A36 Steel Plate

TongHui is one of the leading A36 steel plates manufacturers and suppliers in China, located in Liaocheng, Shandong Province.
We provide full specification A36 steel plates, which are widely used in building frames, mechanical manufacturing, and various foundation engineering due to their excellent strength, good plasticity, and welding performance. The product quality is reliable and supports customized cutting. Inquire now to obtain your professional solution.

A36 Steel Plate for Sale

We provide you with various models and specifications of A36 steel plates

3/8″ A36 Steel Plate

1/4″ A36 Steel Plate

3/16″ A36 Steel Plate

1/8″ A36 Steel Plate

What is A36 Steel Plate

A36 steel plate is the most commonly used low-carbon structural steel under the American ASTM standard. The number “36” in its grade denotes a minimum yield strength of 36,000 psi (approximately 250 MPa). It offers excellent overall mechanical properties, maintaining a good balance of strength, plasticity, and toughness. Its key characteristic is low carbon content, which results in outstanding weldability and exceptional cold and hot workability, making it easy to cut, bend, and join. Due to its cost-effectiveness and versatility, A36 steel plate is widely used in building frames, bridges, vehicle manufacturing, equipment bases, and various general structural components. It is a fundamental and universal structural material in the industrial sector.

A36 Steel Plate Price

The current market price of A36 steel plate ranges from 450 to 600 USD per ton, with specific prices varying according to specifications, thickness, place of origin and purchase volume.
For A36 steel plate with a thickness of 14–40 mm, the FOB price at major Chinese ports is approximately 470 to 550 USD per ton.Plates with a thickness of 6–12 mm are slightly more expensive, priced at around 500 to 600 USD per ton.Thin plates with a thickness of 2–5 mm are priced at about 550 to 650 USD per ton.

Get your exclusive customized A36 steel plate solution！

A36 Steel Plate Properties

Balanced and Reliable Mechanical Properties

It has a minimum yield strength of 250 MPa (36,000 psi) and a tensile strength ranging between 400-550 MPa. It combines good ductility (elongation ≥20%) and toughness, enabling it to withstand certain impact loads.

Excellent Weldability and Machinability

As a low-carbon steel (typically with a carbon content ≤0.26%), its low carbon equivalent provides excellent weldability. High-quality welds can typically be achieved without preheating or post-weld heat treatment. It is also easy to form through cold or hot bending, shearing, stamping, and drilling.

Chemical Composition and Versatility

As a common carbon structural steel, it contains only basic elements like carbon, manganese, phosphorus, and sulfur, without intentional addition of alloying elements. This allows it to meet structural strength requirements while offering significant cost-effectiveness.

Broad Standard Compliance

It primarily conforms to the American ASTM A36 standard. Its performance requirements are similar to many internationally recognized structural steel standards (such as JIS SS400 and Q235B), making it one of the most fundamental and widely accepted structural materials globally. It is suitable for the vast majority of load-bearing structures without special requirements.

A36 Steel Plate Specifications

We provide you with A36 steel plates of various specifications and parameters

Grade	Thickness	Width	Length
A36	1/8"	48"-96"	96"-480"
A36	3/16"	48"-96"	96"-480"
A36	1/4"	48"-96"	96"-480"
A36	3/8"	48"-96"	96"-480"
A36	1/2"	48"-96"	96"-480"
A36	3/4"	48"-96"	96"-480"

A36 Steel Plate Application Field

Our A36 steel plate is applied in various fields！

Architecture and Structural Engineering

Bridges and Infrastructure

Machinery Manufacturing

Steel plates are used for file cabinet

Frequently Asked Questions

Are A36 and 1018 steel the same?

No, they are not the same. Although both A36 and 1018 are commonly used low-carbon steels, they have fundamental differences in their standard systems, core requirements, and primary applications.

1. Different Standards and Classification Basis

A36 complies with the ASTM A36 standard and is classified as structural steel. Its core requirement is mechanical properties (yield strength ≥ 250 MPa), with chemical composition serving only as a secondary reference and allowed to vary within specified limits.
1018 complies with the ASTM A29/A29M or SAE J403 standards and is classified as carbon steel plate or machinery steel. Its core requirement is precise chemical composition (C: 0.15-0.20%, Mn: 0.60-0.90%), while mechanical properties are a reference factor.

2. Different Core Characteristics and Applications

The advantages of A36 lie in its good weldability, balanced mechanical properties, and cost-effectiveness. It is primarily used for welded structural components such as building frames, bridges, and platforms.
The advantages of 1018 lie in its uniform composition, excellent cold workability (e.g., cold heading, extrusion), and superior machinability, and it can undergo heat treatments like surface carburization. It is mainly used to manufacture mechanical parts requiring precision machining or heat treatment, such as shafts, pins, gears, and bolts.

Summary: A36 is the “engineer’s steel,” selected primarily for strength in design, while 1018 is the “machinist’s steel,” chosen primarily for manufacturability. The two are generally not directly interchangeable.

Is A36 the same as carbon steel?

Not exactly. A36 is a specific category within carbon steel, whereas “carbon steel” itself is a broad material classification.

To be more precise:

Carbon steel refers to the general category of steels that primarily consist of iron and carbon, without the intentional addition of alloying elements like chromium, nickel, or molybdenum. Its performance range is extensive.
A36 is a specific grade under the carbon steel classification that conforms to the American ASTM A36 standard. It belongs to the low-carbon steel family. Its core characteristic is that its specified mechanical properties (yield strength ≥ 36,000 psi) serve as the primary acceptance criteria, while its chemical composition requirements are relatively lenient to ensure good weldability and formability. It is specifically designed for structural applications like buildings and bridges.

Therefore, it is correct to say “A36 is a type of carbon steel,” but not “carbon steel is A36.”