Code of Standard Practice for Steel Buildings and Bridges

March 7, 2000

Supersedes the June 10, 1992 AISC Code of Standard Practice for Steel Buildings and Bridges and all previous versions.

Prepared by the American Institute of Steel Construction, Inc. under the direction of the AISC Committee on the Code of Standard Practice and approved by the AISC Board of Directors.

AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION, INC. One East Wacker Drive, Suite 3100, Chicago, Illinois 60601-2001

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Copyright © 2000

by

American Institute of Steel Construction, Inc.

All rights reserved. This book or any part thereof must not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher.

The information presented in this publication has been prepared in accordance with recognized engineering principles and is for general information only. While it is believed to be accurate, this information should not be used or relied upon for any specific application without competent professional examination and verification of its accuracy, suitability and applicability by a licensed engineer, architect or other professional. The publication of the material contained herein is not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of the American Institute of Steel Construction, Inc. or of any other person named herein, that this information is suitable for any general or particular use or of freedom from infringement of any patent or patents. Anyone making use of this information assumes all liability arising from such use.

Caution must be exercised when relying upon other specifications and codes developed by other bodies and incorporated by reference herein since such material may be modified or amended from time to time subsequent to the printing of this edition. The American Institute of Steel Construction, Inc. bears no responsibility for such material other than to refer to it and incorporate it by reference at the time of the initial publication of this edition.

Printed in the United States of America

Code of Standard Practice for Steel Buildings and Bridges, March 7, 2000 AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION

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PREFACE

As in any industry, trade practices have developed among those that are involved in the design, purchase, fabrication and erection of structural steel. This Code provides a useful framework for a common understanding of the acceptable standards when contracting for structural steel. As such, it is useful for owners, architects, engineers, general contractors, construction managers, fabricators, steel detailers, erectors and others that are associated with construction in structural steel. Unless specific provisions to the contrary are contained in the contract documents, the existing trade practices that are contained herein are considered to be the standard custom and usage of the industry and are thereby incorporated into the relationships between the parties to a contract.

The Symbols and Glossary are an integral part of this Code. In many sections of this Code, a non-mandatory Commentary has been prepared to provide background and further explanation for the corresponding Code provisions. The user is encouraged to consult it.

Since the first edition of this Code was published in 1924, AISC has continuously surveyed the structural steel design community and construction industry to determine standard trade practices. Since then, this Code has been periodically updated to reflect new and changing technology and industry practices.

This edition is the fifth complete revision of this Code since it was first published. It is the result of the deliberations of a fair and balanced Committee, the membership of which included six structural engineers, two architects, one general contractor, seven fabricators, one steel detailer, three erectors and one attorney. The following major changes have been made in this revision:

• Commentary information, when available, has been placed immediately following its corresponding Code provisions.

• The use of the term “Owner” throughout this Code has been generally (but not completely) eliminated, where appropriate. Instead, one or both of the terms “Owner’s Designated Representative for Design” and “Owner’s Designated Representative for Construction” has been used.

• • Both U.S. customary units and metric units have been provided. See Section 1.3.

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• Requirements for existing structures have been added to cover demolition and shoring, protection against damage, surveying or field dimensioning and hazardous materials.

• The classifications of materials in Section 2 have been editorially revised and expanded.

• Provisions for the resolution of discrepancies have been added in Section 3.3.

• Also in Section 3.3, the order of precedence of contract documents has been changed for simplicity and to reflect current practices.

• Provisions for fast-track project delivery have been added in Section 3.6.

• The responsibilities of the various entities involved in the shop and erection drawing approval process have been simplified and clarified in Section 4.

• Issues regarding the use of design drawings by the fabricator and/or the erector are now covered in Section 4.3.

• The permissible variation from theoretical curvature for a curved member is now covered in Section 6.4.2.

• Provisions have been added in Section 6.4.5 to cover permissible variations in camber for fabricated trusses.

• Section 6.5 has been editorially restructured and substantively modified to recognize that the majority of steel in building structures need not be primed or painted.

• Coverage of bearing devices has been revised: installation of bearing devices is now covered in Section 7.6 and grouting is covered in Section 7.7.

• Use of the terms self-supporting and non-self-supporting has been eliminated and replaced with the provisions for temporary support in Section 7.10.

• Provisions in Section 7.10.3 for the loads that must be considered during erection have been revised.

• The intent of the provisions that address the accumulation of mill tolerances and fabrication tolerances and their relationship to the erection tolerances has been clarified in Section 7.12.

• Quality-assurance provisions in Section 8 have been revised to recognize both the AISC Quality Certification program for fabricators and the AISC Erector Certification program.

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• AESS requirements for welds have been clarified in Sections 10.2.5.

• • AESS requirements for HSS weld seams have been added in Section 10.2.8.

In addition, many other changes have been made throughout this Code.

By the AISC Committee on the Code of Standard Practice,

Frank B. Wylie, III, Chairman Barry L. Barger, Vice Chairman Paul M. Brosnahan James R. Burdette, Jr. Richard B. Cook William B. Cooper William R. Davidson Joseph A. Free, Jr. Lawrence G. Griffis D. Kirk Harman James L. Larson William F. McEleney

Leonard R. Middleton James Mirgliotta Donald G. Moore Homer R. Peterson, II David B. Ratterman Rex D. Smith James A. Stori Thomas S. Tarpy, Jr. Michael J. Tylk Michael A. West Charles J. Carter, Secretary

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Gloss	ary ................................................................................................ ix
Secti	on 1. General Provisions .............................................................. 1
1.1.	Scope .......................................................................................... 1
1.2.	Referenced Specifications, Codes and Standards ...................... 1
1.3.	Units ............................................................................................ 3
1.4.	Design Criteria ............................................................................ 3
1.5.	Responsibility for Design .......................................................... 3
1.6.	Patents and Copyrights .............................................................. 4
1.7.	Existing Structures ...................................................................... 4
1.8.	Means, Methods and Safety of Erection .................................... 4
Secti	on 2. Classification of Materials .................................................. 6
2.1.	Definition of Structural Steel ...................................................... 6
2.2.	Other Steel, Iron or Metal Items ................................................ 8
Secti	on 3. Design Drawings and Specifications ................................ 11
3.1.	Structural Design Drawings and Specifications ...................... 11
3.2.	Architectural, Electrical and Mechanical Design Drawings and Specifications ........................................ 16
3.3.	Discrepancies ............................................................................ 16
3.4.	Legibility of Design Drawings ................................................ 17
3.5.	Revisions to the Design Drawings and Specifications ............ 17
3.6.	Fast-Track Project Delivery ...................................................... 18
Secti	on 4. Shop and Erection Drawings .......................................... 20
4.1.	Owner Responsibility .............................................................. 20
4.2.	Fabricator Responsibility .......................................................... 20
4.3.	Use of CAD Files and/or Copies of Design Drawings ............ 21
4.4.	Approval .................................................................................. 23
4.5.	Shop and/or Erection Drawings Not Furnished by the Fabricator ...................................................................... 25
Secti	on 5. Materials ............................................................................ 26
5.1.	Mill Materials .......................................................................... 26
5.2.	Stock Materials ........................................................................ 27

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Sectio	n 6. Shop Fabrication and Delivery ........................................ 30
6.1.	Identification of Material .......................................................... 30
6.2.	Preparation of Material ............................................................ 30
6.3.	Fitting and Fastening ................................................................ 31
6.4.	Fabrication Tolerances .............................................................. 32
6.5.	Shop Cleaning and Painting .................................................... 35
6.6.	Marking and Shipping of Materials .......................................... 38
6.7.	Delivery of Materials ................................................................ 39
Sectio	n 7. Erection .............................................................................. 41
7.1.	Method of Erection .................................................................. 41
7.2.	Job-Site Conditions .................................................................. 41
7.3.	Foundations, Piers and Abutments .......................................... 42
7.4.	Building Lines and Bench Marks ............................................ 42
7.5.	Installation of Anchor Rods, Foundation Bolts and Other Embedded Items ...................................................... 42
7.6.	Installation of Bearing Devices ................................................ 44
7.7.	Grouting .................................................................................... 45
7.8.	Field Connection Material ........................................................ 45
7.9.	Loose Material .......................................................................... 46
7.10.	Temporary Support of Structural Steel Frames ........................ 46
7.11.	Safety Protection ...................................................................... 49
7.12.	Structural Steel Frame Tolerances ............................................ 51
7.13.	Erection Tolerances .................................................................. 51
7.14.	Correction of Errors .................................................................. 63
7.15.	Cuts, Alterations and Holes for Other Trades .......................... 63
7.16.	Handling and Storage .............................................................. 63
7.17.	Field Painting ............................................................................ 64
7.18.	Final Cleaning Up .................................................................... 65
Sectio	n 8. Quality Assurance ............................................................ 66
8.1.	General ...................................................................................... 66
8.2.	Inspection of Mill Material ........................................................ 67
8.3.	Non-Destructive Testing .......................................................... 67
8.4.	Surface Preparation and Shop Painting Inspection .................. 67
8.5.	Independent Inspection ............................................................ 67

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Sectio	n 9. Contracts ............................................................................ 69
9.1.	Types of Contracts .................................................................... 69
9.2.	Calculation of Weights .............................................................. 69
9.3.	Revisions to the Contract Documents ...................................... 71
9.4.	Contract Price Adjustment ........................................................ 71
9.5.	Scheduling ................................................................................ 72
9.6.	Terms of Payment .................................................................... 73
Sectio	n 10. Architecturally Exposed Structural Steel .................... 74
10.1.	General Requirements .............................................................. 74
10.2.	Fabrication ................................................................................ 74
10.3.	Delivery of Materials ................................................................ 76
10.4.	Erection .................................................................................... 76

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GLOSSARY

The following terms are used in this Code. Where used, they are capitalized to alert the user that the term is defined in this Glossary.

• AASHTO. American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.

• Adjustable Items. See Section 7.13.1.3.

AESS. See Architecturally Exposed Structural Steel.

AISC. American Institute of Steel Construction, Inc.

Anchor Bolt. See Anchor Rod.

• Anchor Rod. A mechanical device that is either cast or drilled and chemically adhered, grouted or wedged into concrete and/or masonry for the purpose of the subsequent attachment of Structural Steel.

• Anchor-Rod Group. A set of Anchor Rods that receives a single fabricated Structural Steel shipping piece.

• ANSI. American National Standards Institute.

• Architect. The entity that is professionally qualified and duly licensed to perform architectural services.

Architecturally Exposed Structural Steel. See Section 10.

• AREMA. American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way Association.

• ASME. American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

• ASTM. American Society for Testing and Materials.

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• AWS. American Welding Society.

• Bearing Devices. Shop-attached base and bearing plates, loose base and bearing plates and leveling devices, such as leveling plates, leveling nuts and washers and leveling screws.

• CASE. Council of American Structural Engineers.

• the Code, this Code. This document, the AISC Code of Standard Practice for Steel Buildings and Bridges as adopted by the American Institute of Steel Construction, Inc.

• Connection. An assembly of one or more joints that is used to transmit forces between two or more members and/or connection elements.

• Contract Documents. The documents that define the responsibilities of the parties that are involved in bidding, fabricating and erecting Structural Steel. These documents normally include the Design Drawings, the Specifications and the contract.

• Design Drawings. The graphic and pictorial portions of the Contract Documents showing the design, location and dimensions of the work. These documents generally include plans, elevations, sections, details, schedules, diagrams and notes.

• Embedment Drawings. Drawings that show the location and placement of items that are installed to receive Structural Steel.

• EOR. See Structural Engineer of Record.

• Engineer. See Structural Engineer of Record.

• Engineer of Record. See Structural Engineer of Record.

• Erection Bracing Drawings. Drawings that are prepared by the Erector to illustrate the sequence of erection, any requirements for temporary supports and the requirements for raising, bolting and/or welding. These drawings are in addition to the Erection Drawings.

Code of Standard Practice for Steel Buildings and Bridges, March 7, 2000 AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION