COIL ANALYZER
The Coil Analyzer checks mill test report data against AISI S100-16 to confirm that a steel coil is acceptable for cold-formed framing.
SCOTTSDALE CONSTRUCTION SYSTEMS
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ENGINEERING TOOLS
CFS Material Compliance Checker
Enter mechanical, chemical, and physical data from a mill test report (MTR) to determine whether the steel is acceptable for cold-formed-steel construction under AISI S100-16 (Section A3, Applicable Steels & Other Steels). The tool will categorize the material into one of the four S100 acceptance pathways, recommend design values Fy/Fu, suggest likely matching ASTM specifications, and screen weldability via carbon equivalent.
MTR mode: enter actual measured properties from your test report. The tool will (a) check ductility against AISI S100 floor values, (b) recommend a design Fy/Fu, and (c) suggest ASTM grades whose specified minimums your steel satisfies.
AISI S100-16 classification
Recommended design properties
| Property | From MTR | For design | Basis |
|---|
Detailed checks
| Check | Limit / criterion | Computed | Result |
|---|
Candidate ASTM specifications
| Specification | Grade | Min Fy | Min Fu | Min elong. | Chem | Fit |
|---|
Chemistry vs. specification
Weldability screening
Hardness sanity check
Engineer's notes & recommendations
Methodology & assumptions — what this tool actually checks (read before relying on the result)
AISI S100-16 Section A3 pathways
Section A3 of the North American Specification for the Design of Cold-Formed Steel Structural Members (AISI S100-16, reaffirmed 2020, with S3-22) governs which steels may be used. There are four acceptance pathways that this tool checks in order:
- A3.1.1 — Pre-qualified, full-ductility steel. The steel conforms to one of the ASTM standards listed in Section A3.1 and the specified minimum elongation is ≥ 10% (in 2″) or ≥ 7% (in 8″). Full Fy, Fu are usable in design.
- A3.1.2 — Pre-qualified, low-ductility steel (3% ≤ elong. < 10%). Listed-spec steels with reduced elongation may still be used but design Fy and Fu are reduced (the tool computes the reduced values).
- A3.1.3 — Pre-qualified, very-low-ductility (elong. < 3%). Limited to specific decks and panels; design strengths are further reduced — per the S3-22 supplement, item (c) caps Fu at the lesser of 80% of the specified-minimum tensile or 65 ksi (448 MPa).
- A3.2 — Other Steels. Steel not listed in A3.1 may be used if it meets all five requirements of A3.2 (published specification, mechanical/chemical determination per ASTM A924 / A568 / A6 / A500 / A847 as applicable, coating per A924 if coated, ductility per A3.2.1, and weldability per AWS D1.1 or D1.3 if welded).
Ductility floor (A3.2.1 / A2.3.1). Tensile/yield ratio Fu/Fy ≥ 1.08 and elongation ≥ 10% (2″ gauge) or ≥ 7% (8″ gauge). Steels not meeting this floor can sometimes qualify under A3.2.1 item (b) or the new item (c) (S3-22) with restricted use — the tool flags this case for engineer review rather than auto-approving.
Unidentified steel. If you select None for documentation, the tool defaults to the legacy unidentified-steel treatment: Fy capped at 25 ksi (172 MPa) for design, no Fu credit, and recommends not using the material in load-bearing applications without testing every coil.
ASTM grade matching
The candidate-spec list is generated by checking whether your reported Fy, Fu, and elongation meet (i.e. equal or exceed) the specified minimums of each grade in the internal database, filtered by your selected product form and coating. A "fit" rating reflects how close the actual values are to the minimums — a tight fit suggests a likely match, a loose fit suggests the steel is over-strength for that grade (so it could be that grade, but could just as easily be a higher one). Spec matching is informational only. Final certification against a specific ASTM standard requires that the full chemistry, coating, dimensional, and process requirements of that standard also be met — not just the mechanical minimums.
Carbon equivalent / weldability
When you enable welding and provide chemistry, the tool computes the IIW
carbon equivalent: CE = C + Mn/6 + (Cr + Mo + V)/5 + (Cu + Ni)/15.
Practical thresholds applied: CE ≤ 0.40 — readily weldable,
no preheat normally required; 0.40 < CE ≤ 0.45 — acceptable
with attention to procedure; 0.45 < CE ≤ 0.55 — preheat
typically required; CE > 0.55 — specialized procedure required.
AWS D1.3 (sheet steel) generally targets C ≤ 0.15% and CE in the
lower band; D1.1 covers heavier sections.
Hardness ↔ tensile correlation
The optional hardness sanity check uses standard ASTM E140 conversions (HRB and HV converted to HB) and the empirical relation Fu [ksi] ≈ 0.5 × HB (valid for HB < 350, i.e. essentially all CFS feedstock). A delta of more than ±15% between reported Fu and the hardness-implied Fu is flagged for retest. The correlation is indicative, not certifying.
What this tool does not do
- Where ASTM specifications publish ladle-analysis composition limits (e.g., A36, A572, A500, A1008/A1011 SS grades), the tool compares the reported chemistry against those limits and excludes any grade the reported chemistry exceeds. Specifications that do not constrain composition (e.g., A653 / A792 / A875 SS grades, which inherit chemistry from base coil under A924/A568) are matched on mechanicals only.
- It does not verify coating mass / class (G60, G90, AZ50, etc.) — check separately per ASTM A924 / A792 / A875.
- It does not verify mill traceability, heat-treat history, age, or strain-aging effects.
- It does not replace a registered professional engineer's certification of the steel for the intended application.
Disclaimer. Results are intended as a preliminary reference. Values and classifications must be verified against the governing code edition and a licensed engineer's project-specific review before being used for structural design or material acceptance. Scottsdale Construction Systems assumes no liability for the use of these values.
ScotCalc · CFS Material Compliance Checker · © Scottsdale Construction Systems
