05/25/2022
U.S. Steel holds the registered trademark on the name COR-TEN. The name COR-TEN refers to the two distinguishing properties of this type of steel: corrosion resistance and tensile strength. Although USS sold its discrete plate business to International Steel Group in 2003, it still sells COR-TEN branded material in strip-mill plate and sheet forms. The original COR-TEN received the standard designation A242 from the ASTM International standards group. Newer ASTM grades are A588 and A606 for thin sheet. All alloys are in common production and use. The surface oxidation of weathering steel takes six months, but surface treatments can accelerate the oxidation to as little as one hour.
One major benefits to Government entities there is not need to do anything to treat the surface thus no maintenance to the steel and it will not rust. Below are examples of some parks wayfinding signs using this type of steel.
