June 2022 - American Institute of Steel Construction

 
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June 2022 - American Institute of Steel Construction
June 2022
June 2022 - American Institute of Steel Construction
June 2022 - American Institute of Steel Construction
June 2022 - American Institute of Steel Construction
June 2022

                                                                                          in every issue                                     features
                                                                                          departments
                                                                                                                                              30     Immersive Installation
                                                                                           6 EDITOR’S NOTE                                           BY JOHN JUCHA, SE,
                                                                                           9 STEEL INTERCHANGE                                         SHAUN FRANKLIN, PE, AND
                                                                                          12 STEEL QUIZ                                                MICHAEL OLSEN, PE
                                                                                                                                                     Steel helps arts and entertainment
                                                                                          62 NEW PRODUCTS
                                                                                                                                                     company Meow Wolf achieve its
                                                                                          63 NEWS & EVENTS
                                                                                                                                                     immersive vision with a quirky new
                                                                                          66 STRUCTURALLY SOUND                                      venue on a tight site in Denver.
                                                                                           resources
                                                                                           65 ADVERTISER INDEX                                36     Treading Lightly
                                                                                                                                                     BY BRETT SAUTER, SE, PE
                                                                                           65 MARKETPLACE                                            A Chicago bridge project powers
                                                                                               & EMPLOYMENT                                          through COVID-19 impacts while
                                                                                                                                                     minimizing its own impacts on the
                                                                                                                                                     train and highway traffic it traverses.

                                                                                                                                              40     Faster and Faster
                                                                                                                                                     BY BRETT MANNING, SE, DAVE P.
                                                                                                                                                       WRIGHT, KEITH D. PALMER, SE, PHD,
                                                                                                                                                       AND RYAN COOKE, PE, PHD
                                                                                                                                                     An already speedy steel plate
                                                                                                                                                     core system becomes even faster
                                                                                                                                                     thanks to an innovative “split”
                                                                                                                                                     planning mindset.

 40                                                                                                                                           48     Hillside Steel
                                                                                                                                                     BY RALPH PARRISH AND
                                                                                                                                                       ROBERT HORTON, PE, PENG
                                                                                                                                                     A new steel fabricator headquarters
                                                                                                                                                     building is both carved out of and
columns                                                                                                                                              blended into the foothills of the
 steelwise                                                       field notes                                                                         Appalachians.
  16     Are You Properly Specifying                              26     Intercontinental Connection
         Materials?                                                       INTERVIEW BY GEOFF WEISENBERGER
                                                                         Gian Rassati, a 2022 AISC Special
                                                                                                                                              54     Navigating Sustainability
                                                                                                                                                     BY LAURA MICHELI, PHD, BRUCE
         BY JONATHAN TAVAREZ, PE
         Learn what’s new in the world of structural                     Achievement Award winner, began life in a                                     BROTHERSEN, SE, PE, PENG, AND
         steel materials.                                                small Italian mountain town and has gone on                                   SCOTT RUSSELL, SE, PE, PENG
                                                                         to do big things in bolting research.                                       Notes on navigating the evolving
 data driven                                                                                                                                         sustainability landscape.
                                                                 business issues
 24      Rough Waters
         BY JOE DARDIS                                            28     A Letter to Entry-Level Engineers                                    60     And We’re Back
         As we navigate the turbulent seas of                             BY RYAN CURTIS, PE                                                         BY GEOFF WEISENBERGER
         construction pricing, remember that we’re all                   Advice for today’s young engineers on                                       NASCC: The Steel Conference
         in the same boat.                                               their way to becoming tomorrow’s                                            returns to an in-person format for
                                                                         engineering leaders.                                                        the first time since 2019.

ON THE COVER: It’s a tight squeeze for a new Denver museum located on a sliver of land between highways, p. 30.
(Photo: KL&A Engineers and Builders)
MODERN STEEL CONSTRUCTION (Volume 62, Number 6) ISSN (print) 0026-8445: ISSN (online) 1945-0737. Published monthly by the American Institute of Steel
Construction (AISC), 130 E Randolph Street, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60601. Subscriptions: Within the U.S.—single issues $6.00; 1 year, $44. Outside the U.S. (Canada and
Mexico)—single issues $9.00; 1 year $88. Periodicals postage paid at Chicago, IL and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Please send address changes to MODERN
STEEL CONSTRUCTION, 130 E Randolph Street, Suite 2000, Chicago, IL 60601.
DISCLAIMER: AISC does not approve, disapprove, or guarantee the validity or accuracy of any data, claim, or opinion appearing under a byline or obtained or quoted
                                                                                                                                                                           Printed on paper made
from an acknowledged source. Opinions are those of the writers and AISC is not responsible for any statement made or opinions expressed in MODERN STEEL                      from a minimum of
CONSTRUCTION. All rights reserved. Materials may not be reproduced without written permission, except for noncommercial educational purposes where fewer than 25           10% recycled content.
photocopies are being reproduced. The AISC and Modern Steel logos are registered trademarks of AISC.

4 | JUNE 2022
June 2022 - American Institute of Steel Construction
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June 2022 - American Institute of Steel Construction
editor’s note
                                                                                                                Editorial Offices
                                                                                                                130 E Randolph St, Ste 2000
                                                          If you were a teen (or like me,                       Chicago, IL 60601
                                                                                                                312.670.2400
                                                          had teenage or pre-teen kids)                         Editorial Contacts
                                                                                                                CHIEF EDITOR
                                                          a decade ago, you were                                Geoff Weisenberger
                                                                                                                312.493.7694
                                                          probably all too aware of a                           weisenberger@aisc.org
                                                          handful of mildly entertaining,                       PUBLISHER
                                                                                                                Keith A. Grubb, SE, PE
                                                          mostly harmless Nickelodeon                           312.804.0813
                                                                                                                grubb@aisc.org
                                                          shows such as iCarly                                  GRAPHIC DESIGN MANAGER
                                                                                                                Kristin Hall
                                                          and Victorious.                                       773.636.8543
                                                                                                                hall@aisc.org
                                                                                                                EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
    What you probably aren’t aware of is that more       have carbon footprints around half the industry        Scott Melnick
recently, millions of people like my youngest son        world average (by comparison, Chinese steel has        312.804.1535
                                                                                                                melnick@aisc.org
have watched hours and hours of online videos            roughly three times the greenhouse gas emissions
talking about these shows. These videos include          of American steel).                                    AISC Officers
recaps longer than the actual episodes, as well as           And improvements are steadily advancing.           CHAIR
incredibly dense philosophical discussions of the        Some of the reductions are organic. Remember           Stephen H. Knitter
                                                                                                                Geiger & Peters, Inc.
shows’ impact on the greater metaverse. And to be        that a large portion of steel’s carbon footprint
                                                                                                                VICE CHAIR
clear, I have no idea what all of that means.            is purely based on its energy intensity—and as
                                                                                                                Hugh J. McCaffrey
    But if you can imagine the level of complexity       the U.S. grid moves to more renewable energy,
                                                                                                                Southern New Jersey Steel Co.
devoted to analyzing innocuous TV programming,           we can expect a continuing decrease in carbon
                                                                                                                SECRETARY/LEGAL COUNSEL
you can probably begin to grasp the complexity of        footprint (by some estimates, the pivot to more        Edward Seglias, Cohen Seglias
looking at a topic like sustainability.                  renewable energy alone will lead to around a           Pallas Greenhall & Furman, PC
    On its most basic level, we can equate sus-          41% reduction in carbon emissions from domestic        PRESIDENT
tainability in design with net-zero carbon con-          structural steel production).                          Charles J. Carter, SE, PE, PhD
struction. The wood industry folks are gods at               But we’re also seeing a lot of other               SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
oversimplifying this equation. They conveniently         technological improvements that will further reduce    Scott Melnick
ignore the details and make overly broad general-        steel’s environmental impact. We’re seeing steel       SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
izations—e.g., what happens with the 40% to 60%          producers begin to build their own sustainable         Mark W. Trimble, PE
of material left behind when trees are harvested,        power sources next to their mills. We’re seeing        VICE PRESIDENT
the environmental differences between not just two       the incorporation of carbon-scrubbing equipment.       Todd Alwood
different species of tree but also two different trees   We’re seeing mills retaining most of their cooling     VICE PRESIDENT
within the same species, what percentage of wood         water in closed-loop systems, as well as looking       Carly Hurd
products is actually obtained from sustainably man-      at alternatives to water as a cooling source. We’re    VICE PRESIDENT
aged forests, and what happens to wood after a           seeing mills move away from natural gas to power       Lawrence F. Kruth, PE
building reaches the end of its life. (Seriously, does   their preheat furnaces. And much more.                 VICE PRESIDENT
anyone really believe that 30-year-old CLT panels            In fact, all the domestic structural steel mills   Mike Mospan
are going to be carefully demounted from exist-          have made substantial commitments to reduce            VICE PRESIDENT
ing buildings and somehow incorporated into new          their carbon footprint. For example, you can read      Brian Raff
construction?).                                          about Nucor’s commitment to reducing its carbon
                                                                                                                Editorial Advisory Panel
    Likewise, you can achieve today a net-zero           footprint by 35% by 2030—and how they’ll accom-        Brandon Chavel, PE, PhD
carbon project using structural steel. The nation’s      plish it—at nucor.com/greenhouse-gas-reduction-        Michael Baker International
largest steel producer, Nucor, is happy to sell you      target-strategy. You can read about Gerdau’s           Nat Killpatrick
its Econiq-branded product. Using a combination          efforts at www2.gerdau.com/climatechange               Basden Steel
of carbon offsets and purchasing agreements for          and SDI’s at stld.steeldynamics.com/valuing-           Christina McCoy, SE
renewable energy, the company can designate its          our-environment. (You can also read more about         Oklahoma State University
product as net-zero carbon—all for a very modest         sustainability and steel on page 54.)                  School of Architecture
premium. And if the demand exists, other mills can           Today, American structural steel, thanks to its    Allison Shenberger, PE
offer a similar product.                                 93% recycled content, is already an earth-friendly     ruby+associates
    And as a first step, products like Econiq are        construction material. But that’s not good enough—     Justin Smith, PE
                                                                                                                Walter P Moore
great. Fortunately, the steel industry isn’t content     and thankfully, the industry is investing both time
with this approach alone. Companies like Nucor           and money to truly reach the goal of being a car-      Advertising Sales
are committed to continuous reductions in their          bon-neutral material. And since video speaks louder    M.J. Mrvica Associates, Inc.
                                                                                                                2 W Taunton Avenue
carbon footprint and are investing millions of           than words, check out aisc.org/vr to see the mod-      Berlin, NJ 08009
dollars every year to develop and implement              ern steelmaking process, as well as videos of other    856.768.9360
improved solutions.                                      steps in the structural steel supply chain.            mjmrvica@mrvica.com
    For decades, American steel (and remember,                                                                  Address Changes and
the U.S. structural mill capacity in 2022 already                                                               Subscription Concerns
exceeds the demand for structural steel for Ameri-                                                              312.670.2401
                                                                                                                subscriptions@aisc.org
can building and bridge projects, and new mills
are under construction) has worked to truly reduce                                         Scott Melnick        Reprints
its carbon footprint. Currently, the major U.S. mills                                     Editorial Director    Kristin Hall
                                                                                                                hall@aisc.org
6 | JUNE 2022
June 2022 - American Institute of Steel Construction
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June 2022 - American Institute of Steel Construction
Quality Management
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Interested contractors
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June 2022 - American Institute of Steel Construction
steel interchange
If you’ve ever asked yourself “Why?” about something related to structural steel
design or construction, Modern Steel’s monthly Steel Interchange is for you!
Send your questions or comments to solutions@aisc.org.

Significant Load Reversal: Part 1
The Commentary on page 16.2-34                     effect and, therefore, whether slip can be      were pretensioned as required in Section
of the 2020 RCSC Specification for                 permitted or must be prevented.                 4.2 of the RCSC Specification but still
Structural Joints Using High-Strength                  High-strength bolting began to be used      designed as bearing connections, as is done
Bolts states: “Joints that are required            around the 1950s. In my experience (both        in AISC Design Guide 29: Vertical Bracing
to be slip-critical joints include:                firsthand dating to the early-to-mid-1990s      Connections—Analysis and Design, the Design
(2) Those cases where a slip of any                and secondhand looking at calculations          Examples associated with the AISC Steel
magnitude must be prevented, such                  and interacting with older engineers), it is    Construction Manual, and, I believe, in all of
as in joints subject to significant load           rare to see bracing connections designed        the handbooks I have ever encountered that
reversal and joints between elements               as slip-critical connections when standard      address such conditions. Given the ubiquity
of built-up compression members in                 holes are used. Note that Section 4.3.1         of the practice, one might expect problems
which any slip could cause a reduction             states that slip-critical joints are required   to have occurred in service if the practice
of the flexural stiffness, which is                for “joints that are subject to fatigue load    was likely to result in problems. The lack
required for the stability of the                  with reversal of the loading direction.”        of issues might then be taken as evidence
built-up member."                                  The AISC Specification for Structural Steel     that there will not be future problems.
   Some engineers in our office have               Buildings (AISC 360-16), in Section B3.11,          It is possible that one could have lateral
taken that to mean slip-critical bolts are         states: “Fatigue need not be considered for     force-resisting system connections that
required for all lateral force-resisting           seismic effects or for the effects of wind      will see tension and compression for which
system connections that will see tension           loading on typical building lateral force-      “slip of any magnitude must be prevented”
and compression. Is this correct?                  resisting systems and building enclosure        because “slip at the faying surfaces would
                                                   components.” At this point, there must          be detrimental to the performance of the
No, it is up to the engineer of record             be thousands of structures in which the         structure.” But based on my experience,
to determine whether the load reversal             connections subject to “significant load        this would be unusual.
produces a significant or negligible               reversal” due to wind or seismic loading                                    Larry S. Muir, PE

Significant Load Reversal: Part 2
Section 4.2 of the RCSC Specification              These seem to be referring to the                    The critical statement in the Commentary
states: “Pretensioned joints are                   same thing. Is this an error in the             is: “Those cases where slip of any magnitude
required in the following applications:            RCSC Specification?                             must be prevented…” For joints subjected
( 2 ) Jo i n t s t h a t a r e s u b j e c t t o                                                   to significant load reversal, the joint must be
significant load reversal.” However,               No, it is not an error. Section 4.2 and the     pretensioned. If, for that same joint, there is
the Commentary on page 16.2-34                     Commentary you refer to do not address          also enough concern about slip such that slip
states: “Joints that are required to be            the same thing, and I believe they are using    of any magnitude must be prevented, then the
slip-critical include: (2) Those cases             the term “significant load reversal” in a       joint should be designed as slip-critical. Note
where slip of any magnitude must be                consistent manner.                              that this is consistent with the requirement in
prevented, such as in joints subject                  Significant load reversal means that the     Section 4.3 in the RCSC Specification, which
to significant load reversal and                   load reverses direction in a manner that        states: “Slip-critical joints are required in
joints between elements of built-up                causes more than a negligible effect. When      the following applications involving shear
compression members in which any                   this occurs, the RCSC Specification Section     or combined shear and tension: (4) Joints
slip could cause a reduction of the                4.2 requires the joint to be pretensioned.      in which slip at the faying surfaces would
flexural stiffness, which is required for          The RCSC Specification does not require         be detrimental to the performance of the
the stability of the built-up member.”             the joint to be designed as slip-critical.      structure.”
                                                                                                                                 Larry S. Muir, PE

All mentioned AISC standards, unless noted otherwise, refer to the current version and are available at aisc.org/specifications,
AISC Design Guides are available at aisc.org/dg, and Engineering Journal articles can be found at aisc.org/ej.

                                                                                                                      Modern Steel Construction | 9
June 2022 - American Institute of Steel Construction
steel interchange

Galvanized High-Strength Bolts
Is it permissible to galvanize high-strength       “Mechanical galvanizing of spline-end                                            Table 2.1
bolts?                                             twist-off and fixed matched bolting                        Group Designations for Bolts and
                                                   assemblies shall be performed only                           Matched Bolting Assemblies
Yes, this is addressed in the 2020 RCSC            under the direction of the Manufacturer
                                                                                                                                                       Matched
Specification in Section 2.8.1:                    and as permitted by their respective                                 Tensile
                                                                                                            Group                       Bolts           Bolting
   “Group 120 and Group 144 bolting                standards. Hot-dip galvanizing of                                   Strength
                                                                                                                                                      Assemblies
   components are permitted to be hot-             spline-end matched bolting assemblies                                               ASTM
   dip or mechanically galvanized, except          is not permitted.”                                       Group                      F3125         ASTM F3125
                                                                                                                        120 ksi
   that direct-tension indicators are only                                                                  120                        Grade         Grade F1852
                                                   “Hot-dip or mechanical galvanizing                                                  A325
   permitted to be mechanically galvanized
                                                   of Group 150 heavy hex bolts or                          Group                                    ASTM F3148
   in compliance with ASTM F959.”                                                                                       144 ksi           —
                                                   Group 150 spline-end matched bolting                     144                                       Grade 144
   “Hot-dip galvanized bolting components          assemblies is not permitted.”                                                       ASTM
   shall meet the requirements of ASTM                                                                      Group                      F3125         ASTM F3125
                                                                                                                        150 ksi
                                                                                                            150                        Grade         Grade F2280
   F2329. Mechanically galvanized bolting         The “groups” referred to here are
                                                                                                                                       A490
   components shall meet the Class 55          defined in Table 2.1, which lists the
   requirements of ASTM B695. All              applicable bolt ASTM standards. The                                                         Jonathan Tavarez, PE
   threaded components of the bolting          Commentary in this section also provides
   assembly shall be galvanized by the         helpful guidance that you should review.
   same process.”

Various Interaction Equations
When designing a single-plate shear            Each of the interaction equations you                        to determine what is appropriate for
connection for combined axial, shear,          mentioned is valid for its intended                          your situation.
and flexural loads, the 15th Edition AISC      purposes. Different equations are used in                        AISC Manual Equation 9-1 is applicable
Steel Construction Manual recommends           various situations in AISC publications.                     to the plastic strength of members and
using Equation 9-1. However, in AISC           In many cases, more than one interaction                     connection elements with rectangular
Design Example II.A-17B, which looks           equation is valid, and the equation is                       cross sections. The development of this
at a connection subjected to axial             selected based on the author’s judgment.                     partially empirical equation is discussed in
and shear loading, an equation that is         I have used all of these equations and                       the first quarter 2015 Engineering Journal
derived from Chapter H in the AISC             several more in my connection design                         article “Plastic Strength of Connection
Specification for Structural Steel Buildings   practice. The selection of an appropriate                    Elements.” This equation is limited to
(ANSI/AISC 360), in conjunction with           interaction equation is dependent                            elements with low slenderness (where
AISC Manual Equation 10-5, is used.            on several considerations, including                         buckling is prevented). As discussed in
Can you help me understand why                 the cross-sectional shape (I-shaped,                         the fourth quarter 2016 Engineering
different interaction equations are used       T-shaped, rectangular, etc.), the stress                     Journal article “Stability of Rectangular
for similar load combinations?                 distribution on the cross section                            Connection Elements,” when stability is
             2    4
                                               (elastic, inelastic, plastic), the loading                   a design consideration, the interaction
     Mr
        + Pr + Vr ≤ 1.0 (9-1)                  types (shear, axial, flexure, torsion),                      equations in the 2016 AISC Specification,
     Mc   Pc   Vc                              and the slenderness for members that                         Section H1.1 are more appropriate.
             Vr 2+ Mr 2≤ 1.0 (10-5)            are subjected to compression stresses.                                             Bo Dowswell, PE, PhD
             Vc    Mc                          Ultimately, you must use your judgment
    Pr
        + Mrx + Mry ≤ 1.0 (H1-1b)
    2Pc   Mcx Mcy

Jonathan Taverez (taverez@aisc.org) is                                                                      The opinions expressed in Steel Interchange do not
                                                                                                            necessarily represent an official position of the American
AISC’s structural steel specialist in the                                                                   Institute of Steel Construction and have not been reviewed.
New York City Market. Larry Muir and                                                                        It is recognized that the design of structures is within the
                                                                                                            scope and expertise of a competent licensed structural
Bo Dowswell, principal with ARC                Steel Interchange is a forum to exchange useful and
                                                                                                            engineer, architect or other licensed professional for the
                                               practical professional ideas and information on all phases
International, LLC, are consultants to AISC.   of steel building and bridge construction. Contact Steel
                                                                                                            application of principles to a particular structure.
                                               Interchange with questions or responses via AISC’s Steel     The complete collection of Steel Interchange questions and
                                               Solutions Center: 866.ASK.AISC | solutions@aisc.org          answers is available online at www.modernsteel.com.

10 | JUNE 2022
This month’s questions and answers were developed by Michael Desch, an AISC intern
steel quiz                                     and current graduate student at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Thanks, Michael!

This month’s Steel Quiz explores the design considerations that impact the structural
design of hybrid steel-framed structures with mass-timber floors.

For guidance, you can consult the newly released AISC                   5 What is the maximum joint tolerance for panel gaps
Design Guide 37: Hybrid Steel Frames with Wood Floors                     suggested by the design guide?
(available at aisc.org/dg).                                               a. 1∕8 in.     b. 3∕16 in.           c. ¼ in.        d. 3∕8 in.
 1 Which of the following is a benefit of hybrid steel-timber           6 Which of the following is an actual difference between
    building systems?
                                                                          glue-laminated-timber (GLT) and cross-laminated-timber
    a. Larger columns sizes                c. Less prefabrication
                                                                          (CLT) products?
    b. Increased construction speed        d. All of the above
                                                                          a. Layer-to-layer bonding differs. Adhesives are used to
 2 True or False: For hybrid construction where both the steel               bond the layers of GLT, while CLT uses mechanical
    structure and mass timber are exposed, intumescent paint                 fasteners (screws, nails, or dowels).
    may be used when fire protection is required for the steel.           b. The layer type differs. The plies of GLT are made of
                                                                             many thin layers of wood veneer, while CLT is made
 3 True or False: A 6-in.-thick five-ply CLT floor panel alone               from plies of dimensional lumber.
    can sufficiently isolate acoustic transmission for most office        c. The orientation of each layer differs. GLT layers may be
    and residential applications.                                            oriented in parallel, while in CLT, every layer is oriented
 4 True or False: Two key advantages of the steel framing in                 perpendicular to adjacent layers.
    a hybrid system are that (1) the flexibility of the steel lateral     d. The fabrication location differs. GLT products are
    force-resisting system (LFRS) can minimize the impact of the             generally fabricated on-site, while CLT products are
    lateral system on the building architecture and (2) using a              usually prefabricated in factories
    steel LFRS provides a proven path to code compliance.
                                                                                                TURN TO PAGE 14 FOR THE ANSWERS

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Everyone is welcome to submit questions and answers for the Steel Quiz.
                                                      If you are interested in submitting one question or an entire quiz, contact
steel quiz               ANSWERS                          AISC’s Steel Solutions Center at 866.ASK.AISC or solutions@aisc.org.

1 b. Increased construction speed.          reduced column sizes, lightweight             exposed to fire. More information on
   There are many advantages of             construction, prefabrication, increased       designing fire protection for hybrid
   using a hybrid steel-timber build-       speed of construction, and more. You          systems can be found in Chapter 3 of
   ing system. Both materials can           can find more information on the ben-         Design Guide 37.
   play to their respective strengths       efits of hybrid steel-timber systems in
                                            Section 2.1 of Design Guide 37.
                                                                                       3 False. As discussed in Section 4.2 of
   to provide benefits over typical
                                                                                          the Design Guide, a 6-in.-thick five-
   steel or timber structures. These
                                          2 True. Intumescent paint protects              ply CLT panel will typically provide a
   advantages include aesthetics, sus-
                                            the underlying steel by charring and          sound transmission class (STC) rating
   tainability, long-span capabilities,
                                            expanding to insulate the member when         of about 40 and an impact insula-
                                                                                          tion class (IIC) rating in the mid-20s.
                                                                                          These ratings are insufficient for most
                                                                                          applications, with the International
                                                                                          Building Code (IBC) recommending
                                                                                          a minimum rating of 50 for both mea-
                                                                                          sures. Additional topping materials
                                                                                          can be used to improve the acoustic
                                                                                          performance of the floor assembly.
                                                                                       4 True. Braced frames and moment
                                                                                          frames are the most commonly
                                                                                          used LFRS. However, any steel LFRS
                                                                                          allowed by the authority having
                                                                                          jurisdiction can be used in a hybrid
                                                                                          project. In high-seismic areas, more
                                                                                          ductile LFRS are used in accordance
                                                                                          with the AISC Seismic Provisions for
                                                                                          Structural Steel Buildings (ANSI/AISC
                                                                                          341, aisc.org/specifications). CLT
                                                                                          panels can help reduce the mass of
                                                                                          the building, which in turn reduces
                                                                                          the seismic forces. More informa-
                                                                                          tion on designing lateral systems for
                                                                                          hybrid steel and mass timber floor
                                                                                          projects can be found in Section 6.2
                                                                                          of the Design Guide.
                                                                                       5 b. 3∕16 in. As discussed in Section 7.3
                                                                                          of the Design Guide, no standard
                                                                                          code of practice exists for erection
                                                                                          tolerances of mass timber construc-
                                                                                          tion. Therefore, the authors proposed
                                                                                          several erection tolerances to serve
                                                                                          as reasonable starting points when
                                                                                          discussing specific tolerance require-
                                                                                          ments with the contracting team.
                                                                                       6 c. The orientation of each layer
                                                                                          differs. GLT, due to the paral-
                                                                                          lel orientation of each ply and the
                                                                                          anisotropic nature of wood, offers
                                                                                          the most strength along a single axis,
                                                                                          so it is useful for beams, columns,
                                                                                          and slabs in one-way bending. CLT,
                                                                                          due to the alternating orientations of
                                                                                          each layer, provides strength in mul-
                                                                                          tiple directions. It is useful for walls,
                                                                                          floors, and roofs and has two-way
                                                                                          span capabilities. More information
                                                                                          on GLT, CLT, and other mass timber
                                                                                          products can be found in Section 1.2
                                                                                          of Design Guide 37.
14 | JUNE 2022
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steelwise

Are You Properly Specifying Materials?
BY JONATHAN TAVAREZ, PE

Learn what's new in the world of structural steel materials.

WITH THE UPCOMING publication of the             ments but rather guidance (see the                65, or QST 70. Atmospheric corrosion
16th edition AISC Steel Construction Man-        article “Says Who?” in the August 2013            resistance (weathering characteristics) can
ual comes an opportunity to verify that you      issue, available in the Archives section          be obtained by specifying ASTM A588
are correctly specifying materials.              at www.modernsteel.com). AISC rou-                for building construction or ASTM A709
    As we know, ASTM specifications              tinely surveys structural steel fabricators and   Grade 50W and QST grades for bridge
undergo periodic revisions, and new ones         producers to determine the most common            construction. These and other material
come into existence. The design and con-         and preferred material specifications for         specifications applicable to S-shapes and
struction process is significantly simpli-       various shapes. You may still be able to spec-    M-shapes are shown in Table 2-4.
fied through the reference of appropriate        ify something that does not align with these          Channels. Both Standard Channels and
ASTM specifications because they allow           recommendations, but this should only be          Miscellaneous Channels (MC) are most
you to define all the relevant characteristics   done based on engineering judgment and            commonly available as ASTM A992. Some
of a specified product.                          after discussing with the fabricator.             smaller channels less than 8 in. may still
    However, with dozens of ASTM speci-                                                            only be available as A36 material. Please
fications applicable to steel construction       Structural Shapes                                 confirm with a local fabricator before spec-
alone, keeping the standard designations             Let’s start with structural shapes, sum-      ifying ASTM A992 material for channels
used in contracts current can be challeng-       marized in Table 2-4.                             smaller than 8 in. Atmospheric corrosion
ing. Here, we’ll provide an updated sum-             W-shapes. The preferred material              resistance (weathering characteristics) can
mary of the most common ASTM speci-              specification for W-shapes is ASTM A992           be obtained by specifying ASTM A588 for
fications used in steel building design and      (Fy = 50 ksi, Fu = 65 ksi). The availability      building construction. Also, refer to Table
construction, including standards for struc-     and cost-effectiveness of W-shapes in             2-4 for the preferred material for channels.
tural shapes, plate products, fastening prod-    grades other than ASTM A992 should be                 HP-shapes. The preferred material speci-
ucts, and more. This information is based        confirmed before specifying. W-shapes of          fication for HP shapes is ASTM A572 Grade
on similar information in the new version        limited sizes with higher yield and ten-          50 (Fy = 50 ksi, Fu = 65 ksi); other grades’
of the Manual. Another useful AISC publi-        sile strength can be obtained by specify-         availability and cost-effectiveness should
cation is Selected ASTM Standards for Steel      ing ASTM A529 Grade 55, ASTM A572                 be confirmed prior to specification. HP-
Construction including Structural Stainless      Grades 55, 60, and 65, ASTM A913 Grades           shapes with atmospheric corrosion resistance
Steel, which provides a compilation of 98        60, 65, 70, and 80, or A709 Grades QST            (weathering characteristics) can be obtained
structural and stainless steel-related ASTM      50S, QST 65, and QST 70. W-shapes with            by specifying ASTM A588 Grade 50. These
standards. Selected ASTM Standards is pres-      atmospheric corrosion resistance (weath-          and other material specifications applicable
ently available at aisc.org/publications.        ering characteristics) can be obtained by         to HP-shapes are shown in Table 2-4.
The AISC 16th Edition Steel Construction         specifying ASTM A588 for building con-                Angles. The preferred material specifi-
Manual will be available in mid-2023.            struction or ASTM A709 Grade 50W and              cation for angles is ASTM A572 Grade 50.
    All ASTM standard specifications have        QST grades for bridge construction. These         Angles may be available in other strength, but
a typical format. Of course, the chemical        and other material specifications applicable      the preferred material is shown in Table 2-4.
and mechanical property requirements are         to W-shapes are shown in Table 2-4.                   Structural tees. Structural tees are split
essential, but an often-overlooked section           S-shapes and M-shapes. The pre-               from W-, M- and S-shapes to make WT-,
is “Ordering Requirements.” This section         ferred material specification for these           MT- and ST-shapes, respectively. For the
lists the items necessary to list when pur-      shapes is now ASTM A572 Grade 50                  preferred material specifications and other
chasing materials to ensure that you obtain      (Fy = 50 ksi, Fu = 65 ksi). The availability      suitable material specifications for struc-
the product required. Some standards also        and cost-effectiveness of S-shapes and            tural tees, refer to the preceding sections
depend heavily on other ASTM standards,          M-shapes in grades other than those listed        on W-, M- or S-shapes, as appropriate.
with an example being the reliance on            should be confirmed prior to their speci-             Rectangular (and square) HSS. The
ASTM A6 for common delivery require-             fication. S-shapes and M-shapes with a            preferred material specification for rectan-
ments. Some standards also contain help-         higher yield and tensile strength can be          gular hollow structural sections (HSS) is
ful information in notes and Annexes that        obtained by specifying ASTM A529 Grade            ASTM A500 Grade C (Fy = 50 ksi, Fu = 62
should be reviewed as well.                      55, ASTM A572 Grades 55, 60, and 65,              ksi). Two notable options for HSS are A1065
    Note that this article, along with the       ASTM A913 Grades 60, 65, 70, and 80, or,          and A1085. A1085 (Fy = 50 ksi, Fu = 65 ksi)
Manual, should not be taken as require-          for bridges, A709 Grades QST 50S, QST             provides actual wall thickness and tighter

16 | JUNE 2022
steelwise
corner radii tolerances for design. Additional
benefits include a maximum yield stress of                                       Table 2-4
70 ksi for A1085 and a defined standard for              Applicable ASTM Specifications for Various Structural Shapes
Charpy V-notch material toughness. The                                                                                  Applicable Shape Series
availability and cost-effectiveness of rectan-
                                                                                                                                                       HSS
gular HSS in grades other than ASTM A500                                                       Fy      Fu
                                                                                              Yield Tensile

                                                                                                                                                       Round
Grade C should be confirmed prior to their

                                                                                                                                               Rect.
                                                                                             Stressa Stressa

                                                                                                                                                               Pipe
                                                                       ASTM
specification. Since A500 Grade C require-        Steel Type         Designation              (ksi)   (ksi) W M S HP C MC L
ments also meet the requirements of A500                                    A36                 36     58–80b
Grade B, it is likely that you will receive                             A53 Gr. B               35       60
A500 Grade C material regardless of what                                           Gr. B        46       58
you specify. It is, therefore, best to specify                    A500             Gr. C        50       62
Grade C to take advantage of the increased                                         Gr. D        36       58
design strength. Rectangular HSS with
                                                                  A501h            Gr. B        46       65
atmospheric resistance (weathering char-            Carbon
                                                                                  Gr. 50        50     65–100
acteristics) can be obtained by specifying                        A529c
                                                                                  Gr. 55        55     70–100
ASTM A847 or A1065 Grade 50W. These
                                                                  A709            Gr. 36        36     58–80b
and other material specifications applicable
                                                                                  Gr. 36      36–52      58
to rectangular HSS are shown in Table 2-4.                       A1043d,g
                                                                                  Gr. 50      50–65      65
    Round HSS. The preferred material
specification for round HSS is ASTM A500                          A1085            Gr. A      50-70      65

Grade C (Fy = 50 ksi, Fu = 62 ksi). This is                                       Gr. 42        42       60
a significant change from the 46-ksi yield                                        Gr. 50        50       65
stress that was previously the standard for                       A572i           Gr. 55        55       70
round HSS specified as A500 Grade C. This                                      Gr. 60e          60       75
change occurred in the revision to ASTM                                        Gr. 65e          65       80
A500 Grade C in 2021. Note that A1085                                         Gr. Iag, Ib
                                                                                                50f      70f
(Fy = 50 ksi, Fu = 65 ksi) may also be speci-                     A618h          & II
fied for round HSS members for actual wall                                         Gr. III      50       65
thickness. The availability and cost-effec-      High-Strength                    Gr. 50        50       65
tiveness of round HSS in grades other than         Low-Alloy      A709         Gr. 50S        50–65      65
ASTM A500 Grade C should be confirmed                                          Gr. 50W          50       70
prior to specification. Generally speaking,                                       Gr. 50        50       65
only round HSS with the same cross-sec-                                           Gr. 60        60       75
tional dimensions as steel pipe are stocked                       A913            Gr. 65        65       80
and readily available (see the “12 Tidbits”                                       Gr. 70        70       90
sidebar for further information). Round                                           Gr. 80        80       95
HSS with atmospheric corrosion resistance                                   A992              50–60      65
(weathering characteristics) can be obtained                     A1065g           Gr. 50        50       60
by specifying ASTM A847. These and other           Corrosion-                Gr. QST 50         50       65
material specifications applicable to round         Resistant                Gr. QST 50S      50–60      65
HSS are shown in Table 2-4.                        Quenched       A709
                                                 and Tempered                Gr. QST 65         65       80
    Steel pipe. The Manual lists ASTM
                                                   Low-Alloy                 Gr. QST 70         70       90
A53 Grade B (Fy = 35 ksi, Fu = 60 ksi) as
                                                   Corrosion-               A588                50       70
the preferred material specification for steel      Resistant
                                                                            A847                50       70
pipe used in structural frames—however,          High-Strength
                                                   Low-Alloy     A1065g        Gr. 50W          50       70
the following considerations should be
addressed first. Round ASTM A500 Grade
                                                                                     Note: Referenced standards in Table 2-4 are intended to be the
C can be specified using pipe dimensions            = Preferred material
                                                                                     versions specified in AISC Specification Section A2.
                                                      specification.
instead of A53 to take advantage of the                                               a
                                                                                        Minimum, unless a range is shown.
                                                                                      b
                                                                                        For wide-flange shapes with flange thicknesses over 3 in.,
increased strength. A53 pipes need to               = Other applicable
                                                      material                          only the minimum of 58 ksi applies.
be pressure tested, which results in an                                               c
                                                                                        For shapes with a flange or leg thickness less than or equal to
                                                      specification,
unnecessarily increased overall cost for              the availability of             d
                                                                                        1½ in. only.
                                                                                        For shape profiles with a flange width of 6 in. or greater.
less strength than what could have been               which should be                 e
                                                                                        For shapes with a flange or leg thickness less than or equal
obtained if round A500 Grade C was                    confirmed prior                   to 2 in. only.
                                                      to specification.               f
specified. Additionally, regional availability                                          Minimum applies for walls nominally ¾-in.-thick and under. For wall
                                                                                        thickness over ¾ in. and up to 1½ in., Fy = 46 ksi and Fu = 67 ksi.
may play a factor, so be sure to contact your       = Material                        g This specification is not a prequalified base metal per AWS
fabricator. See the sidebar “12 Tidbits” for          specification
                                                                                        D1.1/D1.1M:2020.
                                                      does not apply.                 h ERW or seamless HSS only.
further information.                                                                  i Type 1, 2, or 3 only.

                                                                                                                            Modern Steel Construction | 17
steelwise
                                    Table 2-5                                                                                                                                                                          Plate Products
                  Applicable ASTM Specifications for Plates and Bars                                                                                                                                                       Next, let’s look at steel plate, which
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       is summarized in Table 2-5.
                                                                             Plates and Bars, thickness, t, in.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Structural plates. ASTM A36 and

                                                                             over 0.75 to 1.25
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       A572 Grade 50 should be readily avail-

                                                                                                 over 1.25 to 1.5
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       able for main member or weldment

                                                                                                                    over 1.5 to 2
                                                                                                                                    over 2 to 2.5
                                                                                                                                                    over 2.5 to 4
                                                                                                                                                                    over 4 to 5
                                                                                                                                                                                  over 5 to 6
                                                                                                                                                                                                over 6 to 8
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       design. It is more common for plate
                                            Fy             Fu
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       material to ASTM A572 Grade 50 (Fy

                                                                   to 0.75
                                           Yield         Tensile

                                                                                                                                                                                                              over 8
   Steel           ASTM                   Stressa        Stressa                                                                                                                                                       = 50 ksi, Fu = 65 ksi). If plate mate-
   Type          Designation               (ksi)          (ksi)                                                                                                                                                        rial is specified as A36 (Fy = 36 ksi, Fu
                                            32            58–80                                                                                                                                                        = 58 ksi), it is very likely that you will
                                          Connecting
                                                          58–80                                                                                                                                                        be receiving an A572 Grade 50 plate
                      A36                  elements
                                     36                                                                                                                                                                                since the mechanical properties of A572
                                           All other
                                                          58–80                                                                                                                                                        Grade 50 meets the same requirements
                                          applications
  Carbon                                                                                                                               d                                                                               of A36. One caution when specifying
                          Gr. C             30            55–75
              A238e                                                                                                                    d
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       plates over 4 in. thick. A572 Grade 50
                         Gr. D              33            60–80
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       material is not commonly available for
                         Gr. 50             50           65–100                  b                   b                 b               b               b
              A529                                                                                                                                                                                                     plates over 4 in. thick. When ASTM
                                            55           70–100                   c                  c                  c               c               c
                         Gr. 55                                                                                                                                                                                        A36 is specified for plates over 4 in.
              A709       Gr. 36             36            58–80                                                                                                                                                        thick, the yield strength drops to 32 ksi
                         Gr. 42             42             60                                                                                                                                                          rather than 36 ksi. One major change
                         Gr.   50i          50             65                                                                                                                                                          in the new Manual is the preference
              A572h      Gr. 55             55             70                                                                                                                                                          of material for connecting elements is
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       now ASTM A572 Grade 50. This does
                         Gr. 60j            60             75
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       not prohibit the use of A36, but it rec-
                         Gr. 65             65             80
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       ognizes the prevalence of 50 ksi mate-
              A709       Gr. 50             50             65
   High-                                                                                                                                                                                                               rial in the supply chain. ASTM A36 is
  Strength               Gr. 36           36–52            58                                                                                                                                                          included as the preferred material for
                 e
 Low-Alloy A1043                          50–65            65
                         Gr. 50                                                                                                                                                                                        connecting elements with thicknesses of
                         Gr. 50             50             65                                                                                                                                                          4 in. through 8 in. The availability and
                         Gr. 60             60             75                                                                                                                                                          cost-effectiveness of structural plates in
              A1066      Gr. 65             65             80                                                                                           f                                                              grades other than these should be con-
                         Gr. 70             70             85                                                                                                                                                          firmed prior to their specification. Note
                                            80             90                    g                                                                                                                                     that thickness ranges are also different
                         Gr. 80
                                                 e
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       for other grades, as shown in Table
 Corrosion-                                 42             63
  Resistant                                                                                                                                                                                                            2-5. Structural plates with higher yield
                      A588                  46e            67
   High-                                                                                                                                                                                                               and tensile strength can be obtained by
  Strength                                  50             70                                                                                                                                                          specifying ASTM A572 Grade 55, 60,
 Quenched
                                            90           100–130                                                                                                                                                       or 65; ASTM A529 Grade 55; ASTM
   and
                      A514e                                                                                                                                                                                            A1066 Grade 60, 65, 70, or 80; or
 Tempered
   Alloy                                   100           110–130                                                                                                                                                       ASTM A514 Grade 90 or 100. Struc-
                        Gr. 50W             50             70                                                                                                                                                          tural plates with atmospheric corrosion
 Corrosion-
  Resistant                                 50             70
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       resistance (weathering characteristics)
                      Gr. HPS 50W
 Quenched                                                                                                                                                                                                              can be obtained by specifying ASTM
              A709    Gr. HPS 70W           70           85–110
    and                                                                                                                                                                                                                A588 Grade 42, 46, or 50. These and
 Tempered               Gr. HPS             90           100–130
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       other material specifications applicable
 Low-Alloy              100We              100           110–130                                                                                                                                                       to structural plates are shown in Table
                                     Note: Referenced standards in Table 2-5 are intended to be the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                       2-5. For significant orders, ASTM A709
     = Preferred material
       specification.                versions specified in AISC Specification Section A2.                                                                                                                              HPS 50 or70 can be considered.
                                      a Minimum, unless a range is shown.                                                                                                                                                  Structural bars. The preceding
     = Other applicable               b Applicable for plates to 1 in. thickness and bars to 3½ in. thickness.
       material                       c Applicable for plates to 1 in. thickness and bars to 3 in. thickness.                                                                                                          comments for structural plates apply
       specification,                 d Thickness is not limited to 2 in. in ASTM A283 and thicker plates                                                                                                              equally to structural bars, though note
       the availability of              may be obtained but availability should be confirmed.                                                                                                                          that ASTM A514 is not applicable.
       which should be                e This specification is not a prequalified base metal per
                                        AWS D1.1/D1.1M:2020.                                                                                                                                                           While frequently falling in the same
       confirmed prior
       to specification.              f Applicable for plates to 3 in. thickness.                                                                                                                                      size ranges as plates, bars are a separate
                                      g Applicable for plates to 1 in. thickness.                                                                                                                                      classification and are generally available
     = Material                       h Type 1, 2, or 3 only as given in Specification Table A3.1
       specification                  i Round bars up to and including 11 in. diameter are permitted.                                                                                                                  in widths up to 8 in. The terminology
       does not apply.                j Round bars up to and including 3½ in. diameter are permitted.                                                                                                                  section in the ASTM A6 Standard (see
18 | JUNE 2022
steelwise
 Selected ASTM Standards for Steel Construc-       maximum carbon by heat analysis, and            standard with many types and grades; the
 tion including Structural Stainless Steel) pro-   without specified mechanical properties.”       structural steel type is designated “SS” and
 vides thickness, width, and length defini-        Alternatively, if a defined strength level is   the standards provide for grades from 25
 tions to differentiate between steel plates       desired, ASTM A786 raised-pattern floor         or 30 to 80. High-strength low-alloy and
 and bars.                                         plate can be ordered to a specific plate        high-strength low-alloy with improved
     Raised-Pattern Floor Plates. ASTM             material specification, such as ASTM A36,       formability are designated as HSLAS and
 A786 is the standard specification for            A572, or A588; see ASTM A786 Sections           HSLAS-F, respectively, and may also be
 rolled steel floor plates. As strength            5.1.3, 7.1, and 8.1.                            specified if needed. When using shims and
 considerations seldom control the floor-             Sheet and Strip. Sheet and strip prod-       similar products, note that 3∕16 in. is the
 plate design, ASTM A786 “commercial               ucts, which are generally thinner than          minimum thickness to specify and receive
 grade” is commonly specified. In those            structural plate and bar products, are pro-     a mill test report conforming to an ASTM
 cases, per ASTM A786-15, Section 5.1.3,           duced to such ASTM specifications as A606,      standard material. Availability should be
“The product will be supplied with 0.33%           A1008, or A1011. This is an “umbrella”          checked before specifying the grade.

12 Important Tidbits
 Here are a dozen points to consider               HSS6.000×0.250 is an HSS-only product           to embarrass you by pointing out that
 when specifying materials for your next           and may require a mill-order quantity.          you’ve specified a product that does
 project.                                              5. Properly designate your HSS.             not come in the length you likely speci-
     1. When in doubt, check it out.               A round HSS is designated by out-               fied—or as a hooked or longer-threaded
 Have questions about availability? Call           side diameter and wall thickness, each          rod. Use ASTM F1554, which covers
 a fabricator or contact the AISC Steel            expressed to three decimal places—e.g.,         hooked, headed, and threaded/nutted
 Solutions Center (solutions@aisc.org;             HSS6.625×0.28. A square or rectangular          rods in three strength grades and even
 866.ASK.AISC). Either one can keep you            HSS is designated by nominal outside            has only slightly greater tensile strength
 swimming in available steel. Also, visit          dimensions and wall thickness, each             than A325 when specified as Grade 105.
 aisc.org/aisc-membership to search for            in rational numbers—e.g., HSS4×4×3∕8.           ASTM F3125 Grade A325 has a tensile
 member providers.                                 Rectangular HSS with even dimensions            strength of 120 ksi, while ASTM F1554
     2. Times change. When ASTM A992               for sides—e.g., HSS6×4×5∕16—is more             Grade 105 has a tensile strength of 125–
 was initially introduced, only W-shapes           readily available than odd-numbered             150 ksi.
 were covered. A later revision to this            dimensions—e.g., HSS5×3×3∕8.                        8. Have all the information at your
 ASTM standard expanded its scope to                   6. Properly designate your steel            fingertips. More extensive information
 include other hot-rolled structural cross         pipes. Use nominal pipe size (NPS) des-         can be found in the 16th Edition Man-
 sections (channels, angles, S-shapes,             ignation through NPS 12—e.g., Pipe 5            ual (available in 2023) and the Selected
 etc.), allowing them to be made to ASTM           Std., Pipe 5 x-strong, or Pipe 5 xx-strong.     ASTM Standards for Steel Construction
 A992. Nevertheless, A992 still is not             Note that this notation has commonly            including Structural Stainless Steel (avail-
 common in shapes other than W-shapes              been abbreviated for the examples               able at aisc.org/publications).
 and channels.                                     given: P5, PX5, and PXX5, respectively.             9. Remember to specify the alter-
     3. Round HSS ≠ steel pipe. Know               Above NPS 12, use the format “Pipe”             nate core location CVN requirement
 the difference between ASTM A500 and              followed by nominal diameter × nominal          when you have heavy shapes or plates
 ASTM A53. While ASTM A53 (Fy = 35 ksi)            wall thickness, each expressed to three         with CJP groove welds and subject to
 is the listed preferred material for pipes,       decimal places—e.g., NPS 14 Standard            tension; see AISC Specification Sections
 ASTM A500 (Fy = 50 ksi for Grade C)               is designated Pipe 14.000×0.375. The            A3.1c and A3.1d for further information.
 can be specified instead of using pipe            latter format also applies to any steel             10. When specifying weathering
 dimensions. See Tidbit 4 to learn how to          pipe size smaller than NPS 12 that does         steel plates or bars, think ASTM A588
 specify pipe dimensions for round HSS.            not have an NPS size.                           first. ASTM A242 is no longer commonly
     4. Generally speaking, only round                 7. Don’t confuse anchor rods with           used and has been removed from Table
 HSS with the same cross-sectional                 structural bolts. Do not specify your           2-5 in the Manual.
 dimensions as steel pipe are stocked              anchor rods as ASTM F3125 Grade A325                11. Use the MC12×14.3 for stair
 and available. Avoid specifying a round           or A490. The ASTM F3125 standard cov-           stringers. Due to its flange width, the
 HSS with a cross section that does                ers headed bolts, with limited thread           handrail pipe sizes will fit, as will the fillet
 not match up to one of the steel pipe             length, generally available only up to          welds used to connect them to this new
 cross sections. This is much easier than          8 in. in length and governed by provi-          channel with a wider flange.
 it sounds; use round HSS with non-                sions for steel-to-steel structural joints          12. When in doubt, check it out
 zero numbers after the decimal point.             only. You say you’ve always specified           and ask your fabricator. Oh wait, this
 For example, HSS6.625×0.28 has the                your anchorage devices this way and it’s        is number 1; well, it’s important enough
 same cross section as a Pipe 6 Std.               never been a problem? Well, the reality         that it warrants being the first and last
 And it will generally be available, while         is that your fabricator has been nice not       consideration.
                                                                                                                    Modern Steel Construction | 19
steelwise
Fastening Products                                Specification for Structural Steel Buildings       for anchor rods are usually larger than
    Next, let’s explore fasteners, summa-         (ANSI/AISC 360, aisc.org/specifications)           those for steel-to-steel structural bolting
rized in Table 2-6.                               to use other material specifications in            applications. AISC Manual Table 14-2 pro-
    High-strength bolts. The umbrella             steel-to-steel bolting applications, the use       vides recommended hole sizes that corre-
bolt standard ASTM F3125 includes grades          of materials besides those identified in this      late with anchor rod placement tolerances
that were previously manufactured under           article is relatively rare.                        from ACI 117. Accordingly, washers used
the standards ASTM A325, A490, F1852,                 Nuts. The preferred material specifica-        in such applications generally must be
and F2280 for high-strength bolts in steel-       tion for heavy-hex nuts is ASTM A563. The          larger and require design consideration for
to-steel connections. Under the umbrella          appropriate grade and finish for steel-to-         proper force transfer, particularly when the
standard F3125, the previous ASTM stan-           steel structural bolting applications are sum-     anchorage is subject to tension. Table 14-2
dard designations become grades—i.e.,             marized in Section 2.3 of the 2020 RCSC            is revised to reflect different material thick-
Grade A325 and A490 and Grade F1852               Specification for Structural Joints Using High-    nesses for Grade 36, 55, and 105 anchor
and F2280. A325 and A490 are hex-headed           Strength Bolts (aisc.org/specifications). If its   rods. Such anchor rod washers are generally
bolts, while F1852 and F2280 are twist-off        availability can be confirmed prior to specifi-    made from rectangular plate or bar material.
tension-controlled bolts. Additionally, the       cation, ASTM A194 Grade 2H nuts are per-               Compressible-washer-type           direct-
bolts were previously grouped by strength         mitted as an alternative, as indicated in Sec-     tension indicators. When bolted joints are
groups: Groups A (120 ksi), B (150 ksi), and      tion 2.3.2 of the RCSC Specification. While        specified as pretensioned or slip-critical and
C (200 ksi). Group C bolts were ASTM              RCSC (Research Council on Structural               the direct-tension-indicator pretensioning
F3043 or F3111 bolts. An additional bolt          Connections) is the authority on the use of        method is used, ASTM F959 compressible-
was added to the AISC Specification in 2022.      nuts, Table 2 in the ASTM F3125 specifica-         washer-type direct-tension indicators can
The new bolt standard ASTM F3148, with            tion may have more up-to-date information          be specified. Type 325 is used with ASTM
a tensile strength of 144 ksi, is introduced as   and should be checked.                             F3125 Grade A325 or F1852 assemblies,
an applicable material for spline drive bolts         Washers for structural bolts. The pre-         and Type 490 is used with ASTM F3125
where the spline is used to pretension the        ferred material specification for hardened         Grade A490 or F2280 assemblies. ASTM
bolt, but it does not twist off.                  steel washers is ASTM F436. This speci-            F3148 bolts are pretensioned to the same
    To more clearly designate these bolts, the    fication provides for both flat and beveled        tension as Group 150 bolts (Grade A490),
previous Group letters were replaced by the       washers. An “extra thick” option is available      so the A490 DTIs should be used for this
material strength designations—i.e., Groups       for the cases in RCSC Specification Table 6.1      application if DTIs are required. The use of
120, 144, 150, and 200. Type 1 is the most        that require a special 5∕16 -in. thickness (when   these devices must conform to the require-
commonly specified (medium-carbon steel).         oversized or slotted holes are used in the         ments in the RCSC Specification, which pro-
When atmospheric corrosion resistance             outer ply of a steel-to-steel structural joint).   vides detailed requirements for preinstal-
is desired, Type 3 can be specified. While            Washers for anchor rods. In base               lation verification (Section 7), installation
it is still formally permitted by the AISC        plate applications, anchor rods’ hole sizes        (Section 8), and inspection (Section 9).

New Things                                          low alloy steel flux cored arc welding             also be obtained and are discussed
Here’s a list of recent developments to             electrodes. This standard is currently             in the article “Larger Hollow Struc-
help guide your material specifications.            present in D1.1:2020, but it has since             tural Sections” in the November 2011
• Several new W, WT, and HSS shapes                 been withdrawn, with the two previous              issue (www.modernsteel.com). This
  are introduced in the 16th edition Man-           standards remaining as the applicable              includes a discussion of ASTM A1065
  ual and are listed below:                         specifications.                                    shapes produced by forming two chan-
     – New W Shapes: W44×408,                     • A new bolt standard, ASTM F3148, is                nels and welding them together.
       W44×368, W36×387, W36×350,                   introduced and is meant to provide a             • A channel especially for stair string-
       W36×318, W36×286                             strength between that of F3125 Grade               ers. The MC12×14.3 that was recently
     – New WT Shapes: WT22×204,                     A325 and A490, hoping to supersede                 added to ASTM A6 was conceived as
       WT22×184, WT18×193.5,                        them both in the future. ASTM F3148                a stair stringer. It has a 21∕8-in. flange
       WT18×175, WT18×159, WT18×143                 bolts are also able to be mechanically             width, wide enough to accept the stan-
     – For brevity, the entire list is not          galvanized.                                        dard handrail pipe size and fillet weld
       included here but note that there          • Larger HSS. Until recently, ASTM                   around it. No more crimping the pipe
       are 16 new square HSS shapes,                A500 HSS was limited to 7∕8-in. thick-             or goobering the weld!
       130 new rectangular HSS shapes,              ness and 88-in. perimeter. It now per-           • Bigger HP-shapes. While not recently
       and 64 new round HSS shapes.                 mits HSS to 1-in. thickness and 88-in.             added to ASTM A6, the HP18 and HP16
• It should be noted that the AWS A5.36             perimeter. While the standards permit              series shapes provide for even higher
  standard was previously introduced                these larger sizes, they are not currently         pile strengths. Like all HP shapes, they
  with the intention of combining A5.20             made in the U.S.; availability should be           have thicker webs (tw = tf) and may help
  and A5.29 into a single specifica-                checked. HSS with sizes that exceed                eliminate the need for stiffeners and
  tion covering both carbon steel and               ASTM A500’s 88-in. periphery limit can             doublers when used as columns.
20 | JUNE 2022
steelwise
     Anchor rods. The preferred material
 specification for anchor rods is ASTM                                                   Table 2-6
 F1554, which covers hooked, headed,                       Applicable ASTM Specifications for Various Types of Structural Fasteners
 threaded, and nutted anchor rods in two                                                                                       Bolts                                                                              Anchor
                                                                                                                                                                        Washers
 strength grades: 36, 55, and 105. ASTM                                                                      High-Strength                                                                                         Rods
 F1554 Grade 55 is most commonly speci-

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Threaded & Nutted
 fied, although grades 36 and 105 are gener-

                                                                                                                            Tension Control

                                                                                                                            Tension Control

                                                                                                                                                                                                Threaded Rods
                                                                                                                                              Common Bolts

                                                                                                                                                                               Direct-Tension
 ally available. Note that per Section 6.4 in

                                                                                                                            Twist-off-type
                                                                                                             Conventional
 ASTM F1554, when Grade 36 is ordered,                            Fy

                                                                                                                            Fixed-end

                                                                                                                                                                    Hardened
                                                                 Min.    Fu

                                                                                                                                                                               Indicator
 the supplier may substitute weldable Grade

                                                                                                                                                                                                                Hooked
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Headed
                                                                Yield Tensile
 55 at their discretion. ASTM F1554 Grade

                                                                                                                                                                               Plain
                                                                                                                                                             Nuts
                                                      ASTM      Stress Stressa Diameter
 36 may be welded as is, and Grade 55 may           Designation (ksi)   (ksi)  Range (in.)
 be welded if ordered with Supplement S1;                       Gr. A325d     –        120    0.5 to 1.5
                                                   ASTM F3125

 this is the more common approach when                          Gr. F1852d    –        120    0.5 to 1.5
 welding is required. Grade 105 may not be                      Gr. A490d     –        150    0.5 to 1.5
 welded, as the heat will detrimentally affect                  Gr. F2280d    –        150    0.5 to 1.5
 performance. Several other ASTM specifi-                       F3111         –    200–215    1 to 1.25
 cations may also be used. ASTM A36, A193,                      F3043         –    200–215    1 to 1.25
 A307, A354, A449, A572, A588, and A687                         F3148d        –        144   0.5 to 1.25
 can be specified for applications involving          A194 Gr. 2H             –         –     0.25 to 4
 rods that are not headed. All except A572                      A563          –         –     0.25 to 4
 and A588 can be specified for applications                     F436          –         –     0.25 to 4b
 involving headed rods.                                         F844          –         –        any
     Threaded rods. The preferred mate-                                                 –     0.5 to 1.5b
                                                                F959          –
 rial specification for threaded rods, whether
                                                                 A36         36     58–80       to 15
 provided with plain or upset ends, is ASTM
                                                                             105       125      to 2.5
 A36. Other material specifications that can
                                                       A193 Gr. B7           95        115   over 2.5 to 4
 be specified include ASTM A193, A307,
                                                                             75        100   over 4 to 7
 A354, A449, A572, A588, and F1554. Note
 that ASTM A354 Grade BC and A449 are                    A307 Gr. A           –        60     0.25 to 4
                                                                                       125   0.25 to 2.5        e                                                                                  e
 permitted to be used for bolts when the                         Gr. BC
                                                                             109
                                                   A354

                                                                                                                e                                                                                  e
 size required is outside the range of ASTM                                  99        115   over 2.5 to 4
 F3125 Grade A325. ASTM A354 Grade                               Gr. BD      130   150–173    0.25 to 4         e                                                                                  e

 BD is permitted when the size required is                                   92        120    0.25 to 1         e                                                                                  e

 outside the range of ASTM F3125 Grade                          A449d        81        105   over 1 to 1.5      e                                                                                  e

 A490. These standards are material stan-                                    58        90     1.75 to 3         e                                                                                  e

 dards, not bolt standards, so the desired                        Gr. 42     42        60        to 6
 dimensions must be specified as per ANSI                         Gr. 50     50        65        to 4c
 ASME B18.2.6 heavy hex class 2A.
                                                   A572

                                                                  Gr. 55     55        70       to 2.5
      Shear stud connectors. Shear studs                          Gr. 60     60        75       to 3.5
 are specified as given in AWS D1.1 Clause                        Gr. 65     65        80        to 2
 9, with material as required in Clause
                                                                             50        70        to 4
 9.2.6. Type B is usual, and the correspond-
                                                                A588         46        67    over 4 to 5
 ing mechanical requirements are stated
                                                                             42        63    over 5 to 8
 in AWS D1.1 Table 9.1 (Fy = 51 ksi, Fu =
                                                                  Gr. 36     36     58–80     0.25 to 4
 65 ksi). When ordering, remember to add
                                                   F1554

                                                                  Gr. 55     55     75–95     0.25 to 4
 the required length by the amount of the
                                                                 Gr. 105     105   125–150    0.25 to 3
“melt-off,” which depends on the number of
 deck plies the stud is shot through.
      Filler metal. AWS provides specifica-                     = Preferred material            Note: Referenced standards in Table 2-6 are intended to be the
                                                                  specification.                versions specified in AISC Specification Section A2.
 tions for filler metals in the A5 series of                                                     – Indicates that a value is not specified in the material specification.
 specifications. Typically, there are two filler                = Other applicable               a Minimum unless a range is shown or maximum (max.)
 metal specifications for each process: carbon                    material specification,          is indicated.
                                                                  the availability of            b For use with fasteners with diameter range given.
 steel for strengths up to E70 and low alloy                      which should be                c ASTM A572 permits rod diameters up to 11 in., but practicality
 for higher strengths or other properties such                    confirmed prior to               of threading should be confirmed before specification.
                                                                                                 d When atmospheric corrosion resistance is desired,
 as weathering. These specifications provide                      specification.
                                                                                                   Type 3 can be specified.
 chemical composition requirements for the                      = Material specification         e See AISC Specification Section J3.2 for limitations
 filler metals and tensile property and CVN                       does not apply.                  on use of ASTM A449, A354 Gr. BC and A354 Gr. BD.
                                                                                                                                                               Modern Steel Construction | 21
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