ICC S1 Structural Steel and Bolting key terms

Drawings and specifications that the building official has reviewed and released for construction. Work must follow them, and any field change needs documented approval before it is built.

A portion of the design, such as connection details or pre-engineered components, identified in the permit documents for separate approval after the permit is issued but before that work is installed.

A published document, such as AISC 360 or the RCSC Specification, that the building code adopts by citation, making its requirements enforceable for the scope the code states.

A written question sent to the designer asking for clarification of drawings or specifications. The answer becomes part of the contract documents and should be logged and shared with affected parties.

Fabricator-prepared detail drawings showing member sizes, piece marks, connection geometry, bolt and weld details, and dimensions used to build the work; they are reviewed against the design before fabrication begins.

Plans and elevations prepared for field use showing piece marks, connection locations, erection sequence, and temporary bracing needs so the erector can plan lifts and maintain stability.

A standard drawing notation placed on a reference line with an arrow that states weld type, size, length, spacing, and location, and may add process or finish requirements.

A producer's certified record of the chemical analysis and mechanical test results for a heat or lot of steel, used to confirm the material meets the specified ASTM standard.

The preferred specification for rolled structural wide-flange shapes, requiring 50 ksi minimum yield, 65 ksi minimum tensile strength, and a yield-to-tensile ratio no greater than 0.85.

The stress at which steel stops behaving elastically and begins permanent deformation; for steel without a distinct yield plateau it is found by the 0.2 percent offset method.

The impact energy a notched specimen absorbs when struck at a stated temperature, used to specify notch-tough steel where brittle fracture, seismic yielding, or cold service is a concern.

A number calculated from carbon and other alloying elements that estimates how readily a steel will crack during welding; higher values call for preheat or specially qualified procedures.

Deliberate curvature built into a beam or girder to offset expected dead-load deflection. It is shown on drawings and checked against permitted fabrication deviation from the theoretical curve.

The permitted dimensional variation in shop work, covering member length, straightness, hole location, and camber, as defined in AISC 303; exceeding it requires evaluation before acceptance.

A shop fit-up of mating members to confirm holes align and geometry closes before shipping, usually required where the specification calls for it on complex or heavily stressed connections.

A bolt made to ASTM F3125 in grades that include the former A325 and A490, supplied with a matched nut and washer and installed to develop the clamping force the design requires.

The condition where connected plies are brought into firm contact by a few impacts of an impact wrench or the full effort of an ironworker with an ordinary spud wrench; no tension is specified.

A joint in which bolts are installed to a required minimum tension so the clamped plies resist load by friction at service level; the tightening is verified by a specified method.

Pretensioning by turning the nut or bolt head a specified fraction of a turn beyond snug-tight, with the amount depending on bolt length and whether the bolt is held from rotating.

A hardened washer with raised bumps that flatten as the bolt is tensioned. A feeler gauge checks the remaining gap, and the specified gap closure confirms the required tension is reached.

A hydraulic device that measures the tension a bolt actually develops when tightened, used for pre-installation verification and for calibrating installation tools on the project site.

The contact face between plies in a bolted joint. In slip-critical connections it must be free of oil, paint, and loose scale as specified so the required slip resistance is achieved.

A bolted joint proportioned so that no slip occurs between plies at service loads, achieved with pretensioned bolts and faying surfaces prepared to give a stated slip coefficient.

A written document listing the essential variables for a production weld, including process, filler metal, current range, preheat, and technique, so welds of consistent quality are produced.

The documented record of the test weld made to support a welding procedure specification, showing the variables used and mechanical test results that demonstrate acceptable weld properties.

A joint detail listed in AISC 360 Chapter J that may be used without procedure qualification when the welding procedure stays within the essential variable limits the code states.

A groove weld in which sound weld metal extends through the full thickness of the joined parts, developing base metal strength and usually requiring detailed edge preparation and nondestructive testing.

A roughly triangular weld joining two surfaces that meet at an angle, sized by its leg, with strength calculated on the throat area resisting shear across the weld.

Energy delivered per unit length of weld, calculated from current, voltage, and travel speed; it controls cooling rate and therefore toughness, distortion, and preheat requirements.

A volumetric nondestructive method that sends high-frequency sound through a weld to find internal discontinuities such as lack of fusion, cracks, or slag, judged against stated acceptance limits.

A threaded steel rod cast in or post-installed into concrete that ties a column base plate to the foundation and carries uplift, shear, and bending into the concrete.

The verticality of erected columns and frames measured against a true vertical line. Erection tolerances cap how far out of plumb a member may be before correction is required.

Guys, cables, or temporary members that hold a partly erected frame stable until enough permanent connections and framing exist to resist all loads, including wind.

A headed steel stud welded through the deck to a beam to create composite action with the concrete slab; it is installed and tested under a qualified stud welding procedure.

The limits in the governing code that decide whether an observed discontinuity must be rejected, commonly stated as maximum sizes for porosity, undercut, or lack of fusion.

A written record describing work that does not meet the contract documents, the disposition chosen, and the corrective action taken, kept open until the item is resolved.

A document prepared by the registered design professional that lists each special inspection and test, its frequency, and the responsible party, filed with the permit application.

Inspection and testing of designated structural work by an approved agency independent of the contractor, required by the code where failure would endanger life or public safety.

The inspection agency's closing summary of the special inspections and tests performed, listing nonconformances and how they were resolved, submitted to the building official at project completion.