: He would read the material properties, knowing that the specific mix of carbon and manganese determined if a plate would survive a saltwater storm or brittle winter.
is the official standard specification for "Hot-Rolled Carbon, Low-Alloy, High-Strength Low-Alloy, and Alloy Steel Floor Plates". It is a "dimensional" or "pattern" specification. This means it doesn't define the steel's chemistry or strength on its own. Instead, it is used in conjunction with another ASTM material specification, such as A36. astm a786 pdf
ASTM A786/A786M is the standard specification for hot-rolled floor plates : He would read the material properties, knowing