ASTM International

ASTM International, known until 2001 as the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), is an international standards organization that develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical standards for a wide range of materials, products, systems, and services. The organization's headquarters is in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, about 5 mi (8.0 km) northwest of Philadelphia.
ASTM, founded in 1898 as the American Section of the International Association for Testing and Materials, predates other standards organizations such as BSI (1901), DIN (1917), ANSI (1918) and AFNOR (1926).
History
A group of scientists and engineers, led by Charles Benjamin Dudley formed the American Society for Testing and Materials in 1898 to address the frequent rail breaks effected by the fast-growing railroad industry. The group developed a standard for the steel used to fabricate rails. In 2001, ASTM changed its name to ASTM International...