Specification body
Select the governing family first. ASTM records retain their specification number, so Grade 50 under A572 is distinct from Grade 50 under another standard.
No guide section matches that search. Try a broader term.
01 · Start here
Quick Start
Use this sequence for a normal single-material assessment.
Select a specification body and gradeChoose CSA G40.21, CSA Z245.1, API 5L, or an ASTM specification-grade record.
Confirm the variantSelect the applicable PSL or category when the grade defines one.
Select the product formOnly forms listed as applicable to the grade are available.
Enter wall thicknessThe tool automatically resolves the applicable mechanical breakpoint row.
Activate any applicable overlayExamples include Sour Service, Offshore, or a customer supplement.
Review the reference cardsCheck chemistry, mechanical, toughness, testing, forms, footnotes, and notes.
Open Compliance CheckEnter results manually or paste a batch copied from Excel or a query export.
Review and printResolve failures and warnings, then print the clean compliance report for the job file.
Expected current verdict: because the populated specification limits remain unaudited, a conforming dataset normally returns PASS WITH WARNINGS, not a clean PASS.
02 · Establish applicability
Select the Correct Grade
Grade and aliases
Global search recognizes common paired designations such as X52 / L360 and metric-imperial CSA aliases such as 350W / 50W.
PSL or category
API PSL and CSA pipe categories are separate requirement variants. Select the ordered variant rather than assuming equivalence.
Product form
The selector is filtered by the grade's declared applicable forms: plate, coil, pipe route, structural shape, HSS, sheet, strip, bar, tubing, and others.
Thickness resolution
Enter the actual wall or product thickness. The application resolves one mechanical row automatically using the stored half-open interval convention:
tMin < thickness ≤ tMax
Boundary rule: a thickness exactly equal to a breakpoint belongs to the lower row because the upper bound is inclusive.
Unit toggle
SI is the source system. Switching to Imperial converts displayed strengths, energies, temperatures, and dimensions live. It does not change the stored requirement data.
03 · Read the reference view
Understand the Requirement Cards
| Display | Meaning |
|---|---|
| MIN ≥ | The test value must be greater than or equal to the displayed minimum. |
| MAX ≤ | The test value must be less than or equal to the displayed maximum. |
| Table / clause | Traceability tag identifying the source location recorded in the dataset. |
| ⚠ verify | The value has not yet passed the controlled hard-copy audit. |
| — | No limit is specified in that field; it is not the same as a limit of zero. |
| 1 | A footnote rule modifies or qualifies the base value. Follow the marker to the numbered rule below the table. |
| Overlay highlight | The displayed requirement is being replaced or supplemented by an active service overlay. |
Card order
Chemistry→Mechanical→Charpy / DWTT→Product Forms→Testing→Notes
Review the complete sequence. A material can satisfy strength requirements and still fail chemistry, toughness, hardness, testing-frequency, manufacturing-route, or ordering requirements.
04 · Active assessment
Use the Compliance Checker
The checker grades entered test results against the resolved grade, product form, variant, thickness row, and active overlays.
Manual-entry workflow
Confirm context at the top of the pageGrade, edition, form, PSL/category, thickness, and overlays define the effective requirement set.
Enter chemistryThe form shows the elements defined for the selected grade. Leave unavailable test results blank rather than entering zero.
Enter YS and UTSUse the units currently shown. A physically implausible condition such as YS greater than UTS is flagged.
Enter elongation detailsFor formula grades, provide specimen dimensions and UTS so the required elongation can be calculated.
Enter CVN resultsProvide individual energies, specimen size, and actual test temperature. Average and individual minimums are checked separately.
Enter hardness where applicableService overlays may introduce or tighten a hardness limit even when the base grade does not show one.
Run the checkFailures are sorted to the top. Footnote evaluations appear as separate result rows.
Blank versus zero: a blank field means “not evaluated.” Entering 0 means an actual measured value of zero and will be checked accordingly.
Checker inputs and the last result are stored locally by grade. Use Clear Form when starting a new heat, coil, plate, pipe, or test set.
05 · High-volume entry
Paste and Batch Mode
Batch mode accepts comma-separated or tab-separated rows copied from Excel, Power BI exports, or query results.
Paste rows→Detect columns→Map fields→Confirm→Run batch
Paste the block including headersHeaders make automatic mapping more reliable.
Review each detected columnAssign it to an element symbol, YS, UTS, elongation, CVN, thickness, identifier, or Ignore.
Confirm the mappingThe mapping is retained in browser storage for repeat exports with the same column layout.
Run all rowsThe batch result table shows the verdict and key failures for each record.
Recommended identifier: include a heat, coil, plate, pipe, specimen, or test ID column so each result can be traced back to the source row.
06 · Interpret the decision
Verdicts and Result Rows
| Verdict | Meaning | Required action |
|---|---|---|
| PASS | All evaluated results satisfy fully verified limits. | Confirm non-numeric applicability and controlled-document requirements. |
| PASS WITH WARNINGS | All evaluated results pass, but at least one used limit remains unverified or another judgment warning exists. | Review the listed unverified values and confirm them against the governing documents. |
| FAIL | At least one evaluated result violates the applicable limit or machine-readable footnote rule. | Review the failure rows, source data, retest provisions, and engineering disposition process. |
Result-row fields
Each row identifies the entered value, applicable bound and limit, clause reference, margin, verification status, and PASS/FAIL/WARNING result.
Maximum-limit failure
S = 0.006% | MAX ≤ 0.005% | Margin = −0.001% | FAIL
Combined footnote
Nb + V + Ti = 0.13% ≤ 0.15% ✓
Tradeoff adjustment
Mn maximum adjusted 1.40% → 1.50% because C is below its base maximum
Temperature discrepancy: a Charpy test temperature different from the stored required temperature is flagged for human review rather than automatically failed.
07 · Additional service conditions
Use Service Overlays
Overlay chips appear only when a grade declares the overlay available. An active overlay resolves a temporary effective view without changing the base grade record.
Sour Service
May tighten sulfur, hardness, chemistry, testing, or damage-resistance requirements.
Offshore
May add or tighten toughness, fracture-control, testing, or manufacturing requirements.
Customer Supplement
Represents project or order requirements beyond the base specification.
Traceability
Patched values are highlighted and the active overlay state is recorded in the printed report.
Important: turn on every overlay that applies to the order before checking results. A dataset may pass the base grade and fail the effective sour-service or customer requirement.
08 · Shared calculation engine
Engineering Calculators
Carbon equivalent
Enter chemistry to calculate both values. When a grade is selected, the applicable stored limit and governing selection rule are shown.
CEIIW = C + Mn/6 + (Cr + Mo + V)/5 + (Ni + Cu)/15
Pcm = C + Si/30 + (Mn + Cu + Cr)/20 + Ni/60 + Mo/15 + V/10 + 5B
Interpretation: both formulas are displayed, but only the formula selected by the grade's stored rule governs the numerical limit check.
Sub-size Charpy converter
The tool follows the stored factor semantics:
Sub-size requirement = Full-size requirement × Stored factor
10 × 5 mm example
27 J × 0.50 = 13.5 J required for the sub-size specimen
This convention scales the requirement down; it does not silently scale the measured value up.
Elongation calculator
For strip specimens, enter width and thickness. For round specimens, enter diameter. The tool computes area and applies the selected grade's stored formula parameters.
e_min = C × A^0.2 / U^0.9
Different specimen areas at the same UTS can therefore produce different minimum elongation values. Fixed-minimum grades display the stored limit directly.
Hydrotest pressure
Enter OD and wall thickness. The selected grade provides SMYS from the resolved thickness row and the stored default fiber-stress percentage.
P = 2 × S × t / D
The calculator shows raw and rounded pressure in SI and Imperial units. Verify whether the governing standard or order imposes caps, hold times, rounding, mill capability, or diameter-ratio provisions beyond the base equation.
09 · Screen alternatives
Reverse Lookup — What Grade Meets This?
Reverse lookup searches all grade records using the entered thickness and minimum performance requirements.
Enter minimum YSThis is the primary requirement and sorting basis.
Add optional UTS and CVN criteriaInclude energy and test temperature when toughness is part of the screening objective.
Enter thicknessEach candidate's mechanical breakpoint is resolved independently.
Review closest-fit resultsQualifying grades are sorted by YS margin, with the smallest positive margin first.
Open a candidateUse the Open link to load the complete grade in the main reference and checker view.
Reverse lookup does not establish equivalency. A strength match does not prove matching chemistry, weldability, heat treatment, dimensions, toughness, manufacturing route, certification, or customer acceptance.
10 · Work faster
Comparison, Favorites and Recents
Pin and compare
Pin the current grade, then select a second grade. Requirement columns are displayed side by side and differing values are highlighted.
Comparison context
The current thickness, form, units, and active overlays are respected. Confirm both grades are actually applicable to the same product context.
Favorites
Star frequently used grades to create quick-access chips above the selectors.
Recents
The last five viewed grades are retained in browser storage for quick return.
Favorites, recents, checker inputs, and paste mappings are local to the current browser profile. They are not automatically synchronized to another device or browser.
11 · Data governance
Import, Export and Diagnostics
Export
Export JSON downloads the complete in-memory specification dataset as formatted JSON and sets an export timestamp in the downloaded copy.
Import
An imported object replaces the dataset in memory only after it passes validation. A rejected file leaves the current dataset untouched.
Session-only: imported data is not baked into the HTML. Re-import after reload, or intentionally embed the audited dataset into a controlled file version.
Diagnostics panel
| Check | Purpose |
|---|---|
| LimitValue completeness | Confirms bound, unit, clause reference, verification flag, and related fields are present. |
| Breakpoint tiling | Detects gaps and overlaps in thickness-dependent mechanical rows. |
| Footnote resolution | Confirms every referenced footnote ID exists. |
| Overlay path resolution | Confirms every patch target exists against the base grade. |
| Enums and required fields | Detects invalid values and missing required structures. |
| Unknown fields | Surfaces forward-compatible additions as warnings rather than silently ignoring them. |
| Schema compatibility | Rejects imports with an incompatible major schema version. |
Do not ignore validator errors. A structural error can cause the wrong requirement to render or prevent a reliable check.
12 · Create a job-file record
Print and Save to PDF
Specification datasheet
Prints the selected grade, edition, resolved requirements, footnotes, notes, active overlays, date, and standing disclaimer.
Compliance report
Prints the assessment context, full result table, verdict, failures, warnings, unverified-limit list, active overlays, date-time, and disclaimer.
Use the browser's Print command and choose Save as PDF when an electronic record is required. Review the print preview before saving to confirm all result rows are included.
Recommended file name: include the material identifier, target grade, date, and revision—for example, Heat_123456_X52M_PSL2_Check_2026-07-15.pdf.
13 · Resolve common issues
Troubleshooting
No grade is displayed
Select a specification body first, then select a grade and any required PSL/category. Clear the global search field if it is filtering the grade list.
The required product form is unavailable
The selected grade does not declare that form as applicable in the current dataset. Verify the specification, product type, and controlled edition rather than forcing the selection.
Thickness does not resolve a mechanical row
Confirm the value is positive, uses the current unit system, and lies inside the stored breakpoint range. Review diagnostics for a gap or overlap error.
Search does not find the expected designation
Search using the specification number plus grade, or an alternate designation such as L360 instead of X52. The catalogue is controlled by the records embedded in the current file.
Imported JSON is rejected
Open diagnostics and review every error. Common causes are an incompatible schema major version, missing required fields, invalid enums, unresolved footnotes, invalid overlay paths, or breakpoint gaps.
Batch columns are mapped incorrectly
Reset or revise the mapper, confirm each detected header, and map unused columns to Ignore. Include headers in the pasted block whenever possible.
I cannot get a clean PASS
This is expected while applicable limits remain verified: false. A numerically conforming result must return PASS WITH WARNINGS and list the unverified values used.
Fonts look different offline
The application remains functional, but Google Fonts may be unavailable. The browser falls back to local sans-serif and monospace fonts.
Favorites or saved inputs disappeared
Local storage is browser- and profile-specific. Private browsing, cleared site data, a different device, or a different file URL can create a separate storage context.
14 · Terms
Glossary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| SMYS | Specified minimum yield strength. |
| SMTS | Specified minimum tensile strength. |
| PSL | Product Specification Level used by API line-pipe specifications. |
| Category | A CSA Z245.1 requirement variant that can change chemistry, mechanical, toughness, or other requirements. |
| Heat analysis | Chemistry determined for the heat or cast. |
| Product analysis | Chemistry determined from the finished or semi-finished product, often with separate tolerances. |
| CEIIW | International Institute of Welding carbon-equivalent expression. |
| Pcm | Composition parameter commonly used for lower-carbon steels. |
| CVN | Charpy V-notch impact test. |
| DWTT | Drop-weight tear test used for fracture-propagation assessment. |
| ERW / HFW | Electric-resistance or high-frequency welded pipe manufacturing routes. |
| SAWL / SAWH | Submerged-arc welded longitudinal or helical pipe routes. |
| TMCP | Thermomechanical controlled processing. |
| Overlay | A non-mutating patch that temporarily tightens or adds requirements for a service or customer condition. |
| LimitValue | The structured requirement primitive containing value, MIN/MAX bound, unit, clause reference, verification state, and footnote links. |
| Clause reference | The stored table, note, annex, or clause location supporting a displayed requirement. |
Guide version 1.0 · Updated July 15, 2026 · Designed for grade_spec_lookup.html schema 1.1