AASHTO to ASTM Standard Conversions — Fastener and Structural Designations Chart
Eleven common AASHTO designations mapped to their ASTM counterparts — structural bolts (M-164/A325, M-253/A490), nuts (M-291/A563, M-292/A194), washers (M-293/F436), anchor bolts (M-314/F1554) and the coating/steel pair — transcribed row-for-row from the collected chart.
Last updated: 2026-11
Specifications
Highway and bridge work is specified in AASHTO designations while the fastener on the receiving end of the purchase order is almost always named in ASTM — and the same part sits behind both names. This chart lines up the eleven conversions that cover most structural bolting calls: the structural bolt pair (AASHTO M-164 to ASTM A325 and M-253 to A490), the nuts that mate them (M-291 to A563 carbon and alloy steel nuts, M-292 to A194 high-strength heavy hex nuts), the hardened washer (M-293 to F436), the anchor-bolt standard (M-314 to F1554), and the material/coating rows that surround the hardware — M-183/A36 low-carbon structural steel, M-222/A588 weathering steel, M-223/A572 high-strength low-alloy steel, and the two hot-dip galvanizing designations M-111/A123 (product coatings) and M-232/A153 (fastener coatings). Read it as a routing table, not a substitution certificate: AASHTO standards frequently reference their ASTM counterparts and overlap them, but the specifying agency owns equivalence — a drawing that calls M-164 is satisfied by material made to ASTM A325 only because the agency says so, and galvanized work needs the M-111/M-232 split respected (structural steel sections versus the fasteners threaded into them are coated under different documents). Coating class, testing frequency and lot traceability stay with the governing specification, not this page.
| Coverage | 11 AASHTO↔ASTM pairs: bolts M-164/A325, M-253/A490; nuts M-291/A563, M-292/A194; washers M-293/F436; anchor bolts M-314/F1554; steels M-183/A36, M-222/A588, M-223/A572; coatings M-111/A123, M-232/A153 |
|---|---|
| Per-row data | AASHTO designation, ASTM counterpart, one-line description (e.g. M-293 → F436, "Hardened Steel Washers") |
| How to read | Cross-reference for procurement routing; equivalence is owned by the specifying agency — the chart does not license substitution |
| Coating split | M-111/A123 covers hot-dip galvanized iron and steel products; M-232/A153 covers hot-dip coating on fasteners — threaded hardware follows A153, not A123 |
| Test/lot requirements | Not tabulated — governed by the invoked specification; per RFQ |
| AASHTO | ASTM | Specification Description |
|---|---|---|
| M-111 | A123 | Hot-Dip Galvanized Coatings on Iron and Steel Products |
| M-232 | A153 | Hot-Dip Coating on Fasteners |
| M-164 | A325 | Structural Bolt |
| M-253 | A490 | Structural Bolt |
| M-183 | A36 | Low Carbon Structural Steel |
| M-222 | A588 | High Strength Weathering Steel |
| M-223 | A572 | High Strength Low Alloy Structural Steel |
| M-291 | A563 | Carbon and Alloy Steel Nuts |
| M-292 | A194 | High Strength Heavy Hex Nuts |
| M-293 | F436 | Hardened Steel Washers |
Materials
- The chart is a designation cross-reference — material grades, coating weights and mechanical requirements live in the ASTM/AASHTO documents themselves
Ordering & documentation
Documents
Shipments are backed by Mill Test Certificate (MTC), Dimensional Report, Salt Spray Test Report on request, with full batch traceability from raw material to finished product. Quality management follows the owner-confirmed compliance list: ISO 9001:2015, RoHS, REACH. Exact document sets are confirmed on the order.
Quotation
- The fastener family (AASHTO to ASTM Standard Conversions — Fastener and Structural Designations Chart) plus the standard designation from your drawing — DIN / ISO / JIS / ASTM / ANSI, or a drawing for custom parts.
- Size (diameter and length), thread type (metric or inch), property class or grade, and coating or finish.
- Quantity per size and your target delivery date.
- Destination country, and any required documents (for example a mill test certificate) so the quote includes them.
Sample & supply
Minimum order quantity is 1,000–10,000 pieces depending on size. Stock items run 3–7 days. High-strength and custom parts run 15–25 days. Quantities or variants outside the standard range are confirmed at quotation.
Storage & shipping
Parts are packed for export and shipped factory-direct to buyers in Europe, Asia, the Americas and the Middle East. Store fasteners dry and protected until installation, and keep coated parts in their packaging until use; specific packing and preservation requirements can be stated on the order and confirmed at quotation.
Frequently asked questions
A drawing calls out M-164 bolts — can I quote ASTM A325 directly, and where does the galvanizing callout land?
In practice yes — M-164 and A325 name the same structural bolt, and the chart exists precisely so a quote can be written in the language the buyer's drawing uses while the mill ships to the ASTM document. What the conversion does not do is let either side improvise: equivalence holds because AASHTO references the ASTM standard, so the certificate, test reports and lot marking must satisfy the ASTM document the AASHTO one invokes — and on public work, the agency's own supplement (coating class, rotation-capacity testing, lot frequency) rides on top. Galvanizing is the case worth pausing on, because the two coating standards are not interchangeable: M-111/A123 governs hot-dip coatings on iron and steel products (sections, plates, hardware generally), while M-232/A153 governs the fasteners themselves — a galvanized assembly needs the bolts, nuts and washers coated under A153 (which threads after coating or oversizes to fit) and the surrounding steelwork under A123. Quote the fastener line to A153/M-232 and note the split explicitly. Anything beyond the eleven rows here — specialty steels, mechanical-vs-hot-dip decisions, metric conversions — is not charted and comes back as an RFQ answer.
What is the MOQ and lead time for structural bolts to these standards?
The minimum order quantity is 1,000–10,000 pieces depending on size. Stock items ship in 3–7 days; high-strength and custom parts in 15–25 days. Confirm the exact schedule against quantity, size mix and coating at quotation.
Related knowledge
- What Bolt Property Classes 8.8, 10.9 and 12.9 Encode — and When High Strength Stops Being the Right Choice
- Bolt Grade Selection: ISO 898-1 8.8/10.9/12.9 vs ASTM A307 and A325
- 8.8 vs 10.9 vs 12.9 Bolts: Strength, Hardness and Cost — What the Evidence Settles
- Calculating Bolt Preload and Clamp Force: Torque, Friction and Tightening Method
- How to Determine Tightening Torque and Choose a Tightening Method for a Bolted Joint
- Fastener Failure Modes: Which Fatigue, Creep and SCC Controls the Evidence Supports
- Hydrogen Embrittlement in High-Strength Bolts: Which Grades Need Controls, Which Coatings and Baking Schedules Are Acceptable, and What to Require Before the RFQ
Request a Quote
Get factory-direct pricing from the manufacturer.
What to include in your inquiry
- ✓ Standard and property class (e.g. DIN 912, ISO 4762, class 8.8) — or a drawing for custom parts.
- ✓ Sizes, lengths and thread type (metric or inch).
- ✓ Quantity per size and your target delivery date.
- ✓ Destination country, plus any coating or finish requirement.
- ✓ Any documents you need with the shipment (e.g. mill test certificate) so the quote includes them.
- ✓ Your inquiry goes straight to the factory team by email and gets a reply within 24 hours.
- ✓ Factory-direct pricing
- ✓ Standard and custom specifications
- ✓ Factory-direct export to buyers in Europe, Asia, the Americas and the Middle East
- ✓ Full fastener family support