Materials Science and Engineering

Technical Standards

A technical standard is an established norm, method, or requirement that is formalized by experts. Standards are commonly used in engineering fields and in industrial settings to establish a uniform way of doing something and ensure quality, reliability, and safety.

The National Standards Policy Advisory committee defines a technical standard in the following way: 

A prescribed set of rules, conditions, or requirements concerning definitions of terms; classification of components; specification of materials, performance, or operations; delineation of procedures; or measurement of quantity and quality in describing materials, products, systems, services, or practices.

Here are some sources of technical standards available to UF affiliates: 

IEEE Standards

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards are available through IEEExplore along with other scholarly and technical literature such as peer-reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings, and technical reports.

ASTM International Standards

ASTM standards can be accessed through the ASTM Compass Portal. In addition to the online standards we are subscribed to, you can search the libraries catalog for print copies. Many of these can be requested from our offsite storage for use. 

NASA Standards

The NASA Technical Standards System is a part of the NASA Technical Standards Program (NTSP). This program provides access to technical standards at no cost to the user, but you need to request access and provide justification of your need. When requests are considered and approved, the standard will be electronically delivered to you. 

OSHA Regulations and Standards

The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration has publicly available standards for chemical and industrial safety. Section 1910 outlines general industry regulations. 

NFPA Codes and Standards

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) makes codes and standards free to access and read online. However, they cannot be downloaded or printed. Many of these codes and standards involve chemical and laboratory safety. 

ANSI University Outreach Program for ISO and IEC Standards

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) makes complimentary copies of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards to professors for use in classrooms. Instructors must request standards by email.

 

Tell me more about Standards

Connecting from off campus? You will need UF authentication to access many of the electronic resources in this guide, including databases, journal articles, and e-books. Learn how to connect from off campus.