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Pollak Library

Engineering & Computer Science: Standards

Research guide for engineering & computer science

How to find standards?

Standards are documents that provide detailed information on the rules, testing methods, definitions, recommended practices, and specifications that promote uniformity for engineering design, industrial practices, and terminology.  Check the library catalog to see if the standard is available. If it is not available, then you can order the standard from interlibrary loan.


 

Major Standards

ANSI - American National Standards Institute
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private, nonprofit organization that facilitates the development of voluntary national consensus standards

NSSN Search Engine for Standards (powered by ANSI)
Administered by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

ASME - American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Contains standards and certification

ASTM - American Society for Testing and Standards
The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) is composed of 132 technical standards-writing committees. They have published approximately 9,100 standard specifications, tests, practices, guides, and definitions for materials, products, systems, and services. ASTM has published standards dealing with metals, flammability, chemical products, lubricants, fossil fuels, textiles, paint, plastics, rubber, pipe, forensic sciences, electronics, energy, medical devices. A searchable database of standards is available!

ASABE - American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers
Contains publications and standards

IOS - International Organization for Standardization
Network of national standards institutes of 160 countries and the worlds largest developer and publisher of International Standards

NIST - National Institute of Standards and Technology
Contains measurements and standards

IHS Standards and Specs
Comprehensive source of hardcopy and PDF technical industry standards and government and military standards. Department of Energy (DOE) Technical Standards - available full-text via Department of Energy

TECHSTREET
Provides access to standards and technical information from major publishers

AIAA - American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Access to publications on aerospace technology, engineering, and science

IEEE Xplore 
Full-text access IEEE standards

Building Codes
Includes statewide codes such as Existing Building Code, Electrical Code Amendments, Mechanical Code, Plumbing Code, Residential Code, Fire Code,  Fuel Gas Code,  Energy Code,  Building Code,  Administrative Code, etc.

 

Organizations and Standards (USA)

  • ASTM: American Society for Testing and Standards
  • ACI: American Concrete Institute
  • ASME: American Society of Mechanical Engineers
  • AWWA: American Water Works Association
  • NFC: National Fire Code Universal Building Codes and the other universal codes
  • UL: Underwriter's Laboratory
  • ANSI: American National Standards Institute (Other U.S. standards developers - ANSI list)
  • AIAA: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
  • ASCE: American Society of Civil Engineers
  • ASHRAE: American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers
  • SAE: Society of Automotive Engineers
  • IEEE: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
  • ISO/IEC: Freely available ISO/IEC Standards

International Standards

  • ISO: International Standards Organization​
  • IEC / CEI: International Electrotechnical Commission​
  • ​​​CEN: European Committee for Standardization
  • CENELEC: European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization
  • ISO/IEC Freely available Standards
  • ITU: International Telecommunication Union
  • ETSI: European Telecommunications Standards Institute​
  • ISO: International Organization for Standardization
  • SCC: Standards Council of Canada
  • CSA: Canadian Standards Association
  • CGSB: Canadian General Standards Board