FINAL DRAFT UGANDA 
STANDARD  
  FDUS 895-1 
First Edition  
2011 -mm-dd 
 
 
 Reference number  
FDUS 895-1: 2011 
© UNBS 2011  
  
Specification for expanded metal — Part 1: Sheets and plates  
 FDUS 895-1: 2011 
ii © UNBS 2011 – All rights reserved  
 Compliance with this standard does not, of itself confer immunity from legal obligations  
A Uganda Standard does not purport to include all necessary provisions of a contract. Users are 
respons ible for its correct application  
© UNBS 20 11  
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilised in any 
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without pr ior written 
permission from UNBS.  
Requests for permission to reproduce this document should be addressed to  
The Executive Director  
Uganda National Bureau of Standards  
P.O. Box 6329  
Kampala  
Uganda  
Tel: 256 41 4 505 995  
Fax: 256 41 4 286 123  
E-mail: unbs@infocom.co.ug  
Web: www.unbs.go.ug  FDUS 895-1:2011 
© UNBS 2011 – All rights reserved  iii 
 Contents  Page 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... iv 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 1 
2 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... 1 
3 Requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...2 
3.1 Material  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 2 
3.2 Type  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................. 2 
3.3 Dimensions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .......2 
3.4 Squareness  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .......2 
3.5 Warp  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................. 3 
3.6 Workmanship ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....3 
3.7 Freedom from defects  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... 3 
3.8 Finish  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 3 
4 Packaging and marking  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................... 5 
4.1 Packing  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 5 
4.2 Marking  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 5 
5 Inspection and methods of test  ................................ ................................ ................................ .......5 
5.1 Inspection  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......... 5 
5.2 Determination of warp  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... 5 
5.3 Formability test  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .5 
5.3.1  Method 1 (sheets and plate s having a strand thickness T not exceeding 3 mm and a Long 
Way of Mesh LWM not exceeding 120 mm)  ................................ ................................ ..................... 5 
5.3.2  Method 2 (sheets and plates having a strand thickness T exceeding 3 mm and a Long 
Way of Mesh LWM of 50 mm or more)  ................................ ................................ ............................. 6 
Annex  A (normative)  Notice to purchasers ................................ ................................ ................................ .9 
Annex  B (normative)  Quality evaluation of expanded metal sheets and plates produced to the 
requirements laid down in this part of the specification  ................................ ..............................  10 
Bibliography  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  11 
 
 FDUS 895-1: 2011 
iv © UNBS 2011 – All rights reserved  
 Foreword  
Uganda National Bureau of Standar ds (UNBS) is a parastatal under the Ministry of Tourism, Trade and 
Industry established under Cap 327 , of the Laws of Uganda.  UNBS is mandated to co -ordinate the 
elaboration of standards and is  
(a) a member of International Organisation for Standardisation ( ISO) and  
(b) a contact point for the WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius Commission on Food Standards, and  
(c) the National Enquiry Point on TBT/SPS Agreements of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).  
The work of preparing Uganda Standards is carried out through Technical Committees. A Technical 
Committee is established to deliberate on standards in a given field or area and consists of representatives of 
consumers, traders, academicians, manufacturers, government and other stakeholders.  
Draft Uganda Standards adopted by th e Technical Committee are widely circulated to stakeholders and the 
general public for comments. The committee reviews the comments before recommending the draft standards 
for approval and declaration as Uganda Standards by the National Standards Council.  
Committee membership  
The following organizations were represented  on the Technical Committee for Building and civil engineering 
standards  (UNBS/TC 3) during the development of this standard :  
 Makerere University  
 Department of Geological Mines& Surveys  
 Ugan da Baati Ltd  
 Roofings Ltd  
 Kyambogo University  
 Uganda National Bureau of Standards.  
 
 FINAL DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD  FDUS 895-1: 2011 
 
© UNBS  2011 – All rights reserved  1 
 Specification for expanded metal — Part 1: Sheets and plates  
1 Scope  
This part of the specificatio n covers expanded metal sheets or  plates fo r general use.  
NOTE 1 The req uirements that should  be specified by the purchaser and those that should  be agreed upon between 
the supplier and the purchaser are listed in Annex  A. 
NOTE 2 Guidance on the verification of the quality of expanded metal sheets and plates produced to this p art of the 
specification is given in Annex B. 
2 Terms and definitions  
For the purposes of this standard, the following terms and definitions shall  apply . 
2.1 
bond 
intersection of four strand s 
2.2 
expanded metal sheet/plate  
expanded metal sheet or plate pro duced from a plain sheet or plate that has been so slit and expanded as to 
form a network of diamond -shaped, or other -shaped meshes [see figures 1 (a ) and (b )] 
2.3 
Long way (of a sheet or plate) (LW)  
dimension of a sheet or plate that is parallel to the m esh length (see Fig ure 1) 
2.4 
mesh 
piece of expanded metal that consists of strands that surround a diamond -shaped or other -shaped opening  
2.5 
mesh length/long way of mesh (LWM)  
distance between the centres of adjacent bonds on the long diagonal of a mesh (see Fig ure 2) 
2.6 
mesh width/short way of mesh (SWM)  
distance between the centres of adjacent bonds on the short diagonal of a mesh (see Fig ure 2) 
2.7 
plate (other than a plain plate)  
expanded metal plate  
2.8 
sheet (other than a plain sheet)  
expanded meta l sheet  FDUS 895-1: 2011 
2 © UNBS 2011 – All rights reserved  
 2.9 
short way (of a sheet or plate) (SW)  
dimension of a sheet or plate that is parallel to the mesh width (see Fig ure 1) 
2.10 
size (of a sheet or plate)  
combination of the long way and the short way of a sheet or plate (see Fig ure 1) 
2.11 
strand th ickness (T)  
thickness of a strand (see Fig ure 2) that is,  the thickness of the original plain sheet or plate  
2.12 
strand width (W) 
other dimension of a strand (see Fig ure 2) 
2.13 
warp 
departure of a sheet or plate from a true plane in the longitudinal dire ction or in the transverse direction or in 
both (see Fig ure 5) 
3 Requirements  
3.1 Material  
Unless otherwise req uired , expanded metal sheet s and  plates shal l be of mild steel and shall be such tha t 
when  strand s are tested i n accordance with 5.3, they will show no  sign of cracking or fracture . 
3.2 Type 
Expanded metal sheets or  plates shal l be of one of the  following types, as required:  
a) General -purpose type : expanded metal sheet or plat e made by  slittin g a plain metal sheet or plat e and 
simultaneously  expandin g the strand s so formed (a t right angles t o the plane of  the sheet or plate) as 
to form a network of diamond -shaped, or  other -shaped meshes ( see 3.1 and Fig ure 2); 
b) Flattened type: expanded metal sheet or plat e made as  described i n (a) a bove and then pressu re-
rolled into a fl at condition ( see Fig ure 3); and 
c) Walkway type: expanded metal sheet or plat e made as described  in (a) above, but of such 
dimensions (see Table 1 and Fig ure 4) as will render it suitable fo r load -carrying purposes.  
3.3 Dimensions  
The pref erred size, the mesh and stran d dimensions,  and the tolerance s of a sheet or plate shal l be the 
appropriate  of those given in Table 1, relevant t o the type (and mesh  designation) required. A sheet or plate of 
a size other tha n a preferred size shall, subje ct to agreement between the purchaser  and the supplier, be cut 
from the nearest larger preferred siz e. The long way (LW) and short w ay (SW) dimensions of a sheet o r plate 
so cut shall not deviat e from the agree d dimensions fo r LW and SW by more than ± 3 mm in each case.  
3.4 Squareness  
Any ou t-of-squareness of a sheet or plate shal l be such that the differenc e between the lengths of the 
diagonals  does not exceed 2 mm per 100 mm of the longer dimension SW or  LW, as relevan t, of the sheet or 
plate. FDUS 895-1: 2011 
© UNBS 2011 – All rights reserved  3 
 3.5 Warp 
Any warp present in a sheet or plat e (see Fig ure 5) shall  not, when determined in accordance with 5 .2, exceed 
1 mm per  100 mm of  the SW or the LW dimension (as  relevant), except tha t if specially leveled sheets or 
plates are required, th e warp  limit shal l be as agreed upon between the supplie r and the  purchaser.  
3.6 Workmanship  
Sheets and plates sh all be regular i n shape, and  the dimensions of the meshes and strands shal l be uniform.  
3.7 Freedom from defects  
Except for sharp point s caused by open  meshes at th e edges, sheets and plates shall be fre e from broken  
strands  and from burr s, ragged edges, flaws, cracks, and welds.  
3.8 Finish  
Sheets and plates shall be substantially fre e from  corrosion and other surface defects and shal l, when so  
require d, have  a protective or decorative coating of the type required.  FDUS 895-1: 2011 
4 © UNBS 2011 – All rights reserved  
  
FDUS 895-1: 2011 
© UNBS 2011 – All rights reserved  5 
 4 Packaging and marking  
4.1 Packing  
Unless otherwise agreed between the purchaser and the supplier, expanded metal sheets and plates shall be 
supplied loose or securely tied together in bundles.  
4.2 Marking  
Each bundle or each sheet or plate (as relevant) shall bear the following information legibly and durably 
marked on a tag that is securely attached to the bundle or sheet or plate:  
(a) the manufacturer's name or trade name or trade mark;  
(b) the mesh designat ion; 
(c) the nominal mass of each bundle, sheet or plate, as relevant;  and 
(d) when relevant, the quantity of sheets or plates per bundle.  
5 Inspection and methods of test  
5.1 Inspection   
Visually examine and measure each sheet or plate for compliance with al l the requirements of clauses 3 and 4 
for which tests to asse ss compliance are not given in 5.2 and 5 .3. 
5.2 Determination of warp  
Determine, as follows, the warp of each sheet or plate:  
Lay the sheet or plate (concave face downwards) on a plane surface, ensure  that the corners at the ends of 
the side or end on which the warp is to be measured are in contact with the plane surface, and measure the 
maximum deviation between the surface and the side or end (as relevant) . Repeat the test on the remaining 
side or e nd, and determine the maximum warp in each case. Check for comp liance with the requirement of 
3.5. 
5.3 Formability test  
5.3.1 Method  1 (sheets and plates having a strand thick ness T not  exceeding 3 mm and a Long Way 
of Mesh LWM not exceeding 120 mm)  
5.3.1. 1 Preparation of test specimens  
From a sheet or plate, cut a test specimen of minimum size 150 mm x 150 mm.  
5.3.1. 2 Procedure  
Bend the test specimen across an axis of symmetry through approximately 90º in either direction with an 
inside radius of approxima tely 6 mm. Examine the metal in the bend for comp liance with the requirement of 
3.1. FDUS 895-1: 2011 
6 © UNBS 2011 – All rights reserved  
 5.3.2 Method 2 (sheets and plates having a strand thickness T exceeding 3 mm and a Long Way of 
Mesh LWM of 50 mm or more)  
5.3.2.1 Apparatus  
5.3.2.1.1  Mandrel , of diameter three times the larger cross -sectional dimension of the strands in the sheet 
or plate  
5.3.2.1.2  Bending device , hammer or other such means for bending the strands over the mandrel  
 
5.3.2. 2 Preparation of test specimens  
From a sheet or plate, cut two strand s of maximum length or a line of strands of sufficient length.  
5.3.2. 3 Procedure  
Place the wider face of a test specimen against the mandrel, bend the specimen through 180º and then 
examine the metal in the bend for compliance with the relevant requirement s of 3.1. 
 
NOTE  The figures give a typical set of dimensions and illustrate the two alternative arrangements of the LW and SW 
in relation to  the mesh. The L W dimension is always quoted first , thus the  above sheet or plate sizes would be 2400 x 
1200 and 1200 x 2 400,respectively.  
Figure 1 - The Long Way (LW)  and Short Way (SW)  and the size  of sheets and plates  FDUS 895-1: 2011 
© UNBS 2011 – All rights reserved  7 
 Dimensions in miII imetres  
 
 FDUS 895-1: 2011 
8 © UNBS 2011 – All rights reserved  
 
 
 FDUS 895-1: 2011 
© UNBS 2011 – All rights reserved  9 
 Annex  A 
(normative)  
 
Notice to purchasers  
B.1 The following requirements shall be specified in tender invitations and in each order or contract:  
a) The material, if other than mild steel (see 3.1); 
b) The type of expanded metal sheet or plate (see 3.2); 
c) The mesh designation and the preferred size (see 3.3); 
d) The dimensional tolerance, if other than as specified (see footnote s t o Table 1) ; and  
e) When relevant, that special levelling is required (see 3.5); 
f) When relevant, that a coating is required and the type of coating (see 3.8) 
B.2 The following requirements must be agreed upon between the purchaser and the supplier:  
a) Whether the sheet or plate, when relevant, is to be cut from the next largest preferred size (see 3.3); 
b) When relevant, the limits for the warp of specially levelled sheets or plates (see 3.5); and  
c) The method of packing, if other than as specified (see 4.1). 
 FDUS 895-1: 2011 
10 © UNBS 2011 – All rights reserved  
 Annex  B 
(normative)  
 
Quality evaluation of expanded metal sheets and plates produced to the 
requirements laid down in this part of the specification  
When a purchaser requires quality verification on an ongoing b asis of expanded metal sheets and plates 
produced to this part of the specification, it is suggested that, rather than to evaluation of the final product 
only, he also directs his attention to the quality management system applied by the manufacturer. In t his 
connection it should be noted tha t US 8 95-1 covers the provision of an integrated quality management 
system.  FDUS 895-1: 2011 
© UNBS 2011 – All rights reserved  11 
 Bibliography  
US ISO 9001  Quality management systems  
 FDUS 895-1: 2011 
© UNBS  2011 – All rights reserved  13 
 Certification marking  
Products that conform to Uganda standards may be marked with Ugand a National Bureau of Standards 
(UNBS) Certification Mark shown in the figure below.  
The use of the UNBS Certification Mark is governed by the Standards Act, and the Regulations made 
thereunder. This mark can be used only by those licensed under the certif ication mark scheme operated by 
the Uganda National Bureau of Standards and in conjunction with the relevant Uganda Standard. The 
presence of this mark on a product or in relation to a product is an assurance that the goods comply with the 
requirements of that standard under a system of supervision, control and testing in accordance with the 
certification mark scheme of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards. UNBS marked products are 
continually checked by UNBS for conformity to that standard.  
Further par ticulars of the terms and conditions of licensing may be obtained from the Director, Uganda 
National Bureau of Standards.  
 
 FDUS 895-1: 2011   
 
ICS nn.nnn.nn  
Price based on nn pages  
© UNBS 2011 – All rights reserved