ASTM B258-18

Standard Specification for Standard Nominal Diameters and Cross-Sectional Areas of AWG Sizes of Solid Round Wires Used as Electrical Conductors

ABSTRACT
This specification prescribes the standard nominal diameters and cross-sectional areas of American Wire Gage (AWG) sizes of solid round wires, used as electrical conductors, and gives equations and rules for the calculation of standard nominal mass and lengths, resistances, and breaking or rated strengths of such wires. All wire dimensions and properties shall be considered as occurring at the internationally standardized reference temperature and all calculations shall be rounded in the final value only.
SCOPE
1.1 This specification prescribes standard nominal diameters and cross-sectional areas of American Wire Gage (AWG) sizes of solid round wires, used as electrical conductors, and gives equations and rules for the calculation of standard nominal mass and lengths, resistances, and breaking strengths of such wires (Explanatory Note 1).  
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound or SI units are to be regarded separately as standard. Each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values of the two systems may result in nonconformance with the specification. For conductor sizes designated by AWG or kcmil sizes, the requirements in SI units have been numerically converted from the corresponding values stated or derived, in inch-pound units. For conductor sizes designated by SI units only, the requirements are stated or derived in SI units.  
1.2.1 For density, resistivity and temperature, the values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard.  
1.3 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 30-Sep-2018
• ICS: 29.060.10 - Wires
• Technical Committee: B01 - Electrical Conductors
• Drafting Committee: B01.02 - Methods of Test and Sampling Procedure

Relations

• Refers: ASTM B9-76(2017) - Standard Specification for Bronze Trolley Wire
• Effective Date: 01-Apr-2017
• Refers: ASTM B47-95a(2017) - Standard Specification for Copper Trolley Wire
• Effective Date: 01-Apr-2017
• Refers: ASTM B9-76(2017)e1 - Standard Specification for Bronze Trolley Wire
• Effective Date: 01-Apr-2017
• Refers: ASTM B1-13(2018) - Standard Specification for Hard-Drawn Copper Wire
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2018
• Refers: ASTM B2-13(2018) - Standard Specification for Medium-Hard-Drawn Copper Wire
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2018
• Refers: ASTM B498/B498M-08(2016) - Standard Specification for Zinc-Coated (Galvanized) Steel Core Wire for Use in Overhead Electrical Conductors
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2016
• Refers: ASTM B227-15 - Standard Specification for Hard-Drawn Copper-Clad Steel Wire
• Effective Date: 01-Apr-2015
• Refers: ASTM F205-94(2015) - Standard Test Method for Measuring Diameter of Fine Wire by Weighing
• Effective Date: 01-Jul-2015
• Refers: ASTM F205-94(2020) - Standard Test Method for Measuring Diameter of Fine Wire by Weighing
• Effective Date: 01-May-2020
• Refers: ASTM B193-16 - Standard Test Method for Resistivity of Electrical Conductor Materials
• Effective Date: 01-Apr-2016
• Refers: ASTM B33-10(2014) - Standard Specification for Tin-Coated Soft or Annealed Copper Wire for Electrical Purposes
• Effective Date: 01-Sep-2014
• Referred By: ASTM B971-10(2020)e1 - Standard Specification for Silver-Coated Braid and Ribbon Flat Copper Wire intended for use in Electronic Application
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2018
• Referred By: ASTM B738-13(2018) - Standard Specification for Fine-Wire Bunch-Stranded and Rope-Lay Bunch-Stranded Copper Conductors for Use as Electrical Conductors
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2018
• Referred By: ASTM F792-17e1 - Standard Practice for Evaluating the Imaging Performance of Security X-Ray Systems
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2018
• Referred By: ASTM B298-12(2017) - Standard Specification for Silver-Coated Soft or Annealed Copper Wire
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2018
• Referred By: ASTM B965-09(2018) - Standard Specification for High Performance Tin-Coated Annealed Copper Wire Intended for Electrical and Electronic Application for Solderability
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2018
• Referred By: ASTM B33-10(2020)e1 - Standard Specification for Tin-Coated Soft or Annealed Copper Wire for Electrical Purposes
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2018
• Referred By: ASTM B973-10(2020)e1 - Standard Specification for Tin-Coated Braid and Ribbon Flat Copper Wire intended for use in Electronic Application
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2018
• Referred By: ASTM B3-13(2018) - Standard Specification for Soft or Annealed Copper Wire
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2018
• Referred By: ASTM B189-05(2021) - Standard Specification for Lead-Coated and Lead-Alloy-Coated Soft Copper Wire for Electrical Purposes
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2018
• Referred By: ASTM B452-22 - Standard Specification for Copper-Clad Steel Wire for Electronic Application
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2018
• Referred By: ASTM B1001-17 - Standard Specification for Copper Electrode Wire Used for Welding Seams of Steel Cans
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2018
• Referred By: ASTM B961-13(2019) - Standard Specification for Silver Coated Copper and Copper Alloy Stranded Conductors for Electronic Space Application
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2018
• Referred By: ASTM B227-15(2019) - Standard Specification for Hard-Drawn Copper-Clad Steel Wire
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2018
• Referred By: ASTM B520-12(2017) - Standard Specification for Tin-Coated, Copper-Clad Steel Wire for Electronic Application
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2018
• Referred By: ASTM B501-10(2019) - Standard Specification for Silver-Coated, Copper-Clad Steel Wire for Electronic Application
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2018
• Referred By: ASTM B559-12(2017) - Standard Specification for Nickel-Coated, Copper-Clad Steel Wire for Electronic Application
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2018
• Referred By: ASTM B869-07(2018) - Standard Specification for Copper-Clad Steel Electrical Conductor for CATV Drop Wire
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2018
• Referred By: ASTM B913-21 - Standard Test Method for Evaluation of Crimped Electrical Connections to 16-Gauge and Smaller Diameter Stranded and Solid Conductors
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2018
• Referred By: ASTM B566-04a(2021) - Standard Specification for Copper-Clad Aluminum Wire
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2018
• Referred By: ASTM B286-20 - Standard Specification for Copper Conductors for Use in Hookup Wire for Electronic Equipment
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2018
• Referred By: ASTM B972-10(2020)e1 - Standard Specification for Nickel-Coated Braid and Ribbon Flat Copper Wire Intended for use in Electronic Application
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2018
• Referred By: ASTM B355-11(2016) - Standard Specification for Nickel-Coated Soft or Annealed Copper Wire
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2018
• Referred By: ASTM B910/B910M-07(2018) - Standard Specification for Annealed Copper-Clad Steel Wire
• Effective Date: 01-Oct-2018

Standards Content (Sample)

This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
Designation:B258 −18
Standard Specification for
Standard Nominal Diameters and Cross-Sectional Areas of
AWG Sizes of Solid Round Wires Used as Electrical
1
Conductors
This standard is issued under the fixed designation B258; 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 U.S. Department of Defense.
1. Scope A326Specification for Zinc-Coated (Galvanized) HighTen-
sileSteelTelephoneandTelegraphLineWire(Withdrawn
1.1 This specification prescribes standard nominal diam-
3
1990)
eters and cross-sectional areas ofAmericanWire Gage (AWG)
B1Specification for Hard-Drawn Copper Wire
sizes of solid round wires, used as electrical conductors, and
B2Specification for Medium-Hard-Drawn Copper Wire
gives equations and rules for the calculation of standard
B3Specification for Soft or Annealed Copper Wire
nominal mass and lengths, resistances, and breaking strengths
B9Specification for Bronze Trolley Wire
of such wires (Explanatory Note 1).
B33Specification for Tin-Coated Soft or Annealed Copper
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound or SI units are to be
Wire for Electrical Purposes
regarded separately as standard. Each system shall be used
B47Specification for Copper Trolley Wire
independently of the other. Combining values of the two
B105Specification for Hard-Drawn CopperAlloy Wires for
systems may result in nonconformance with the specification.
Electric Conductors
For conductor sizes designated by AWG or kcmil sizes, the
B189Specification for Lead-Coated and Lead-Alloy-Coated
requirementsinSIunitshavebeennumericallyconvertedfrom
Soft Copper Wire for Electrical Purposes
thecorrespondingvaluesstatedorderived,ininch-poundunits.
B193Test Method for Resistivity of Electrical Conductor
For conductor sizes designated by SI units only, the require-
Materials
ments are stated or derived in SI units.
B227Specification for Hard-Drawn Copper-Clad SteelWire
1.2.1 For density, resistivity and temperature, the values
B230/B230MSpecification for Aluminum 1350–H19 Wire
stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard.
for Electrical Purposes
1.3 This international standard was developed in accor-
B314Specification forAluminum 1350 Wire for Communi-
dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-
3
cation Cable (Withdrawn 1994)
ization established in the Decision on Principles for the
B396Specification forAluminum-Alloy 5005-H19 Wire for
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recom-
3
Electrical Purposes (Withdrawn 2003)
mendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical
B398/B398MSpecification for Aluminum-Alloy 6201-T81
Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
and 6201-T83 Wire for Electrical Purposes
B415Specification for Hard-Drawn Aluminum-Clad Steel
2. Referenced Documents
2 Wire
2.1 ASTM Standards:
B498/B498MSpecification for Zinc-Coated (Galvanized)
A111Specification for Zinc-Coated (Galvanized) “Iron”
Steel Core Wire for Use in Overhead Electrical Conduc-
Telephone and Telegraph Line Wire
tors
B502Specification for Aluminum-Clad Steel Core Wire for
1 Use in Overhead Electrical Aluminum Conductors
This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee B01 on
Electrical Conductors and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee B01.02 on
B606Specification for High-Strength Zinc-Coated (Galva-
Methods of Test and Sampling Procedure.
nized) Steel Core Wire for Aluminum and Aluminum-
Current edition approved Oct. 1, 2018. Published October 2018. Originally
Alloy Conductors, Steel Reinforced
approved in 1951. Last previous edition approved in 2014 as B258–14. DOI:
10.1520/B0258-18.
2
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
contact ASTM Customer Service at [e-mail]. For Annual Book of ASTM
3
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on The last approved version of this historical standard is referenced on
the ASTM website. www.astm.org.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
1

---------------------- Page: 1 ----------------------
B258−18
B609/B609M Specification for Aluminum 1350 Round 3. Standard Reference Temperature
Wire, Annealed and Intermediate Tempers, for Electrical
3.1 Forthepurposeofthisspecification,allwiredimensions
Purposes
and properties shall be considered as occurring at the interna-
B800Specification for 8000 Series Aluminum Alloy Wire
...

This document is not an ASTM standard and is intended only to provide the user of an ASTM standard an indication of what changes have been made to the previous version. Because
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: B258 − 14 B258 − 18
Standard Specification for
Standard Nominal Diameters and Cross-Sectional Areas of
AWG Sizes of Solid Round Wires Used as Electrical
1
Conductors
This standard is issued under the fixed designation B258; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number 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 U.S. Department of Defense.
1. Scope
1.1 This specification prescribes standard nominal diameters and cross-sectional areas of American Wire Gage (AWG) sizes of
solid round wires, used as electrical conductors, and gives equations and rules for the calculation of standard nominal mass and
lengths, resistances, and breaking strengths of such wires (Explanatory Note 1).
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound or SI units are to be regarded separately as standard. Each system shall be used
independently of the other. Combining values of the two systems may result in nonconformance with the specification. For
conductor sizes designated by AWG or kcmil sizes, the requirements in SI units have been numerically converted from the
corresponding values stated or derived, in inch-pound units. For conductor sizes designated by SI units only, the requirements are
stated or derived in SI units.
1.2.1 For density, resistivity and temperature, the values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard.
1.3 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization
established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued
by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
2. Referenced Documents
2
2.1 ASTM Standards:
A111 Specification for Zinc-Coated (Galvanized) “Iron” Telephone and Telegraph Line Wire
3
A326 Specification for Zinc-Coated (Galvanized) High Tensile Steel Telephone and Telegraph Line Wire (Withdrawn 1990)
B1 Specification for Hard-Drawn Copper Wire
B2 Specification for Medium-Hard-Drawn Copper Wire
B3 Specification for Soft or Annealed Copper Wire
B9 Specification for Bronze Trolley Wire
B33 Specification for Tin-Coated Soft or Annealed Copper Wire for Electrical Purposes
B47 Specification for Copper Trolley Wire
B105 Specification for Hard-Drawn Copper Alloy Wires for Electric Conductors
B189 Specification for Lead-Coated and Lead-Alloy-Coated Soft Copper Wire for Electrical Purposes
B193 Test Method for Resistivity of Electrical Conductor Materials
B227 Specification for Hard-Drawn Copper-Clad Steel Wire
B230/B230M Specification for Aluminum 1350–H19 Wire for Electrical Purposes
3
B314 Specification for Aluminum 1350 Wire for Communication Cable (Withdrawn 1994)
3
B396 Specification for Aluminum-Alloy 5005-H19 Wire for Electrical Purposes (Withdrawn 2003)
B398/B398M Specification for Aluminum-Alloy 6201-T81 and 6201-T83 Wire for Electrical Purposes
B415 Specification for Hard-Drawn Aluminum-Clad Steel Wire
1
This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee B01 on Electrical Conductors and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee B01.02 on Methods of
Test and Sampling Procedure.
Current edition approved April 1, 2014Oct. 1, 2018. Published April 2014October 2018. Originally approved in 1951. Last previous edition approved in 20082014 as
B258 – 02 (2008).B258 – 14. DOI: 10.1520/B0258-14.10.1520/B0258-18.
2
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or contact ASTM Customer Service at [e-mail]. For Annual Book of ASTM Standards
volume information, refer to the standard’sstandard’s Document Summary page on the ASTM website.
3
The last approved version of this historical standard is referenced on www.astm.org.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
1

---------------------- Page: 1 ----------------------
B258 − 18
B498/B498M Specification for Zinc-Coated (Galvanized) Steel Core Wire for Use in Overhead Electrical Conductors
B502 Specification for Aluminum-Clad Steel Core Wire for Use in Overhead Electrical Aluminum Conductors
B606 Specification for High-Strength Zinc-Coated (Galvanized) Steel Core Wire for Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy
Conductors, Steel Reinforced
B609/B609M Specification for Aluminum 1350 Round Wire, Annealed and Intermed
...