Technical Info - Weldable A-706

Low-alloy steel reinforcing bars, conforming to the ASTM A706/A706M specification, are intended for welding. Weldability is accomplished in the specification by limits or controls on the chemical composition of the steel.

One limit is on individual chemical elements, for example, carbon is limited to a maximum of 0.30% and manganese to a maximum of 1.50%. Another limit is on "carbon equivalent."

The term "carbon equivalent," abbreviated as C.E., accounts for those chemical elements affecting weldability. The ASTM A706/A706M specification and the ANSI/AWS D1.4 Welding Code have the same formula for C.E.:

C.E. = %C + %Mn/6 + %Cu/40 + %Ni/20 + %Cr/10 - %Mo/50 - %V/10