Standards & Specifications

The following are selected resources that are available at Fogler Library or on the Internet. If you have questions about finding information related to Standards & Specifications, please contact the Science and Engineering Center at 581-1691 or email Martin Wallace. Or use our Ask a Librarian service.

Frequently asked questions about standards at Fogler Library:

What are engineering standards?

I know which standard I need. How do I find out if Fogler Library owns a copy?

How do I find out if the standard that Fogler Library owns is the current edition?

Table of Contents
Indexes and Databases for Standards	Library Catalogs
Standards Owned by Fogler Library	Additional Standards Issuing Organizations
Military and Federal Standards	Internet Directories

Indexes & Databases for Standards

• ASTM Standards and Engineering Digital Library. See also: American Society of Testing and Materials. Annual Book of ASTM Standards. (SciRef TA401.A653 Standards shelves) 2009 edition. Older editions in ORO Stacks at TA401.A653.
• IEEE Xplore & IEEE/IET Electronic Library (IEL). Complete online full-text access to active IEEE standards. These publications are relevant to many disciplines including: electrical engineering, computer science, electronics, spatial information science, and sensors technology. Offers an alerting service for monitoring new and revised standards for users who register for free personal accounts.
• NSSN. National Standards Systems Network. Searchable bibliographic database of thousands of industrial standards and specifications and links to many standards-issuing organizations. Provides information on purchasing standards from Global Engineering Documents.
• TechStreet Standards Index (available also through Compendex, Engineering Village) Indexes over 500,000 standards from 10,000 organizations. Also provides information for purchasing paper or electronic download of standards.
• American National Standards Institute. ANSI. Electronic Standards Store.
• Canadian Standards Association
• Index and Directory of Industry Standards. SciRef T59.A1I53 2000/2001 edition. Contains information on United States as well as international and non-U.S. national standards. Access is provided through four major sections: Subject Index, Numeric Index, ANSI Number Concordance, and an Organization Directory.
• European Standards Catalog. By the European Committee for Standardization (CEN).
• IHS: University Resource Center. Resource for industry and military standards and regulations.
• IHS Standards Store. Comprehensive catalog of industry standards.
• ISO Catalogue. Current and withdrawn standards published by the International Organization for Standardization.
• National Information Standards Organization (NISO). Full text of their standards are available for free at this web site.
• National Standards Systems Network (NSSN). Searchable bibliographic database of thousands of industrial standards and specifications and links to many standards-issuing organizations.
• TechStreet Standards Index. Indexes over 500,000 standards from 10,000 organizations. Available also through Engineering Village.
• World Standards Services Network (WSSN). Provides an index and links to worldwide standards organizations.

STANDARDS OWNED BY FOGLER LIBRARY

• AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications: Customary U.S. Units. 4th ed. American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). (SciRef TG310 .A43 2007).
• AASHTO LRFD Movable Highway Bridge Design Specifications. 2nd ed. American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Subcommittee on Bridges and Structures. (SciRef TG420.A43 2007).
• ACI Manual of Concrete Practice. 2007 edition. American Concrete Institute (ACI). (SciRef TA439.A61 2007). This is a 6 part compilation of current ACI standards and committee reports.
• ANSI Standards. American National Standards Institute (ANSI). (SciRef TK275.A56). We have not been able to update this collection. We are willing to order current editions as requested. Please check with Martin Wallace for the status of a particular standard and ordering requests.
  
• American Wood-Preservers' Association. Standards. 2006 edition. (SciRef TA424.2.A4 2006).
• ANSI/IEEE Standards. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. (SciRef TK275.A56).
  These are arranged on the shelf by standard number in a loose-leaf format. We have not been able to purchase new editions for most of this IEEE collection. Check IEEE Standards Information Network for current standards and search URSUS by standard number to determine availability at Fogler.
• ASABE Standards. Standards, Engineering Practices and Data adopted by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. (SciRef S671.A32 52nd ed. 2002).
  These standards are developed by industry, universities and other public agencies. These are advisory and voluntary standards. Search for ASABE technical publications and standards at the publisher's website.
• ASCE Standards. American Society of Civil Engineers. Search for ASCE standards by utilizing the ASCE Civil Engineering Database. Fogler has selected publications. Search URSUS to determine availability of a particular title.
• ASHRAE Standards. American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, & Air-Conditioning Engineers. (SciRef TH7005.A8). Not a complete set. See the ASHRAE Standards and Guidelines Catalog for a current listing of standards. Search URSUS to determine availability of a particular title at Fogler.
• ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. 1992 edition. American Society of Mechanical Engineers. (SciRef TJ289.A4). the ASME Product Catalog provides complete information on the current standards.
  
• ASME Standards. American Society of Mechanical Engineers. (SciRef TK275.A57). Not a complete set.
  These are in loose-leaf format and shelved by standard number. ASME standards are purchased on a title by title basis. The ASME Product Catalog has an index to their standards. Please check with Martin Wallace for the status of a particular standard and ordering requests.
  
• ASTM Standards and Engineering Digital Library. See also: American Society of Testing and Materials. Annual Book of ASTM Standards. (SciRef TA401.A653 Standards shelves) 2009 edition. Older editions in ORO Stacks at TA401.A653.
• BOCA National Building Code. 14th ed. Building Officials & Code Administrators International. (SciRef TH223.B8 14th ed. 1999). Contains building construction minimum standards to insure public safety, health and welfare.
  
• Corrugated Containers and Packaging 97/98 Technical Information Papers. Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry. (SciRef TS1138 .C6778). "Tip sheets" with specialized information such as technical data, calculations, and recommended practices, used in the manufacture, evaluation, and description containers.
• Building Codes Illustrated. A Guide to Understanding the 2006 International Building Code. (SciRef TH420. C49 2007).
• Guide manual for condition evaluation and load and resistance factor rating (LRFR) of highway bridges. American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). (SciRef TG305.A47 2003).
• IEEE Xplore & IEEE/IET Electronic Library (IEL). Complete online full-text access to active IEEE standards. Offers an alerting service for monitoring new and revised standards for users who register for free personal accounts.
• International Building Code. 2006 edition. International Code Council. (SciRef TH420 .I58 2006).
• LRFD bridge construction specifications. 2nd ed. American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). (SciRef TG310.A27 2004).
• Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures. 2003 edition. ASCE Standard: SEI/ASCE 7-02. Revision of ASCE 7-98. (SciRef TH851.M56 2003).
• National Design Specification for Wood Construction. 1998 edition. 1997 rev. ed. with 1998 identified errata. ANSI/AF&PA NDS-1997. American Forest & Paper Association and American Wood Council. (SciRef TA666.N37 1998).
• National Electrical Code (NEC). 2005 ed. National Fire Protection Association. (SciRef KF5704.N38 2004). This is a voluntary code which is intended to outline safeguards for persons and property from the hazards of using electricity. Covers installation of electric conductors and equipment, and optical fiber cables in buildings and other structures and connections to the supply of electricity.
• National Electrical Code Handbook. 2005 ed. (SciRef TK260.N47b 2005). Provides commentary text and illustrations and drawings to help explain the NEC.
• National Electrical Safety Code (NESC). 2002 edition. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. (SciRef TK152.N345 2002). The Code covers safeguards from hazards associated with installation, operation, and maintenance of electrical supply and communication lines and conductors and equipment in electric supply stations. It is approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
  
• National Electrical Safety Code Handbook. 5th ed. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering. (SciRef TK152.N345 2001). This document is intended to aid users in understanding and correctly applying the requirements of the NESC.
• National Fire Codes. 2008 edition. National Fire Protection Association.(SciRef TH9115.N3 2008). This multi-volume set has a Master Index published as a separate volume as well as an index following the text of each standard.
  
• Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists. 17th ed. AOAC International. (SciRef S587.A7 17th ed. 2000).
  
• Pulping and Paper Production 97/98 Technical Information Papers. Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry.  . (SciRef TS1175.P8 1997/98). "Tip sheets" for coating and graphic arts, engineering guidelines, paper and board manufacture, pulp manufacture, process and product quality, finishing and converting and environmental and electrical issues.
  
• Ramsey/Sleeper architectural graphic standards. 10th ed. Wiley, 2000. (SciRef TH2031.R35 2000 and CD-ROM).
  
• SAE Handbook. 2005 edition. Society of Automotive Engineers. (SciRef TL151.S62 2005). The handbook contains surface vehicle standards, recommended practices, and information reports issued by SAE. Each volume contains a complete subject index and a numerical index of standards.
  
• Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater : including bottom sediments and sludges. 21st ed. American Water Works Association. (SciRef QD142.A5 21st ed. 2005).
• Standard specifications for highway bridges. 17th ed. American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). (SciRef TG310.A6).
• Standard specifications for transportation materials and methods of sampling and testing. 25th ed. American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). (SciRef TE 200.A615 2005).
• Standard Specifications, Highways and Bridges. State of Maine. Department of Transportation. (SciRef TE5062.M2M2 1995).
• Steel Construction Manual. 2005 edition. American Institute of Steel Construction. (SciRef TA684.A47 2005).
  
• TAPPI Test Methods 2006-2007. Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry. (Media Resource Center CDROM 203). Presents testing procedures and practices used in the manufacture and evaluation of pulp, paper, paperboard, nonfibrous materials, containers, and structural materials.
• Uniform Building Code. 1997 edition. International Conference of Building Officials. (SciRef KF5701.U55 1997).

MILITARY AND FEDERAL STANDARDS

The federal government issues its own standards, often in the form of regulations. These are first published in the Federal Register and then are incorporated into the Code of Federal Regulations. The military also issues its own standards. As a federal depository library, Fogler Library receives the Code and some copies of individual standards as well. We will obtain copies of federal and military standards which we do not own as needed.

• National Institute of Standards and Technology. (NIST) Standards
• U.S. Code of Federal Regulations.
  Fogler Library shelf location: Gov Docs AE 2.106/2:996/9 and following.
  The Code consists of 50 sections, each of which represents a broad area subject to federal regulation. The last volume of the set is an index to the Code, which can be used to look up standardization processes of interest. An Electronic Code of Federal Regulations is available and updated very frequently.
• U.S. General Services Administration. Federal Supply Service. Federal Test Method Standards. They make available an index to federal specifications and standards and the federal qualified products list.
• U.S. Department of Defense. Assist Database and full text standards.
• U.S. Department of Defense Index of Specifications & Standards (DODISS).
• U.S. Dept of Energy. Technical Standards.
• U.S. Dept. of Labor. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Regulations (Standards 29 CFR). Provides the full text of their standards and a search feature that allows searching the full text. Occupational Safety and Health Standards for Agriculture. Occupational Safety and Health Standards for Logging
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Code of Federal Regulations. CFR Title 40. Protection of Environment.

LIBRARY CATALOGS

The following catalogs are useful in locating standards or books about the standardization processes. If you are looking for foreign or international standards, the best resource would be the British Library Catalogue.

• URSUS- University of Maine System catalog. Use the Request function to request items from other campuses. Items are sent to Orono and loaned for 4 weeks.
• MaineCat - College and university libraries in Maine. Use the Request function to request items from other libraries. Items are sent to Orono and loaned for 4 weeks.
• WorldCat. International catalog containing the holdings of over 8,000 libraries.
• Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information (CISTI) Catalog.

ADDITIONAL STANDARDS ISSUING ORGANIZATIONS

There are many other organizations which are involved in formulating standards. The following list represents a few of these organizations. Very few or none of the standards that they issue are owned by Fogler Library; check the URSUS catalog to be sure. If you need standards from any of these organizations or others which are not on the list, contact Martin Wallace at 581-1697. See also the Scholarly Societies Project of Standards issuing organizations. Another good resource is the Standards Engineering Society. They have an extensive listing of standards organizations.

• Acoustical Society of America.
• American Petroleum Institute (API).
• American Welding Society (AWS).
• British Standards Institution (BSI).
• Electronics Industries Foundation.
• European Committee for Standardization (CEN).
• International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• Internet Society. ISOC Internet Standards Programs.
• Japanese Industrial Standards Committee (JISC).
• National Association of Corrosion Engineers.
• National Electrical Manufacturers Association.
• National Information Standards Organization. (NISO).
• Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation. Benchmarks. A non-profit corporation formed to establish, maintain and endorse a standardized set of relevant benchmarks that can be applied to the newest generation of high-performance computers.
• Underwriters Laboratory.

Company & Product Directories

• Yahoo: Computers and Internet: Standards.
• Yahoo: Reference: Standards.

What are standards?

• Codified guidelines that define how processes are to be performed or measured, or how products are to be designed
• Usually written by businesses, industrial organizations, and government bodies
• Serve to increase product quality and safety, and allow for interchangeability of parts

What are some examples of standards?

• Government-mandated specifications for how mattress flammability tests are performed
• Voluntary guidelines on ventilation for acceptable indoor air quality
• Voluntary specifications for the width and spacing of steps in staircases

What are some points to remember when using standards?

• Some standards are government-mandated, and others are voluntary. There may be various penalties associated with not adhering to the standard.
• Standards are updated frequently to keep pace with changing technology -- check to see if the standard you are using is the latest version.
• Older, superceded versions of standards may be useful in many cases, such as legal disputes concerning the performance of a product that was manufactured when the older standard was in force.

I know the number and/or title of the standard I need. How do I find out if it is in Fogler Library?

Since not every individual standard will appear in URSUS, it is advised that you contact or visit Fogler Library to find out if we have a particular standard. You may call or email Martin Wallace at 581-1678.

How do I find out if Fogler Library owns the current version of a standard?

 

In general, only the current version of each standard is shelved in the Science and Engineering Center reference collection. Earlier versions are shelved in the circulating collection (ORO Stacks). To verify that the copy owned by Fogler Library is the most recent version, consult the publisher's online catalog or one of the comprehensive indexes to engineering standards: National Standards System Network (NSSN) or TechStreet Standards Index.

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Created by: Martin Wallace | Revised: 02/11/2013