Spear Reaming

[FootNMouth]

Contractor sent out the steel pre-construction agenda and under Field Modifications to Structural Steel it has the topic "Pre-approval for spear reaming to fair connection misalignment".

It is my understanding that this means that when they have bolt holes that do not align to the point where they can't install the bolts, then they will wedge a "spear" into the holes and then work them until they reach an alignment where the bolt will fit.

Can you please confirm my understanding of this practice and provide any guidance on why this should or should not be allowed.

 

[Ron]

Spear reaming also causes one of the misaligned holes to be enlarged, so place limits on the reaming such that misalignment does not exceed 1/32 of an inch and the hole is no more than 1/16 of an inch larger than the bolt after reaming.

 

[IRstuff]

There's another recent post about misaligned holes. In that case, they're talking about drilling out the misalignment just to get a smaller bolt in place. However, in that case and this case, the bolt will be subjected to extraordinary stresses beyond what the baseline performance should be.

TTFN
faq731-376

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Of course I can. I can do anything. I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!

 

[hokie66]

The tool for pulling holes into alignment, in my experience, is normally called a 'drift pin' or drift punch'. To me, when you ream a hole, you make it larger by drilling.

 

[racookpe1978]

I would recommend rejecting the package until the definition of what this particular company had decided is "spear reaming" actually is.

I strongly suspect that no one has EVER brought up the definition before, that it is a "boilerplate" rubber-stamped "thingie" inserted to allow them to finangle and widget and wiggle and drill and wedge and sledge-hammer and bend everything to allow something to fit through anything once so at least one thing can fit anywhere through once. As soon as the first drift pin gets through by hoof, crook, or guess and golly-gee-whiz, the rest are rammed through as the crane and rigging crew jiggle the other steel beams to get the holes to match 'enough".

Press them on this issue, and they will get a new respect for the one company that actually read their package.

 

[FootNMouth]

Thanks all for the advice.