A588 weathering steel manufacturers

ASTM A588 Grades A and A588 Grades B are highly resistant to atmospheric corrosion, and due to the formation of a protective oxide film on the metal surface, A588 weathering steel slows further corrosion and therefore has superior corrosion resistance than ordinary carbon steel. Both are high strength low alloy weathering steels with minimum yield strength properties of 50,000 that can reduce costs by designing lighter sections into the structure.

These steels are primarily designed for unpainted applications where maintenance costs such as painting are reduced. A588 weathering steel has been used in a variety of applications including bridges, rail cars, cranes, transmission towers, highway poles, chemical plants, factories and true health and medical shipbuilding.

When properly exposed to the atmosphere, the atmospheric corrosion resistance of A588 is significantly better than that of carbon steels such as A36 and A572-50 with or without copper additions.