NOTICE: This standard has either been superceded and replaced by a new version or discontinued.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information.
Designation: A 970/A 970M – 98
Standard Specification for
Welded or Forged Headed Bars for Concrete
Reinforcement 1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation A 970/A 970M; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year
of original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.
A superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope
1.1 This specification covers deformed low-alloy steel rein-
forcing bars in cut lengths, with head(s) welded or forged to
one or both ends, for concrete reinforcement. Heads shall be
forge formed or cut from plate.
NOTE 1—This specification is applicable for headed bars produced with
welded or forged heads only. The requirements of this specification are not
applicable to headed bars where the attachment of the head is accom-
plished by alternate means, such as by tapered or straight threads.
1.2 Grade—Headed bars are of a single minimum yield
strength level of 420 MPa [60 000 psi], designated as Grade
420 [60].
1.3 Controlled Mechanical Properties and Performance
Requirements—This specification by use of tensile and bend
tests and the specified minimum performance levels in Sections
7 and 8 provides the required performance properties for these
assemblies.
1.4 Welding and Forging:
1.4.1 Welding of heads to the reinforcing steel shall be
approached with care. A welding procedure conforming to
ANSI/AWS D1.4 shall be used for all required production
welding of the head to the bar, except for friction welding that
shall conform to ANSI/AWS C6.1.
1.4.2 Forging—Integrally forged headed bars where the
heads are produced by deforming the bar ends in a hot forging
process also are acceptable.
1.4.3 Low-Alloy Steel Bars—Low-alloy steel reinforcing
bars conforming to Specification A 706/A 706M shall be used
to manufacture welded headed bars. Specification A 706/
A 706M limits chemical composition and carbon equivalence
to enhance weldablity of the material.
1.4.4 Reinforcing bar material conforming to A 615/A
615M or A 706/A 706M is acceptable for the production of
forged headed bars.
1.4.5 Other types of steel reinforcing bars shall be permit-
ted: (1) providing they conform to the dimensional and weight
requirements of the reinforcement as specified in 1.4.3 or 1.4.4,
1
This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee A-1 on Steel,
Stainless Steel, and Related Alloys and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee
A01.05 on Steel Reinforcement.
Current edition approved March 10, 1998. Published December 1998. Originally
published as A 970–97. Last previous edition A 970–97a.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
1
as applicable, and (2) when specified and agreed upon by the
purchaser and the manufacturer and only when the suitability
of the head and bar materials for the welding or forging process
specified is demonstrated through successful application of the
requirements for testing and frequency of testing in Sections 7
and 8 of this specification.
1.4.6 All reinforcing bars shall conform to the mechanical
performance requirements of this specification.
1.5 This specification is applicable for orders in either SI or
inch-pound units.
1.6 The values stated in either inch-pound units or SI units
are to be regarded separately as the standard. Within the text,
the SI units are shown in brackets. The values stated in each
system are not exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall
be used independently of the other. Combining values from the
two systems may result in nonconformance with the specifi-
cation. The inch-pound units shall apply unless the “M”
designation of this specification is specified in the order.
1.7 This standard does not purport to address all of the
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:
A 29/A 29M Specification for Steel Bars, Carbon and Alloy,
Hot-Wrought and Cold-Finished, General Requirements
for2
A 36/A 36M Specification for Carbon Structural Steel3
A 108 Specification for Steel Bars, Carbon, Cold Finished,
Standard Quality2
A 304 Specification for Carbon and Alloy Steel Bars Sub-
ject to End-Quench Hardenability Requirements2
A 370 Test Methods and Definitions for Mechanical Testing
of Steel Products4
A 572/A 572M Specification for High-Strength Low-Alloy
Columbium-Vanadium Steels of Structural Steels3
A 615/A 615M Specification for Deformed and Plain
2
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 01.05.
3
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 01.04.
4
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 01.03.
 NOTICE: This standard has either been superceded and replaced by a new version or discontinued.
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A 970/A 970M
Billet-Steel Bars for Concrete Reinforcement3
A 700 Practices for Packaging, Marking and Loading Meth-
ods for Steel Products for Domestic Shipment2
A 706/A 706M Specification for Low-Alloy Steel De-
formed and Plain Bars for Concrete Reinforcement3
E 29 Practice for Using Significant Digits in Test Data to
Determine Conformance with Specifications5
2.2 ANSI/AWS Standards:
ANSI/AWS C6.1 Recommended Practices for Friction
Welding6
ANSI/AWS D1.4 Structural Welding Code - Reinforcing
Steel6
2.3 U.S. Military Standards:
MIL-STD-129 Marking for Shipment and Storage7
MIL-STD-163 Steel Mill Products Preparation for Ship-
ment and Storage7
2.4 U.S. Federal Standard:
Fed. Std. No. 123 Marking for Shipment (Civil Agencies)7
3. Terminology
3.1 Definitions:
3.1.1 forged headed bar—a steel bar used in the reinforce-
ment of concrete that has the head(s) integrally forged to one or
both ends.
3.1.2 head—a round, elliptical, or rectangular shape em-
ployed to anchor a steel bar in concrete.
3.1.3 welded headed bar—a steel bar used in the reinforce-
ment of concrete that has the head(s) welded to one or both
ends.
Manufacturer shall provide certified copies of manufacturing test report as
required in 14.2 of this specification.
5. Material and Manufacture
5.1 The reinforcing bars shall be rolled from properly
identified heats of mold cast or strand cast steel using the
open-hearth, basic-oxygen, or electric-furnace process.
5.2 Heads shall be formed or cut from properly identified
heats of mold cast or strand cast steel using the open-hearth,
basic oxygen, or electric-furnace process.
5.3 The head shall be dimensioned to be capable of resisting
the nominal tensile strength of the reinforcing bar when the
welded or forged headed reinforcing bar is embedded in
concrete. Nominal head dimensions to be used for standard bar
sizes shall be those listed in Table 1 and Table 2 and defined in
Fig. 1. It shall be permissible to use head dimensions other than
those in Table 1 and Table 2 providing the manufacturer
furnishes documentation to the purchaser in the form of
calculations or test reports, or both, that confirms the suitability
of the head dimensions for the intended application.
6. Chemical Composition
6.1 An analysis of each heat of steel for bar and heads shall
be made by the manufacturer from test samples taken during
the pouring of heats. The percentage of carbon, manganese,
phosphorus, sulfur, silicon, copper, nickel, chromium, molyb-
denum, and vanadium shall be determined. Carbon equivalent
(CE) shall be determined using the CE formula in Specification
A 706/A 706M.

4. Ordering Information TABLE 1 Nominal Head Dimensions, SI Units

4.1 It shall be the responsibility of the purchaser to specify NOTE 1—The table provides nominal dimensions for heads covered by
all requirements that are necessary for material ordered to this this specification to provide anchorage of the welded headed bar in
specification. Such requirements shall include but are not concrete.
limited to the following: NOTE 2—The nominal head dimensions given in Table 1 are calculated
to ensure that shear or bending forces do not cause premature failure of the
4.1.1 Quantity,
head or crushing failure of the concrete under the head. These calculations
4.1.2 Name of product: welded or forged headed bars for the are based on concrete compressive strength of 30 MPa and reinforcing
reinforcement of concrete, steel with a yield strength of 420 MPa.
4.1.3 Bar material specification, NOTE 3—The head thickness is measured parallel to the reinforcing bar
4.1.4 Bar size, longitudinal axis and the head width is measured perpendicular to the
4.1.5 Head material specification, reinforcing bar axis. The cross-sectional area of the head is the projected
4.1.6 Type of head attachment. area measured perpendicular to the axis of the bar.
NOTE 4—Research and experience with headed bars in Europe, Canada,
4.1.7 Number of heads per bar length,
and the United States have shown that a head area of approximately ten
4.1.8 Length of bar assembly, times the nominal bar area, or a head diameter of three times the nominal
4.1.9 Packaging, and bar diameter, is necessary to anchor the bar with the head only, while not
4.1.10 ASTM designation and year of issue. crushing the concrete under the head.
NOTE 2—A typical example of an ordering description is as follows: Nominal Head Dimensions
200 Mg [220 tons] welded headed reinforcing bars for concrete reinforce- Standard Bar Minimum Minimun cross Minimum
ment, Size No. 25 [No. 8] in 18 m [60 ft] lengths in secured lifts, Designation thickness, sectional width, mm
conforming to Specification A 970/A 970M. Two heads per bar assembly Number mm area, mm2
shall be provided and shall be attached by welding. Heads shall be cut 10 10 710 19
from plate material conforming to Specification A 36/A 36M plate and 13 11 1 290 22
shall be 75 mm [3 in.] square. Certified mill test reports are required. 16 12 2 000 25
19 14 2 840 35
22 16 3 870 37
25 16 5 100 40
5
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 14.02. 29 18 6 450 43
6
Available from American Welding Society, P.O. Box 351040, 550 N.W. 32 20 8 200 51
LeJeune Rd., Miami, FL 33135. 36 22 9 700 55
7
Available from Standardization Documents Order Desk, Bldg. 4 Section D, 700 43 32 14 500 65
57 40 25 800 80
Robbins Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19111–5094, Attn: NPODS.

2
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A 970/A 970M
TABLE 2 Nominal Head Dimensions, Inch-Pound Units quality prior to manufacture. Mechanical testing also shall be
NOTE 1—The table provides nominal dimensions for heads covered by performed at intervals during production. All tests shall be
this specification to provide anchorage of the welded headed bar in performed on test specimens at a temperature not less than
concrete. 16°C [60°F].
NOTE 2—The nominal head dimensions given in Table 2 are calculated 7.2 Tensile Tests:
to ensure that shear or bending forces do not cause premature failure of the 7.2.1 Tensile testing of the headed bar assembly shall be
head or crushing failure of the concrete under the head. These calculations
performed accordance with the requirements described in Test
are based on concrete compressive strength of [4 300 psi] and reinforcing
steel with a yield strength of [60 000 psi]. Methods and Definitions A 370. Failure shall be defined as
NOTE 3—The head thickness is measured parallel to the reinforcing bar partial or total fracture of the bar, the head, or the head-to-bar
longitudinal axis and the head width is measured perpendicular to the connection.
reinforcing bar axis. The cross-sectional area of the head is the projected 7.2.2 Specimen Preparation—Tensile test specimens shall
area measured perpendicular to the axis of the bar. be the full cross-section of the bar as rolled with a head
NOTE 4—Research and experience with headed bars in Europe, Canada, attached to one end of the reinforcing bar. The minimum length
and the United States have shown that a head area of approximately ten
of the test specimen shall be the greater of 250 mm [10 in.] or
times the nominal bar area, or a head diameter of three times the nominal
bar diameter is necessary to anchor the bar with the head only, while not ten times the diameter of the bar. A specimen with a head
crushing the concrete under the head. welded or forged to one end shall be placed in the testing
Nominal Head Dimensions
machine with the head supported by a steel plate or other
fixture to prevent movement and bending of the head. The
Standard Bar Minimum Minimun cross Minimum
Designation thickness, sectional width, in. fixture shall be placed concentrically with the longitudinal axis
Number in. area, in.2 of the reinforcing bar directly against the flat inner surface of
3 0.375 1.1 0.75 the head. The fixture shall provide clearance between the head
4 0.4375 2.0 0.87 support and the head-to-bar connection. Provisions shall be
5 0.500 3.1 1.00
6 0.5625 4.4 1.38
made for clearance between the support and any weld or
7 0.625 6.0 1.46 forming material on the reinforcing bar-to-head connection.
8 0.625 7.9 1.57 The free end of the bar, without a head attached, shall be
9 0.6875 10.0 1.69
10 0.750 12.7 2.00 gripped by the test machine.
11 0.8125 15.0 2.17 7.3 Tensile Requirements:
14 1.250 22.5 2.56 7.3.1 Tensile Strength—The test specimen performance for
18 1.625 40.0 3.15
welded or forged headed bars shall conform to the require-
ments for tensile properties presented in Table 3.
7.3.2 Yield Strength—The test specimen performance for
welded or forged headed bars shall conform to the require-
ments for yield strength presented in Table 3.
7.3.3 Acceptance Criteria—In addition to meeting the
strength requirements of Table 3, no observed partial or total
fracture of the head or the bar-head connection shall be
permitted; the failure shall be observed to occur in the parent
reinforcing bar material a minimum of one bar diameter from
the head-to-bar connection. Failure of the head or the head-to-
FIG. 1 Headed Reinforcing Bar bar connection within the attachment region is unacceptable
and shall be cause for rejection.
6.2 Bars—The chemical composition of bars shall conform 7.4 Yield Point Determination:
to the requirements for low-alloy steel bars produced under 7.4.1 Procedure—The yield point or yield strength of the
Specification A 706/A 706M or other steel specification ap- bar itself shall be determined by one of the following methods:
proved by the purchaser for welded headed bars. Forged
headed bars with the heads integrally forged onto the bars shall
have bars with chemical composition conforming to the TABLE 3 Tensile Requirements SI Units [Inch-Pound Units]
requirements of Specifications A 615/A 615M or A 706/A Tensile strengthA, min MPa 550
706M, or other steel specification approved by the purchaser [min psi 80 000]
Yield strength, max MPa 540
for forged headed bars. . [max psi 78 000]
6.3 Heads—The chemical composition of heads for welded Yield strength, min MPa 420
headed bars shall conform to one of the following steel [min psi 60 000]
Elongation in 200 mm, min, %:
specifications: Specification A 29/A 29M, A 36/A 36M, A 108, Bar Designation
A 304, A 572/A 572M, A 706/A 706M, or other steel specifi- 10, 13, 16 and 19 14
cations approved by the purchaser. [3, 4, 5 and 6]
22, 25, 29, 32 and 36 12
[7, 8, 9, 10 and 11]
7. Mechanical Test and Performance Requirements 43 and 57 10
7.1 Welded or forged headed bars shall be subjected to [14 and 18]
mechanical tests to verify production method and product A
Tensile strength shall not be less than 1.25 times the actual yield strength.

3
 NOTICE: This standard has either been superceded and replaced by a new version or discontinued.
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A 970/A 970M
7.4.1.1 The yield point shall be determined by a drop of the
beam or halt in the gage of the testing machine.
7.4.1.2 When the bar material tested does not have a
well-defined yield point, the yield strength shall be determined
at extension under load using an autographic diagram method
or an extensometer as described in 14.1.2 and 14.1.3 of Test
Methods and Definitions A 370. The extension under load shall
be 0.35 % strain.
7.5 Bend Test Requirements:
7.5.1 Welded headed bars shall be subject to bend testing.
7.5.2 Procedure—The test specimen shall be bent around a
suitable mandrel to an angle of at least 90° with no observed
partial or total fracture of the head, the bar, or the head-to-bar
connection.
7.5.3 Bend Test Mandrel—The mandrel shall be placed so
as to directly bend the welded region. The required mandrel
dimensions for bend testing are prescribed in Table 4. The
centerline of the bend test mandrel shall be placed at the
intersection of the reinforcing bar and the weld, as shown in
Fig. 2.
7.5.4 Specimen Preparation—Bend test specimens shall be
the full cross-section of the bar as rolled with a head attached
to one end of the reinforcing bar. For welded heads directly
attached to the end of the reinforcing bar where the head
interferes with placement of the bend test mandrel, sufficient
head material and any excess material associated with the
welding process shall be removed along one edge of the
reinforcing bar to provide a flat surface on the specimen for the
bend mandrel. This preparation shall ensure that the contact
point of the bend mandrel is directly at the base of the
reinforcing bar diameter as shown in Fig. 2. For welded headed
bars where the head does not interfere with the positioning of
the bend test mandrel, no specimen preparation shall be
performed.
8. Frequency of Testing
8.1 Number of Tests:
8.1.1 Pre-Production—Prior to production, a testing pro-
gram shall be undertaken that includes two bend tests and two
tensile tests. The tests shall be repeated for each combination of
head and bar material specification, grade or type, and welding
or forging process.
8.1.2 Production—It shall be permissible to use, either the
tensile test prescribed in 7.3 or the bend test prescribed in 7.5
to verify the production method and product quality. A mini-
mum of two tests shall be conducted during the production
shift or period. One test at the start and one test at the end of
TABLE 4 Bend Test Requirements, SI Units [Inch-Pound Units]
Bar Designation Mandrel Diameter
10, 13 and 16 3dA
[3, 4 and 5]
19, 22 and 25 4d
[6, 7 and 8]
29, 32 and 36 6d
[9, 10 and 11]
43 and 57 8d
[14 and 18]
A
d 5 nominal diameter of bar
4
FIG. 2 Bend Test Specimen Mandrel Configuration
each 8-h shift or less than 8-h production period or at random
intervals during the production period shall be conducted.
8.1.2.1 In the event different heats of head or bar material or
both within the same material specification are used to produce
welded or forged headed bars during a production run, a
minimum of two tensile tests in accordance with 7.3 or two
bend tests in accordance with 7.5 shall be conducted to verify
the production method, product quality, and forging quality or
weldability of the heats of materials prior to continuing
production.
8.2 Retests:
8.2.1 Pre-Production—Any identified procedural or perfor-
mance deficiencies shall be corrected and pre-production
testing repeated until the tensile and bend test results meet the
performance requirements of this specification.
8.2.2 Production—When partial or total fracture(s) of the
bend or tensile test specimens occur(s) in the weld or forging
region, the production lot shall be rejected and no retest shall
be allowed.
8.2.2.1 If the result of a tension test fails to meet the
specified minimum strength requirements of 7.3.3 then a retest
shall be allowed. Two specimens taken at random from the
production lot shall be tested during a retest. Both specimens
shall pass the tension test requirements of Section 7 or the
production lot shall be rejected.
8.2.2.2 If any test specimen fails because of mechanical
reasons such as failure of the testing equipment or from flaws
caused by specimen preparation, shipment, or other damage
unrelated to fabrication or testing, it shall be discarded and
another specimen from the same production lot substituted.
8.2.2.3 If a bend test fails for reasons other than mechanical
or flaws in the specimen, as described in 8.2.2.2, a retest shall
be permitted on two random specimens from the same produc-
tion lot. If the results of both test specimens meet the specified
requirements, the lot shall be accepted.
9. Finish
9.1 Rust, surface irregularities, or mill scale shall not be
cause for rejection, provided the dimensions, cross-sectional
area, and tensile properties of a hand wire brushed specimen
are not less than the requirements of this specification.
10. Inspection
10.1 The inspector representing the purchaser shall have
free entry while work on the contract of the purchaser is being
performed to the parts of the manufacturer’s facilities that
concern manufacture of the material ordered. The manufac-
turer shall afford the inspector reasonable access to the facili-
ties to satisfy the inspector that the materials and procedures
 NOTICE: This standard has either been superceded and replaced by a new version or discontinued.
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A 970/A 970M
are in accordance with this specification. Inspection at the
place of manufacture shall be conducted so as not to interfere
unnecessarily with the operation of the manufacturer’s facili-
ties.
10.2 For Government Procurement Only—Except as other-
wise specified in the contract, the manufacturer shall be
responsible for the performance of inspection and test require-
ments specified herein, unless otherwise agreed by the pur-
chaser at the time of purchase, and shall use the purchaser’s
own or other suitable facilities for the performance of the
inspection and test requirements specified herein.
11. Rejection
11.1 The purchaser shall have the right to perform any of the
inspections and tests as set forth in this specification as deemed
necessary. Unless otherwise specified, any rejection based on
tests made in accordance with this specification shall be
reported to the manufacturer within five working days from the
receipt of samples by the purchaser.
11.2 Material which shows injurious defects subsequent to
its acceptance at the manufacturer’s works shall be rejected and
the manufacturer notified.
12. Rehearing
12.1 Samples tested in accordance with this specification
which represent rejected material shall be preserved for two
weeks from the date rejection is reported to the manufacturer.
In case of dissatisfaction with the results of the test, the
manufacturer shall make claim for a rehearing within that time.
13. Documentation
13.1 A manufacturer’s product certificate shall accompany
welded or forged headed bars when they are shipped from the
manufacturer’s premises.
14. Test Reports
14.1 A test report shall be furnished by the manufacturer
containing on a per heat basis the chemical analysis of the bar
and of the head material, including all elements represented in
the carbon equivalent formula in addition to phosphorus and
sulfur.
14.2 A test report shall be required of the manufacturer for
the production of headed bar assemblies as described in
Section 7. A copy of the test report shall be provided to the
purchaser upon request.
5
14.3 A material test report, certificate of inspection, or
similar document printed from or used in electronic form from
an electronic data interchange (EDI) transmission shall be
regarded as having the same validity as a counterpart printed in
the certifier’s facility. The content of the EDI transmitted
document must meet the requirements of the invoked ASTM
standard(s) and conform to any existing EDI agreement be-
tween the purchaser and the supplier. Notwithstanding the
absence of a signature, the organization submitting the EDI
transmission is responsible for the content of the report.
NOTE 3—The industry definition as invoked here is: EDI is the
computer-to-computer exchange of business information in a standard
format such as ANSI ASC X12.
15. Marking
15.1 Each manufacturer shall identify the symbols of their
marking system.
15.2 All headed bars produced under this specification shall
be identified by a distinguishing set of marks legibly stamped
onto the flat outer side of the head, away from the bar, to denote
the following:
15.2.1 Point of Origin—Letter or symbol established as the
manufacturer’s designation.
15.2.2 Type of Headed Reinforcing Bar—Letter T indicating
that the welded or forged headed bar was produced to this
specification.
16. Packaging
16.1 When specified in the purchase order, packaging shall
be in accordance with the procedures in Practices A 700.
16.2 For Government Procurement Only—When specified
in the contract or order and for direct procurement by or direct
shipment to the U.S. government, material shall be preserved,
packaged, and packed in accordance with the requirements of
MIL-STD-163. The applicable levels shall be as specified in
the contract. Marking for shipment of such material shall be in
accordance with Fed. Std. No. 123 for civil agencies and
MIL-STD-129 for military agencies.
17. Keywords
17.1 concrete reinforcement; deformations (protrusions);
headed reinforcement; headed reinforcing bars; integrally-
forged headed bars; low-alloy steel deformed bars; welded
headed bars
 NOTICE: This standard has either been superceded and replaced by a new version or discontinued.
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A 970/A 970M
APPENDIXES

(Nonmandatory Information)

X1. BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON WELDED OR FORGED HEADED REINFORCING BARS

X1.1 Headed reinforcing bars were developed in Europe
for use primarily in the construction of offshore oil platforms.
In the past decade, their use has expanded to North America
with their introduction in large numbers in the Hibernia
platform located off Newfoundland, Canada. The use of headed
reinforcing bars is now being studied by a number of private
consulting engineering firms, contractors, and public agencies
for use in the design of bridge and building structures for
normal and seismic loadings in the United States. Their use is
already part of the Canadian reinforced concrete code (CSA
A23.3–94). Research is underway to develop design expres-
sions and recommendations for application of welded or forged
headed reinforcing bars in the U.S. concrete industry.
X1.2 This ASTM specification addresses one specific type
of headed bars: those with heads attached by welding. The
welded headed reinforcing bar represents over 90 % of the
headed bars that have been produced to date. A related type of
headed bar that is now in production is that obtained by
integrally forging the head onto one or both ends of the bar.
Another type of headed bars has been recently introduced to
the North American market through the use of threading the
head onto the bar end. It is the intent of Subcommittee A01.05
to propose this standard now to address welded or forged
headed reinforcing bars that are now being produced and used
in North America. Specification requirements for production
and testing of threaded headed reinforcing bars are now being
assembled and will be put forward for ballot once adequate
quality and testing requirements for these other specific sys-
tems have been researched and drafted.

X2. SPECIFICATION PHILOSOPHY FOR WELDED OR FORGED HEADED BARS

X2.1 The requirements for welded or forged headed bars
are based on the application of welding or forging to attach a
head to one or both ends of a standard reinforcing bar. To
achieve consistent performance of the attached head by weld-
ing, the bar material is essentially limited to Specification
A 706/A 706M so as to require a bar with known chemistry
composition to be used. Welded headed bars used in previous
applications in North America and in Europe have utilized
weldable reinforcing bar material.
X2.2 The specification does permit other types of reinforc-
ing steels to be employed with the approval of the user;
however, the suitability of the reinforcing bar material for the
welding process employed must be established. Substitution of
other bar materials for Specification A 706/A 706M must be
approached with caution. while it may be possible to meet the
performance standards for welded headed bars for selected bars
out of a heat of reinforcing bars with unknown chemistry
composition for prequalification purposes, manufacturers are
cautioned that the performance requirements in this specifica-
tion are intentionally high. Therefore, meeting the required
levels of performance in production using reinforcing bars
without known chemistry composition may prove to be diffi-
cult or impossible. Thus, control and identification of the
chemistry composition of the entire heat of reinforcing bars
should be exercised, as is the case with Specification A 706/
A 706M, to avoid any performance problems during produc-
tion testing. Manufacturers are, therefore, urged to utilize
Specification A 706/A 706M or other reinforcing bar material
with known chemistry composition in the production of these
welded headed bars.
X2.3 In the case of forged headed bars, the head(s) is
produced by integrally forging the head onto the bar. The bar
chemistry requirements for a forging operation are such that
low-alloy steel or carbon steels can be used. Thus integrally
forged headed bars are allowed to use either Specifications A
615/A 615M or A 706/A 706M bar material, or other types of
reinforcing steels with the approval of the user.
X2.4 Tensile and bend testing of the welded or forged
headed bars are required to establish that the head will stay
attached to the bar under severe loading and that failure will
not occur in the connection region of the specimen. These
testing requirements are designed to test both the preproduction
headed bars as wall as actual production products to verify that
the head-to-bar connection is as strong as the parent head and
bar materials and that the connection has sufficient ductility.
X2.5 Nominal head dimensions are provided in Table 1 and
Table 2 to provide information to manufacturers of these
systems as to typical head dimensions that are needed. The
head dimensions that are provided are based on the concept of
resisting nominal tensile strength of the bar by the head. The
anchorage of the bar via the head provides the shortest tensile
development length possible and essentially means that the
headed bar is immediately anchored. The head dimensions
provided in these tables have been shown by extensive testing
to provide headed bars that can resist the nominal tensile
strength of the bar without failure of the head or crushing of the
concrete under the head.
X2.6 Smaller sizes of heads are possible for use in many
applications. However, this specification requires that the
manufacturer provide evidence in the form of test or analytical
data, or both, that proves that the amount of load carried by the

6
 NOTICE: This standard has either been superceded and replaced by a new version or discontinued.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information.
A 970/A 970M
head can be resisted by the concrete under the head without
causing a crushing failure or fracture of the concrete.
X2.7 Test or analysis results also are required to show that
the head itself will not be overstressed under failure loads nor
will it be excessively deformed under load. A particular
parameter of importance is the head thickness. Sufficient
thickness is required to ensure that the head is stiff and will not
X3. TESTING REQUIREMENTS FOR WELDED OR FORGED HEADED BARS
X3.1 The production of welded or forged headed bars that
can meet the performance requirements of this specification
require a number of tests to be conducted prior to and during
production of these assemblies.
X3.2 The attachment of the head to the bar by welding or
forging requires that the chemical composition of the bar and
head material be accurately known. Section 6.1 of this speci-
fication requires that the content of specific elements, known to
be significant in the production of quality welds and forgings,
be determined. Most if not all of this information may be
available from the mill certification obtained during production
of the head or bar materials and therefore, the requirements of
this section would be met. If insufficient information is
available, then the requirements of this section will require the
manufacturer to seek additional information about the materi-
als prior to starting the welding or forging operations.
X3.3 The requirements of Section 7 state that there are
specific tensile and yield strength performance levels that must
be achieved by the bar and head materials. It may be that this
information is already available from the mill certifications for
the materials. If so, then the manufacturer must verify that the
performance levels are in conformance with the applicable
performance requirements of Section 7 of this specification. If
the information on tensile or yield performance is not avail-
able, then the tests as outlined in this section must be
performed to meet the performance requirements of the speci-
fication.
X3.4 Bend testing of the completed assemblies will be
required to meet the requirement of this specification since the
head-to-bar connection itself must be tested.
X3.5 Metallurgical and hardness tests are strongly recom-
mended for diagnostic purposes prior to production of welded
or forged headed bars. One metallographic examination and
7
be deformed under load to such a degree that the integrity of
the head, or of the head-to-bar connection, is compromised.
The dimensions provided in this table are the result of
extensive testing and experience with welded headed bars, both
in the laboratory and in actual application. The thicknesses
indicated also reflect plate thicknesses that are commercially
available.
hardness survey should be carried out on a section of the head
and welded or forged zone. This examination and survey
should be used for diagnostic purposes in the event that later
production testing reveals unacceptable tension or bend test
performance. The test specimen should be obtained by cutting
a headed bar in half along the longitudinal axis of the bar to
expose two symmetric sections consisting of the head, the
welded or forged zone, and a minimum two bar diameter length
of bar beyond the head-to-bar interface. This type of diagnostic
examination should be conducted prior to continuous produc-
tion for each combination of bar and head materials that will be
produced. The information obtained can be essential in elimi-
nating problems with strength or ductility of the welded or
forged head-to-bar connection, or both.
X3.6 When automated equipment performs welding opera-
tions for welded headed bars, it is recommended that all such
equipment be fitted with an effective in-process monitoring
system to record essential production parameters that describe
the process of welding of the head onto the reinforcing bar. The
important parameters to record include force, temperature,
revolutions, or other elements of the production process. The
data on this in-process monitoring should be recorded and
preserved by the manufacturer for a minimum of one year after
manufacture of the welded headed bars.
X3.7 The manufacturer should maintain a complete record
and traceability of production and materials used in the
production of welded or forged headed bars. The records to be
maintained include, but are not limited to certificates for bar
and head materials, date and number of components produced,
and test and inspection records. The information should be
traceable to specific production runs. Such documentation and
records should be preserved at the manufacturer’s facilities for
a minimum of one year after manufacture of the welded or
forged headed bars, unless otherwise specified by the
purchaser.
 NOTICE: This standard has either been superceded and replaced by a new version or discontinued.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information.

A 970/A 970M

X4. WELDED OR FORGED HEADED BARS IN PRACTICE

X4.1 Test results obtained in Europe and North America
show that anchorages can be designed so that the welded or
forged headed bar is immediately anchored by the head alone
and that the assembly has essentially no development length
required.
X4.2 Designers using these welded or forged headed bars
should be aware that application of prudent structural detailing
concepts, including use of transverse reinforcement for con-
finement, should result in strong, ductile anchorages. Specific
recommendations for design using welded or forged headed
reinforcing bars in actual members are now under development
by various researchers and manufacturers of welded or forged
headed bars.

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