A36 steel equivalents

A36 steel is nearest to EN 1.0038 (S235JR), JIS SS400 and China GB Q235B. These are nearest equivalents, not identical grades: the governing standard or mill certificate decides.

Designations follow EN 10027. Updated 6 October 2026.

EN steel number for A36

1.0038

S235JR · SS400 · Q235B

A36 = EN 1.0038 S235JR = JIS SS400 = GB Q235B

AISI / ASTM / SAE US: A36
EN steel number EN 10027-2: 1.0038
EN steel name EN 10027-1: S235JR
JIS Japan: SS400
GB China: Q235B
Family: Structural carbon steel

Nearest-equivalent designationsCheck the mill certificate

About A36

Structural carbon steel. General characteristics; check the standard and the supplier for anything critical.

What it is

A common structural carbon steel for plate, bar and rolled sections. It is weldable and formable. The nearest equivalents are close but specify different minimum strengths, so they are not drop-in replacements on a structural drawing.

Typical uses

Building frames, base plates, brackets, gussets, machinery frames and general fabrication.

Machining notes

Machinable but not made for it: hot-rolled mill scale is abrasive and the surface can be gummy. Remove scale before precision work.

Related grades

Grades people often compare with this one.

A572 Grade 50 steelHigher-strength structural grade1.0045 · SM490A · Q355B 1020 steelPlain low-carbon bar grade1.0402 · S20C · 20

Fasteners and tapping

Bolts made from this steel

A bolt's property class comes from heat treatment and testing to ISO 898-1 or SAE J429, not from the steel grade alone. A part made from this steel is not automatically equivalent to class 8.8, 10.9 or 12.9, or to grade 5 or 8.

Bolt torque chart

Tap drills

For mild and alloy steel, 65–75 % thread is the usual target. The tap drill chart lists the standard drill and the thread percentage it leaves for every size.

Tap drill chart

All carbon and alloy steel grades

Nearest equivalents across the five designation systems.

Carbon and alloy steel grade equivalents
AISI / ASTM	EN name	EN number	JIS	China GB
1020	C22	1.0402	S20C	20
1045	C45	1.0503	S45C	45
4130	25CrMo4	1.7218	SCM430	30CrMo
4140	42CrMo4	1.7225	SCM440	42CrMo
8620	20NiCrMo2-2	1.6523	SNCM220	20CrNiMo
52100	100Cr6	1.3505	SUJ2	GCr15
A36	S235JR	1.0038	SS400	Q235B
A572 Gr 50	S355JR	1.0045	SM490A	Q355B

Equivalents are nearest matches, not identical grades. Composition limits, mechanical properties and test requirements differ in detail between standards and product forms. For anything that matters, the governing standard, the drawing and the mill certificate decide.

Common questions

What is the European equivalent of A36 steel?

The nearest EN grade is 1.0038, steel name S235JR.

What is the JIS equivalent of A36 steel?

The nearest Japanese grade is SS400.

What is the Chinese GB equivalent of A36 steel?

The nearest Chinese GB grade is Q235B.

Is 1.0038 the same as A36?

1.0038 (S235JR) is the nearest European equivalent of A36, not an identical grade. Composition limits and required properties differ in detail, so check the governing standard or the mill certificate when it matters.

What is A36 used for?

Building frames, base plates, brackets, gussets, machinery frames and general fabrication.