What is a Standard?
Standards are documented agreements containing technical specifications or other precise criteria to be used consistently as rules, guidelines, or definitions of characteristics, to ensure that materials, products, processes and services are fit for their purpose. They are documents that have been developed and approved in accordance with established standardization procedures and applies collectively to regulatory standards, test methods, and voluntary industry standards.
Engineers, inventors, manufacturers and contractors, insurers, governmental bodies, attorneys and consumers (like homeowners) all rely on standards to assure that buildings, bridges, cars, roads, all sorts of products and goods are safe and usable--and that the people responsible for their design, production, and construction can be held accountable.
Probably the most significant standard ever developed in the United States, however, was the railroads' standard track gauge. This standard, now used in Great Britain, the U.S., Canada and much of continental Europe, enables railroad rolling stock to cross the country.
The History of Standards
Learn about the worldwide history of standards usage.
Standards & Specifications Database
The Research Center Department maintains a collection of standards and specifications from various organizations, including American National Standards Institute (ANSI), American Petroleum Institute (API) and American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Tulsa City-County Library's Standards Database provides searchable access to the Research Center's collection of standards. Many of theses are kept in the Vertical File cabinets in the Research Center. Others are classified by their Dewey Decimal Number and searchable in the library catalog.
Resources to Identify Standards
Acquisition Streamlining and Standardization Information System (ASSIST)
Provides access to Defense and Federal specifications and standards.
A commercial clearinghouse for US and international engineering and technical standards, specifications, codes, and training manuals. More than one million documents from over 460 organizations worldwide.
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Government agency responsible for the accreditation of laboratories within the United States. Includes information including standards, reference materials and programs, and measurement and standards laboratories.
National Resource for Global Standards (NSSN)
A search engine providing users with standards-related information from a wide range of developers, including organizations accredited by ANSI, other U.S. private sector standards bodies, government agencies and international organizations.
An online library of techncal literature for the oil and gas exploration and production industry.
Scientific and Technical Information Network (STINET)
One of the Department of Defense's largest repositories of scientific, research, and engineering information. Contains a variety of classified and unclassified citations from late 1974 to the present.
Provides engineers, librarians and technical professionals with efficient, convenient, reliable access to mission-critical industry codes and standards. Resource for industry codes and standards from around the world. It is a search and pay per view service.
Standards Organizations Web Sites
American Concrete Institute (ACI)
A technical and education society dedicated to improving the design, construction, maintenance and repair of concrete structures.
American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
Largest standards organization in the United States. They coordinate the develoment and use of voluntary consensus standards in the United States. Includes search database of ANSI, ISO and IEC standards.
American Petroleum Institute (API)
National trade association that represents all aspects of America's oil and natural gas industry.
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
International technical society advancing heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration. Develops standards concerned with refrigeration processes and the design and maintenance of indoor environments.
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
Procides technical standards for the engineering community.
American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM)
These standards help guide design, manufacturing and trade in the global economy. Searchable database of their standards.
Leader in development of welding standards
International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
Worldwide federation of national standards bodies from over 130 countries. Searchable database of their standards.
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
The authority on fire, electrical, and building safety. They develop, publish and disseminate more than 300 consensus codes and standards.