Library Guides: Find Standards: Get Started

Why Standards?

"A standard is a document that provides requirements, specifications, guidelines or characteristics that can be used consistently to ensure that materials, products, processes and services are fit for their purpose." - ISO

Standards are created by a wide variety of organizations. The most common are:

Professional societies, such as the IEEE
Industrial or manufacturing associations, such as the American Wire Rope Manufacturers
Governmental agencies or bodies, such as the U.S. Department of Defense
Companies, such as General Motors [Company standards are often proprietary and therefore are available only to approved subcontractors].
International bodies, such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

Core Electronic Resources

ASTM Digital Library This link opens in a new window
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ASTM Digital Library provides access to full text journals, special technical publications, standards, manuals, data series, and terminology that covers a broad range of engineering disciplines.
Access to standards includes:
ASTM active standards, historical standards, research reports, and related materials
AATCC (American Association of Textile Chemists & Colorists)
AASHTO (American Assn of State & Highway Transportation Officials)
API (American Petroleum Institute)
AWS (American Welding Society)
AWWA (American Water Works Association)
IES (Illuminating Engineering Society)
ISO (International Organization for Standardization)
EN/European ISO-adopted Standards
SAE Mobilus This link opens in a new window
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SAE Mobilus is a repository of technical content published by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) including select SAE standards, technical papers, journals, and magazines. Note: our subscription does not include ebooks.
AccessEngineering This link opens in a new window
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AccessEngineering features a “Browse by Codes and Standards” button on the site —allowing users to easily find content that discusses various engineering codes and standards.
ASCE Library This link opens in a new window
The ASCE Library provides access to a high-quality collection of civil engineering content. It provides access to full-text papers from ASCE journals, papers from conference proceedings, ebooks, and standards.
ASSIST Quick Search This link opens in a new window
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Quick Search is a public website that lets users search for defense and federal specifications and standards, military handbooks, commercial item descriptions, data item descriptions, MS detail drawings, Qualified Product Lists (QPLs), and related technical documents prepared in accordance with the policies and procedures of the Defense Standardization Program (DSP). In most cases, users may download documents that have been cleared for public release.
Note: Department of Defense (DoD) policy requires that they use certificates issued by the DoD Certificate Authority for identity verification and encryption, rather than those issued by a commercial certificate authority. The DOD certificates can be downloaded from the website http://militarycac.com/dodcerts.htm to eliminate the error.
IEEE Xplore This link opens in a new window
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The IEEE Xplore digital library features content from IEEE as well as the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), containing current literature in electrical engineering, communications, and computer science with select content back to 1872. Select access to standards.
Knovel This link opens in a new window
Search in Knovel for access to some ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Codes.
National Fire Protection Association: Codes & Standards This link opens in a new window
NFPA develops and publishes more than 300 consensus codes and standards intended to eliminate death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical, and related hazards. NFPA codes and standards are adopted and used throughout the world.

Websites of Standards Organizations

Here are websites from national and international standards organizations:

Standards Developing Organizations (linked from ANSI website)

ISO Members arranged by country

Organizations that work in cooperation with ISO

National Fire Protection Association: Codes & Standards This link opens in a new window
NFPA develops and publishes more than 300 consensus codes and standards intended to eliminate death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical, and related hazards. NFPA codes and standards are adopted and used throughout the world.

ANSI Incorporated by Reference IBR Standards Portal
Hosted by ANSI and contains read only access to Standards Incorporated by Reference in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations.
Department of Energy (DOE) Technical Standards Program
NASA Technical Standards and Center Standards
National Information Standards Organization (NISO)
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Government agency responsible for the accreditation of labs within the United States.

ASSIST Quick Search This link opens in a new window
- This link opens in a new window
Quick Search is a public website that lets users search for defense and federal specifications and standards, military handbooks, commercial item descriptions, data item descriptions, MS detail drawings, Qualified Product Lists (QPLs), and related technical documents prepared in accordance with the policies and procedures of the Defense Standardization Program (DSP). In most cases, users may download documents that have been cleared for public release.
Note: Department of Defense (DoD) policy requires that they use certificates issued by the DoD Certificate Authority for identity verification and encryption, rather than those issued by a commercial certificate authority. The DOD certificates can be downloaded from the website http://militarycac.com/dodcerts.htm to eliminate the error.

Print Standards

ASTM Latest print edition--Library Book Stacks TA401 .A653.

Locate the index volume 00.01. Find your standard by its number (gray section) or subject (white section).
Identify the four digit number (e.g., 04.09) that indicates what volume is needed.
Locate your volume.

IBC (International Building Code), Reference Room TH223 .P3.

Search Tips

Do not include dates when searching in Document Number
- Search ASTM F1511 NOT ASTM F1511-2005
Do not search for general terms such as "pump standards"
- Search by document title or number; if you don't have this information type specific keywords that should appear in the title, for example "titanium welding"

Identifying Standards

Identify standards you need using these free databases:

Examples of Specifications, Codes

International/Federal:

ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG), Americans with Disabilities Act
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
EPA's WaterSense Product and Program Specifications
National Electrical Code (NEC), Reference Room Tk260 .N46 2008
Occupational Safety & Health (OSHA) Law & Regulations

Regional/Local:

Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction, CDOT
Construction and Design Standards. Colorado School of Mines, Capital Planning & Construction.

Example Citations

Standard/Specification -- Standard Test Method for Determination of Acid-Insoluble Residue in Biomass, ASTM E1721-01, 2009. Available at: https://compass.astm.org/document/?contentCode=ASTM%7CE1721-24%7Cen-US. Accessed: 10/17/2024.

Code -- 40 CFR 53.23. 2013. Available: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2013-title40-vol6/pdf/CFR-2013-title40-vol6-sec53-23.pdf. Accessed: 12/09/2016