is not a 60 ksi yield grade.
Over 1.50 in. or over 40 mmMandatory normalizing threshold · Apply the threshold belonging to the ordered unit system; ASTM inch-pound and SI values are separate standards.
Not automatically defined by the basic grade designationImpact testing · Test temperature, orientation, specimen size and acceptance criteria must come from the order or governing construction code.
Killed, fine austenitic grain sizeSteelmaking · An important distinction from general-purpose commercial carbon steel plate.
No single fixed specification maximumMaximum thickness · Thickness is limited by the ability of the composition and processing route to satisfy all specified requirements and by mill capability.

Overview

Designation system: ASTM pressure-vessel plate strength grade; “60” denotes the 60 ksi minimum tensile-strength level, corresponding to SI/“
Product forms: Rolled steel plate, Finished plate processed from coil, subject to the additional A20/A20M requirements
Condition: As rolled, normally applicable through 1.50 in. under inch-pound ordering or 40 mm under SI ordering, Normalized, Stress relieved, Normalized and stress relieved, Accelerated cooled and subsequently tempered, only with purchaser approval
Density: 7.85 g/cm³ (Representative engineering value for carbon steel; density is not a defining A516 Grade 60 specification requirement.)

How the specification works

A516/A516M is a plate product specification, not a complete pressure-vessel design rule. It defines four strength levels—Grades 55, 60, 65 and 70—and requires compliance with the common pressure-vessel plate provisions of ASTM A20/A20M. A20/A20M supplies the broader rules for ordering, dimensions and tolerances, test locations, testing and retesting, plate quality, defect repair, marking, certification and optional supplementary requirements.

The material is specifically a rolled plate grade. Pipe, forgings, castings, bars and heads formed from other starting-product specifications cannot be described as A516 Grade 60 merely because their chemistry or strength is similar. Plate produced from coil is qualified only after processing into finished plate; when supplied without heat treatment or with stress relieving only, A20/A20M imposes additional testing and reporting requirements.

ASTM A516/A516M-25 is the active ASTM edition as of October 1, 2026. Contracts and regulated equipment may invoke a different edition, so the applicable edition must be stated or established from the governing construction code.

Specified chemical composition

Grade 60 chemical limits by plate thickness

Element or thickness	Heat analysis, mass %	Product analysis, mass %
Carbon, 1/2 in. [12.5 mm] and under	0.21 max	—
Carbon, over 1/2 to 2 in. [12.5 to 50 mm], inclusive	0.23 max	—
Carbon, over 2 to 4 in. [50 to 100 mm], inclusive	0.25 max	—
Carbon, over 4 to 8 in. [100 to 200 mm], inclusive	0.27 max	—
Carbon, over 8 in. [200 mm]	0.27 max	—
Manganese, 1/2 in. [12.5 mm] and under	0.60–0.90	0.55–0.98
Manganese, over 1/2 in. [12.5 mm]	0.85–1.20	0.79–1.30
Phosphorus	0.025 max	0.025 max
Sulfur	0.025 max	0.025 max
Silicon	0.15–0.40	0.13–0.45

For Grade 60 plate 1/2 in. [12.5 mm] and under, the higher manganese range of 0.85–1.20% by heat analysis and 0.79–1.30% by product analysis is also permitted. The specification also permits manganese above the tabulated maximum when carbon is reduced below its maximum, using the prescribed carbon-to-manganese adjustment and absolute manganese caps.

The increasing carbon limit with thickness is intended to help thicker plate achieve the required strength. It also means that weldability cannot be judged from the grade name alone. The actual heat analysis, carbon equivalent, plate thickness and manufacturing route are more useful for welding engineering than simply assuming that all A516 Grade 60 plate behaves alike.

Strength and ductility requirements

Room-temperature tension-test requirements

Property	ASTM inch-pound requirement	ASTM SI requirement
Tensile strength	60–80 ksi	415–550 MPa
Yield strength, minimum	32 ksi	220 MPa
Elongation in 8 in. or 200 mm, minimum	21%	21%
Elongation in 2 in. or 50 mm, minimum	25%	25%

The elongation values are subject to the applicable A20/A20M thickness adjustments. Test-specimen type, orientation and location must also be taken from A20/A20M rather than inferred from a generic datasheet.

These are material acceptance properties, not design allowable stresses. For an ASME pressure vessel, allowable stress versus temperature, impact-test exemptions, thickness limitations and other design values must be taken from the applicable edition of the ASME BPVC. Minimum specified yield strength should not be used directly as allowable stress.

Heat treatment and toughness control

A516 heat-treatment rules relevant to Grade 60

Plate category	Specification treatment
1.50 in. [40 mm] and under	Normally supplied as rolled; normalized, stress relieved, or both may be ordered.
Over 1.50 in. [40 mm]	Must be normalized.
1.50 in. [40 mm] and under when notch-toughness testing is required	Must be normalized unless the purchaser specifies otherwise.
Accelerated cooling used to improve toughness	Requires purchaser approval and subsequent tempering at 1100–1300 °F [595–705 °C].

A516 is intended for applications where improved notch toughness is important, but the basic Grade 60 designation does not itself provide a universal Charpy V-notch energy at a universal temperature. A technically complete impact requirement identifies the test temperature, longitudinal or transverse orientation, full-size or subsize specimen, required average and individual energies, sampling frequency, heat-treatment condition and any required reporting of lateral expansion or shear appearance.

For pressure-vessel construction, the required minimum design metal temperature is established using the governing construction code, component thickness, stress level, heat treatment and applicable exemptions. Specifying “A516 Grade 60” or even “normalized A516 Grade 60” is not a substitute for completing that assessment.

Welding, forming and thermal processing

A516 Grade 60 is commonly fusion welded, but welding controls must be based on the material certificate and the qualified procedure. Preheat, interpass temperature, hydrogen control and heat input depend on actual carbon equivalent, plate thickness, joint restraint, consumable hydrogen level, ambient conditions and the required HAZ toughness. Thicker plate permitted to contain more carbon should not automatically inherit welding parameters qualified for thin plate.

Post-weld heat treatment is governed by the construction code, service requirements, thickness and fabrication specification—not merely by the A516 grade. When a vessel will receive demanding or repeated thermal cycles, simulated-PWHT testing of representative coupons can be ordered so that tensile and impact properties are demonstrated after an agreed thermal simulation. The number, peak temperature, hold time and heating/cooling assumptions need to represent the fabrication route.

Hot forming or normalizing after forming can materially change strength, grain structure and toughness. Cold forming introduces strain and may trigger heat-treatment or impact-testing provisions under the governing construction code. Formed components therefore require a documented thermal and forming route; compliance of the original flat plate alone does not resolve all requirements for the finished component.

A516 Grade 60 is an unalloyed carbon steel and has no inherent atmospheric or process-corrosion resistance. Corrosion allowance, lining, cladding, coating, inhibitor use and damage-mechanism review are service-specific decisions.

Ordering and inspection priorities

Items that should be settled before purchase

Order item	Why it matters
Specification and edition	State ASTM A516/A516M Grade 60 or ASME SA-516/SA-516M Grade 60 as required by the governing code and contract.
Unit system	A516 and A516M values are separately standard; do not combine inch-pound limits with SI limits.
Dimensions and quantity	Thickness controls chemistry, heat treatment, test applicability and fabrication behavior.
Delivery condition	State as rolled, normalized, stress relieved, or normalized plus stress relieved as applicable.
Plate manufacturing route	Identify discrete plate versus plate produced from coil where route-specific testing and reporting matter.
Impact requirements	State temperature, energy, orientation, specimen size, sampling and heat-treatment condition.
PWHT simulation	Specify expected cycles when properties must be demonstrated after fabrication heat treatment.
Ultrasonic examination	State the examination standard, acceptance level, scanning coverage and any edge-zone requirements.
Carbon-equivalent control	Specify the applicable A20/A20M supplementary requirement or an agreed project limit when weldability control is needed.
Certification and traceability	Require material test reports showing heat identity, chemistry, tension results, heat treatment and all ordered supplementary test results.
Surface, dimensional and flatness requirements	Use A20/A20M requirements and state any project-specific tolerances needed for forming or fabrication.

Commonly relevant supplementary requirements include simulated post-weld heat treatment of test coupons, Charpy V-notch testing, additional tension testing, and ultrasonic examination to ASTM A435/A435M or A578/A578M. These options do not apply automatically: the purchase order must invoke the applicable requirement and provide any acceptance details that the referenced provision leaves to the purchaser.

Selection and substitution boundaries

Grade 60 provides lower specified strength than A516 Grades 65 and 70. That can be advantageous where moderate strength, ductility and straightforward fabrication are preferred, but it can require greater design thickness. A higher-strength A516 grade is not an automatic upgrade: changing grade can affect required thickness, welding procedure qualification, forming loads, toughness behavior, allowable stress and existing design calculations.

ASTM A515 Grade 60 shares a nominal tensile-strength level but belongs to a different pressure-vessel plate specification aimed at intermediate- and higher-temperature service. Similar grade numbers do not establish interchangeability. Likewise, EN pressure-vessel steels cannot be substituted using a commercial equivalence table alone because chemistry, heat treatment, impact testing, thickness rules, inspection, certification and code acceptance differ.

For ASME Code construction, SA-516 Grade 60 should be treated as the applicable code material designation. An ASTM A516 certificate should not be assumed to satisfy an SA-516 procurement requirement unless the material is properly certified to the ASME-adopted specification and accepted under the governing Code edition.

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ASTM A516 Grade 415	SI grade designation for the same A516 strength level	Use the A516M requirements consistently; ASTM states that inch-pound and SI systems are not exact equivalents and must not be mixed.
ASME SA-516 Grade 60	ASME BPVC-adopted counterpart	Specify this designation when required for ASME Code construction and verify the adopted specification edition in the applicable BPVC.
ASTM A516 Grade 55	Lower-strength grade in the same specification	Different chemistry and tensile requirements; not interchangeable without engineering review.
ASTM A516 Grades 65 and 70	Higher-strength grades in the same specification	Common alternatives, but substitution affects design, fabrication and qualification requirements.
ASTM A515 Grade 60	Related pressure-vessel plate with the same nominal tensile-strength level	Covered by a different specification for intermediate- and higher-temperature service; not an equivalent designation.