Steel alloy

[Al Messer]

Would anyone know or know how I could find out the alloy used in the Steel tie rods used in stringing up the counter-weights in elevator shafts?

[mochinist]

Find out who makes them and ask them, would be your best bet, but I guess it wouldn't surprise me if someone here knew your answer.

[wierdscience]

It will vary from make to make.I doubt there is a standard for a particular alloy.

There is an elevator mfg here in town,but they make hydro's and not traction units.

[Evan]

There appears to be a minimum standard. Plain 1018 mild steel is it. I found this:

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California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Elevator Safety Orders

(d) Design Requirements for Frames and Rods. The frame members and their connections shall be designed with a factor of safety of not less than 5 with the elevator at rest and the counterweight at the top of its travel.

Frames and rods shall be made of steel or other metals conforming to the requirements for materials in car frames in Section 3033(f).


Section 3033 (refer to section 3101)

Section 3101

(B) Steel used for rivets, bolts, and rods shall conform to the following specifications of the American Society for Testing and Materials.

1. Rivets, ASTM A502.

2. Bolts and Rods, ASTM A307.

EXCEPTION: Steels of greater strength than those specified may be used provided they have an elongation of not less than 22 percent in a length of 2 inches, and provided that the stresses and deflections conform to the requirements of Design Sections 3101(a)(4) and (a)(5).

http://www.dir.ca.gov/Title8/sub6.html

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ASTM A307


SCOPE
Standard specification for carbon steel bolts and studs, 60 ksi tensile strength.

GRADE
A
Bolts and studs intended for general applications

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[Al Messer]

Many thanks, Evan. These rods I scrounged were from an elevator that was installed in a 7 story high rise in 1963. When the management had the elevators renovated in 1995, they threw these rods away, so naturally, they found a home in my shop. They are one inch in diameter and do not cut like mild Steel, and the tool bit leaves a beautiful finish which caused me to think that they must be some kind of alloy and that prompted the posting.