ASME Celebrates 125th Anniversary of Codes and Standards

John Varrasi
ASME Communications

This year, ASME is recognizing the 125th anniversary of its renown codes and standards program with events planned throughout the year that commemorate a rich history of engineering progress, technological safety, and service to industry and government.

A reception to be held June 15 at Desert Springs JW Marriott Resort and Spa in Palm Desert, Calif. — the site of the 2009 ASME Annual Meeting — will honor the ASME volunteers who participate in the Society’s codes and standards and conformity assessment programs, which today is a global operation involving more than 4,000 individuals.

The Society’s celebration of its 125 years of codes and standards development will be a tribute to the dedicated service of technical experts whose efforts result in internationally accepted standards that enhance public safety and promote global trade. Participants on ASME standards committees and subcommittees include designers, manufacturers, end users, insurance interests, and government representatives who volunteer their time, resources and expertise to ensure equipment reliability, parts interchangeability, and public safety.

“I commend the thousands of individuals who participate in the codes and standards work of ASME,” said ASME President Thomas M. Barlow. “Their commitment and expertise are the foundation for the exceptional quality of technical standards that have gained worldwide recognition.”

The yearlong celebration also recognizes the responsibility of committee members to ensure that codes and standards are balanced and consensus-based, reflecting the opinions of manufacturers, regulators, consultants, suppliers, and others involved in industry and government. A special issue of Mechanical Engineering magazine, in June, will commemorate the history and continuing work of the codes and standards program.

The Society’s codes and standards activity began in a period of rising industrialization in the United States and grew in stature and influence as technology changed and new industries were born. Since the publication of the first performance test code 125 years ago, the “Code for the Conduct of Trials of Steam Boilers,” ASME has developed more than 500 technical standards for pressure vessel technology, electric and nuclear power facilities, elevators and escalators, gas pipelines, engineering drawing practices, and numerous other technical and engineered products and processes. Today, ASME codes and standards and conformity assessment programs are used in more than 100 countries.

A milestone along the 125-year journey of codes and standards includes the publication of the first ASME Boiler Code in 1914. The Boiler Code was a significant achievement in ASME’s history. Today, the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code has been incorporated into the laws of all 50 United States, and the code is referenced in Canada and other parts the world.

“ASME’s focus on global and accessible standards development complements our vision for technical competence and innovation,” said Barlow.

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