Structural Bolting: Note That The ASTM Designation Is Indicated On The Head of The Bolts Above

Structural Bolting
• The Research Council on Structural Connections (RCSC) prepares specifications and documents related
to structural connections
• RCSC’s Specification for Structural Joints Using ASTM A325 or A490 Bolts (2000) is a widely used
specification which discusses joints, fasteners, limit states, installation, and inspections
• During hoisting, connectors will install a minimum of two bolts per connection
• The rest of the bolts are installed and tightened after the structure is plumbed
• A systematic pattern must be followed when tightening bolts so that a joint is drawn together and all
fasteners are properly installed
(SSTC 2001)
Per the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) Standard 1926.754(b)(2), “At no time
shall there be more than four floors or 48 feet (14.6 m), whichever is less, of unfinished bolting or
welding above the foundation or uppermost permanently secured floor, except where the structural
integrity is maintained as a result of the design.”
• There are many bolt types, installation methods, and joint types used in structural steel construction
• When left exposed, bolts may be used to make an architectural expression
(Green, Sputo, and Veltri)
ASTM Bolt Types:

i. A307 – Low carbon steel
 Not commonly used
 Only used for secondary members
ii. A325 – High-strength medium carbon steel (above left)
 Most common bolts used in building construction
iii. A490 – High-strength heat treated steel (above right)
 Cost more than A325’s, but are stronger so fewer bolts may be necessary
Note that the ASTM designation is indicated on the head of the bolts above
Common Bolt Sizes:

A325 and A490 bolts are available in diameters ranging from 1/2” to 1-1/2”
The most common sizes are 3/4”, 7/8”, and 1”
High-strength bolts are commonly available in incremental lengths up to 8”
(AISC)
Washers
• Hardened steel washers are used in many structural connections to spread pressure from the bolt
tightening process over a larger area
• Washers may also be used to cover an oversized or slotted hole (RCSC 2000)
• Flat washers are most commonly used
• Tapered washers (above left) are used when the surface being bolted has a sloped surface, such as the
flange of a channel or an S shape
• A325 bolts require a washer under the element (head or nut) being turned to tighten the bolt (shown
under the nut, above right)
• A490 bolts require a washer under both the head and nut (AISC & NISD 2000)
Parts of the Bolt Assembly:

• Grip is the distance from behind the bolt head to the back of the nut or washer
It is the sum of the thicknesses of all the parts being joined exclusive of washers
• Thread length is the threaded portion of the bolt
• Bolt length is the distance from behind the bolt head to the end of the bolt
(AISC & NISD 2000)
Bolted Joint Types:
There two basic bolted joint types:
i. Bearing:
The load is transferred between members by bearing on the bolts
ii. Slip-critical:
The load is transferred between members by friction in the joint
Bolted Joint Failure Modes:

• Bolts in bearing joints are designed to meet two limit states;
✔ Yielding, which is an inelastic deformation (above left)
✔ Fracture, which is a failure of the joint (above left)
• The material the bolt bears against is also subject to yielding or fracture if it is undersized for the load
(above right)
• Tension connections act similarly to bearing connections
• Many times, connections in direct tension are reconfigured so that the bolts act in shear
Bearing Joints:
In a bearing joint the connected elements are assumed to slip into bearing against the body of the bolt
If the joint is designed as a bearing joint the load is transferred through bearing whether the bolt is
installed snug-tight or pretensioned
Threads in the Shear Plane:

• The shear plane is the plane between two or more pieces under load where the pieces tend to move
parallel from each other, but in opposite directions
• The threads of a bolt may either be included in the shear plane or excluded from the shear plane
• The capacity of a bolt is greater with the threads excluded from the shear plane
• The most commonly used bolt is an ASTM A325 3/4” bolt with the threads included in the shear
plane(AISC & NISD 2000)
Slip-Critical Joints:
• In a slip-critical joint the bolts must be fully pretensioned to cause a clamping force between the
connected elements
• This force develops frictional resistance between the connected elements
• The frictional resistance allows the joint to withstand loading without slipping into bearing against the
body of the bolt, although the bolts must still be designed for bearing
• The faying surfaces in slip-critical joints require special preparation (AISC)
Use of Slip-Critical Joints:

• Joints that are subject to fatigue load with reversal of the loading direction (not applicable to wind
bracing)
• Joints that utilize oversized holes
• Joints that utilize slotted holes, except those with applied load approximately perpendicular to the
direction of the long dimension of the slot
• Joints in which slip at the faying surfaces would be detrimental to the performance of the structure
Snug-tight Installation:
• Snug-tight is the tightness attained with a few hits of an impact wrench or the full effort of an
ironworker using an ordinary spud wrench to bring the connected plies into firm contact
• (RCSC 2000)
Turn-of-Nut Installation:
• Installation beyond snug-tight is called pretensioning
• Turn-of-nut pretensioning involves several steps:
i. The bolt is snug-tightened
ii. Matchmarks are placed on each nut, bolt, and steel surface in a straight line
iii. The part not turned by the wrench is prevented from turning
iv. The bolt is tightened with a prescribed rotation past the snug-tight condition
NOTE: The specified rotation varies by diameter and length (between 1/3 and 1 turn) (RCSC 2000, AISC)
Calibrated Wrench Installation:

• Calibrated Wrench pretensioning uses an impact wrench (above left) to tighten the bolt to a specified
tension
• A Skidmore-Wilhelm calibration device (above right) is used to calibrate the impact wrench to the
torque level which will achieve the specified tension
• A sample of bolts representative of those to be used in the connections are tested to verify that the
correct tension will be achieved (RCSC 2000, AISC)
ASTM F1852 Installation:

• F1852 bolts are twist-off-type tension-control bolts
• These bolts must be pretensioned with a twist-off-type tension-control bolt installation wrench that has
two coaxial chucks
• The inner chuck engages the splined end of the bolt
• The outer chuck engages the nut
• The two chucks turn opposite to one another to tighten the bolt
• The splined end of the F1852 bolt shears off at a specified tension(AISC 2003)
ASTM F959 Direct Tension Indicators:

• Another way to try to ensure proper pretensioning of a bolt is through the use of direct tension indicators
(DTIs)
• These washers have protrusions that must bear against the unturned element
• As the bolt is tightened the clamping force flattens the protrusions and reduces the gap
• The gap is measured with a feeler gage
• When the gap reaches the specified size the bolt is properly pretensioned (AISC & NISD 2000)
Installation of DTIs:
It is essential that direct tension indicators be properly oriented in the assembly
i. The bolt head is stationary while the nut is turned – DTI under bolt head
ii. The bolt head is stationary while the nut is turned – DTI under nut (washer required)
iii. The nut is stationary while the bolt head is turned – DTI under bolt head (washer required)
iv. The nut is stationary while the bolt head is turned – DTI under nut
(RCSC 2000)
• Bolts are installed in one of four types of holes (see table above)
• Standard holes can be used anywhere
• Oversized holes may only be used in slip-critical connections
• Short-slotted holes are used with the slot perpendicular to the direction of stress
• Long-slotted holes are primarily used when connecting to existing structures
Equipment Requirements:
• Common tools used by Ironworkers include spud wrenches, pins, and corrections bars of various sizes
(above left)
• Impact wrenches will be needed for certain installations (above center)
• Electricity or compressed air is required depending on the impact wrench being used
• A generator as well as an air compressor may be needed (above right)
Storage of Components:
Per the RCSC Specification:
• Fastener components must be protected from dirt and moisture in closed containers on the jobsite
• Only fasteners anticipated to be installed during the work shift are to be taken from protected storage
• Protected storage is defined as the continuous protection of fastener components in closed containers in
a protected shelter
• Any unused fasteners must be promptly returned to protected storage
• The lubrication on fasteners is vital to their proper installation
• A water-soluble oil is used on most black bolts
• This oil is easily washed off when exposed to moisture
• Fasteners that accumulate rust or dirt must be cleaned and relubricated before they may be installed
• F1852 bolts (shown above) shall not be relubricated, except by the manufacturer (RCSC 2000, SSTC
2001)
Galvanized Fasteners:
• Galvanized bolts and nuts (above) are provided by the supplier in a set and special storage requirements
• Each bolt/nut set is pretested by the supplier and shipped together and must be kept together as an
assembly
• Poor thread fit may result if the bolt and nut are mismatched
• The lubrication on galvanized fasteners is generally more durable than that on black bolts, but protected
storage is still recommended
• A490 bolts are not allowed to be galvanized (SSTC 2001)
Production Lots:
• Production lot traceability is required by many standards
• Even if not required, it is good practice to record the lot numbers and keep all fasteners separated by lot
• It is necessary to keep lots separate for proper pre-installation verification testing which is required for
pretensioned and slip-critical joints
• Mixing bolts and nuts from different production lots is not permitted
(SSTC 2001)
Inspections:
• In addition to the erector’s quality control program, tests and inspection are specified by the Engineer of
Record and/or the local building authority
• A local building inspector may request that tests in addition to those specified by the Engineer of Record
be performed
• Snug-tightened joints require visual inspection for firm contact and proper use of washers
• Pretensioned joints require pre-installation verification and routine observation of proper application
• Slip-critical joints require inspection of the faying surfaces in addition to the above inspections
Inspections for the Construction Manager:

• Look at the bolt stick-out (above)
i. Stick-out is the amount the bolt extends beyond the outside surface of the nut
ii. Positive or zero stick-out is acceptable
iii. Negative stick-out, where the end of the bolt is inside the nut, is not acceptable
• Inspect the turn-of-nut matchmarks to ensure the bolts have been pretensioned
• If F1852 bolts are used, make sure the ends have been snapped off all bolts (above)
i. In some cases, due to insufficient clearance for the installation wrench, F1852 bolts will be
tightened by alternative methods so the ends will not be snapped off
Bolting Cost Considerations:

• The erector may prefer certain bolt and joint types over others due to equipment requirements,
experience, and installation times
• Snug-tightened joints are normally the most economical bolted joints (Ruby 2003)
• For pretensioned joints, F1852’s and DTI’s are popular and can be economical
• Slip-critical joints are the most costly joints, and should only be specified when necessary (Ruby 2003)

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Structural Bolting

ASTM Bolt Types:

Common Bolt Sizes:

Parts of the Bolt Assembly:

Bolted Joint Failure Modes:

Threads in the Shear Plane:

Use of Slip-Critical Joints:

Calibrated Wrench Installation:

ASTM F1852 Installation:

ASTM F959 Direct Tension Indicators:

Inspections for the Construction Manager:

Bolting Cost Considerations:

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