ASTM D953-10

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it may not be technically possible to adequately depict all changes accurately, ASTM recommends that users consult prior editions as appropriate. In all cases only the current version
of the standard as published by ASTM is to be considered the official document.
Designation:D953–09 Designation:D953–10
Standard Test Method for
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Bearing Strength of Plastics
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D953; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision.Anumber in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the Department of Defense.
1. Scope*
1.1 This test method covers the determination of the bearing strength of rigid plastics in either sheet form, molded form, or in
thermoset pultruded form. Procedure A is applicable for tension loading and Procedure B for compression loading.
1.2 Test data obtained by this test method is relevant and appropriate for use in engineering design.
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility
of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory
limitations prior to use.
NOTE 1—There is no known ISO equivalent to this standard.
2. Referenced Documents
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2.1 ASTM Standards:
D618 Practice for Conditioning Plastics for Testing
D883 Terminology Relating to Plastics
D4066Classification System for Nylon Injection and Extrusion Materials (PA)
D5947 Test Methods for Physical Dimensions of Solid Plastics Specimens
E4 Practices for Force Verification of Testing Machines
E6 Terminology Relating to Methods of Mechanical Testing
3. Terminology
3.1 Definitions—For definitions of technical terms pertaining to plastics used in this test method, see Terminology D883.
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3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
3.2.1 bearing area—the diameter of the hole multiplied by the thickness of the specimen.
3.2.2 bearing strength—the bearing stress at which the bearing hole is deformed 4% of its diameter.
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3.2.3 bearing stress—the applied load in newtons (or pounds-force) divided by the bearing area in mm (or in ).
3.2.4 edge distance ratio—the distance from the center of the bearing hole to the edge of the specimen in the direction of the
principal stress, divided by the diameter of the hole.
3.2.5 maximum bearing stress—the maximum load in newtons (or pounds-force) sustained by the specimen, divided by the
bearing area.
4. Significance and Use
4.1 This bearing strength test for plastics is intended to apply in the specification of various thermoplastic or thermosetting
products in sheet form where rivets, bolts, or similar fastenings are to be used in joining members or sections. It also is intended
to apply wherever sheet materials of the classes indicated are required to sustain edgewise loads that are applied by means of pins
or rods of circular cross section which pierce the sheet perpendicular to the surface.
4.2 The purpose of the test is to determine the bearing strength of the material and to show the bearing stress versus the
deformationofthehole.Theallowabledeformationoftheholeinthematerialshouldbesuchastoproducenoloosenessofjoints.
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This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D20 on Plastics and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D20.10 on Mechanical Properties.
Current edition approved Nov. 15, 2009. Published December 2009. Originally approved in 1948. Last previous edition approved in 2002 as D953-02. DOI:
10.1520/D0953-09.
CurrenteditionapprovedApril1,2010.PublishedJune2010.Originallyapprovedin1948.Lastpreviouseditionapprovedin2009asD953-09.DOI:10.1520/D0953-10.
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ForreferencedASTMstandards,visittheASTMwebsite,www.astm.org,orcontactASTMCustomerServiceatservice@astm.org.For Annual Book of ASTM Standards
volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on the ASTM website.
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Attention is also directed to Terminology E6.
*A Summary of Changes section appears at the end of this standard.
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D953–10
4.3 While it is a known fact that higher strength materials will generally give higher bearing strengths, there is no satisfactory
method by which bearing strength may be estimated from tensile or compressive properties of the material.
4.4 Beforeproceedingwiththis
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