bolt connections 1

[woodman90]

When bolting strucural steel, on a Goverment job (Navy Barracks),with bolt in the vertical position. Is there a code on the direction the bolt should placed? Or can a bolt be placed with the bolt head on the bottom, nut on top, if useing shear type 409 bolts?

 

[Rjeffery]

The answer is no there is no requirement to place the bolt in a specific orientation. "Standard Practice" is to stuff the bolts head down and nut up as the impact wrench is heavy and easier to use in that orientation ans the ironworker can sit on the beam to work rather than use a ladder or a lift. I usually direct the bolts to be stuffed in the opposit orientation, on the theory that if the nut should ever come loose (1) that it would act as a telltail and (2) the bolt would still be in the connection. I have only seen the bolt come out of a connection once. that was enough for me...

 

[evelrod]

Rjeffery my man, you have my vote. For 38 years I preached the "down and out" to my Ironworkers ad naseum. That is the bolt should normally be facing down or out in a structure (bldg. tower, etc.) It's the current crop of journeyman/contractor/engineer that tends toward 'lazy' that allows the bolts to be installed "up" on column connections. Bolts are not normally torqued at the time of installation (structural or high rise) until after "plumb up" and that can often be 'days' so the possibility of the bolt falling out is considerable. "Down and out" has been the unofficial doctrine since 1896. It is the way I learned to do it and what I teach. Still viable IMO!

Rod

 

[patprimmer]

Mine to, It's so obvious that it shouldn't need mention.

Regards
pat