FABRICATION OF STRUCTURAL STEEL WORK

SCOPE

This specification should covers supply, fabrication, testing, painting and

delivery to site of structural steelwork including supply of all
consumable stores and rivets, bolts, nuts, washers and other materials
required for fabrication and field connections of all structural steelwork
covered under the scope of the contract.

GENERAL

Work to be provided for by the Contractor

The work to be provided for by the Contractor, unless otherwise specified

elsewhere in the contract, shall include, but not be limited to the following

a) Preparation of complete detailed fabrication drawings and erection

marking drawings required for all the structures covered under the
scope of the contract based on the approved design drawings. As
decided by the Engineer, some or all of these detailed drawings will
have to be submitted for approval.

b) To submit revised design with calculations and detailed fabrication

drawings in case any substitution of the designed sections are to be
made.

c) To submit design calculations for joints and. connections developed by

the contractor along with detailed fabrication drawings.

d) Furnish all materials, labour, tools and plant and all consumables
required for fabrication and supply, all necessary rivets, bolts, nuts,
washers, tie rods and welding electrodes for field connections,

e) Furnish shop painting of all fabricated steelwork as per requirements

Codes and standards

All work under this specification shall, unless otherwise specified in the
contract, conform to the requirements of the latest revision and/or
replacements of the following or any other relevant Indian Standard
specifications and codes of practice. In case any particular aspect of the
work is not specifically covered by any Indian Standard specification, any
other standard practice, as may be specified by the Engineer shall be
followed:
IS : 226 - Structural steel (Standard Quality)

IS : 800 - Code of Practice for general construction in steel.

IS : 806 - Code of practice for use of steel tubes in general building

construction.

IS : 808 - Rolled steel beams, channels, and angle sections

IS : 813 - Scheme of symbols for welding

IS : 814 - Covered electrodes for metal arc welding of structural steel

IS : 815 - Classification and coding of covered electrodes for metal

arc welding of structural steels.

IS : 816 - Code of practice for use of metal arc welding for general
construction in mild steel

IS : 817 - Code of practice for training and testing metal arc welders

IS : 818 - Code of practice for safety and health requirements in

electric and gas welding and cutting operations

IS : 822 - Code of practice for inspection of welds

IS : 919 - Recommendations for limits and fits for Engineering

IS : 961 - Structural Steel (High Tensile)

IS : 1148 - Rivet bars for structural purposes

IS : 1149 - High tensile rivet bars for structural purposes

IS : 1161 - Steel Tubes for structural purposes

IS : 1200 - Method of measurement of steelwork and ironwork (Part 8)

IS : 1239 - Mild Steel Tubes

IS : 1363 - Black hexagon bolts, nuts and lock nuts (dia. 6 to 30 mm)
and black hexagon screws (dia 6 to 24 mm)

IS : 1364 - Precision and semi-precision hexagon bolts, screws, nuts

and l locknuts (dia, range 6 to 39 mm)

IS : 1367 - Technical supply conditions for threaded fasteners

IS : 1442 - Covered electrodes for the metal are welding of high tensile
structural steel

IS : 1608 - Method for tensile testing of steel products other than sheet
strip, wire and tube

IS : 1730 - Dimensions for steel plate, sheet, and strip for structural
and general engineering purposes.

IS : 1731 - Dimensions for steel flats for structural and general

engineering purposes

IS : 1852 - Rolling and cutting tolerances for hot-rolled steel products

IS : 1977 - Structural steel (ordinary quality) St-42-0

IS : 2062 - Steel for General Structural Purposes

IS : 2074 - Ready mixed paint, red oxide Zinc chromate priming

IS : 2595 - Code of Practice for Radiographic Testing

IS : 2629 - Recommended practice for Hot-Dip Galvanizing of Iron

and Steel

IS : 2633 - Method for testing uniformity of coating on Zinc Coated

Articles
IS : 3757 - High strength structural bolts

IS : 4759 - Specifications for Hot-Dip Zinc Coatings on Structural

Steel and other allied products

IS : 7205 - Safety Code for Erection of Structural Steelwork

IS : 7215 - Tolerances for fabrication of steel structures

IS : 7280 - Bare wire electrodes for submerged arc welding of

structural steels.

IS : 9595 - Recommendations for metal arc welding of carbon and

carbon manganese steels.
of this Specification.

f) Suitably mark, bundle, and pack for transport all fabricated materials.

g) Prepare and furnish detailed Bill of Materials, Drawing Office

Dispatch lists, Rivet and Bolt List and any other list of bought out
 items required in connection with the fabrication and erection of the
structural steelwork.

h) Insure, load and transport all fabricated steelwork field connection

materials to site.
i) Maintain a fully equipped workshop at site for fabrication,
modification and repairs of steelwork at site as may be required to
complete the works in accordance with the Contract.

General

All workmanship shall be equal to the best practice in modern structural

shops, and shall conform to the provisions of the Indian Standard IS: 800 -
Code of Practice for general construction in steel and other relevant Indian
Standards or equivalent.

Straightening Material

Rolled materials before being laid off or worked, must be clean, free from
sharp kinks, bends or twists and straight within the tolerances allowed by
the Indian Standard Specification on IS: 1552 - Specification for rolling
and cutting tolerance for hot-rolled steel products. If straightening is
necessary, it may be done by mechanical means or by the application of a
limited amount of localized heat. The temperature of heated areas, as
measured by approved methods, shall not exceed 600°C.

Cutting

Shearing, cropping, or sawing shall affect cutting. Use of a mechanically

controlled gas-cutting torch may be permitted for mild steel only. Gas
cutting of high tensile steel may also be permitted provided special care is
taken to leave sufficient metal to be removed by machining, so that all
metal that has been hardened by flame is removed. Gas cutting without a
mechanically controlled torch may be permitted if special care is taken
and done under expert hand, subject to the approval of the Engineer.

To determine the effective size of members cut by gas, 3 mm shall be

deducted from each cut edge. Gas cut edges, which will be subjected to
substantial stress or which are to have weld metal deposited on them, shall
be reasonably free from gouges, occasional notches or gouges not more
than 4 mm deep will be permitted. Gouges greater than 4 mm that remain
from cutting shall be removed by grinding. All re-entrant corners shall be
shaped notch free to a radius of at least 12 mm. Shearing, cropping and
gas cutting shall be clean, reasonably square and free from any distortion.
 Planning of edges

Planning or finishing of sheared or cropped edges of plates or shapes or of edges gas-cut

with a mechanically controlled torch shall not be required, unless specifically required by
design and called for on the drawings, included in a stipulation for edge preparation for
welding or as may be required after the inspection of the cut surface. Surface cut with
hand- flame shall generally be ground, unless specifically instructed otherwise by the
Engineer.

Clearances

The erection clearance for cleated ends of members connecting steel to steel shall
preferably be not greater than 2 mm at each end. The erection clearance at ends of beams
web shall be not more than 3 mm at each end, but where for practical reasons greater
clearance is necessary, suitably designed cheatings shall be provided.

Riveted and bolted construction

Holes

Holes through more than one thickness of material for members, such as compound
stanchions and girder flanges, shall be drilled after the members are assembled and tightly
clamped or bolted together. Punching may be permitted before assembly, if the thickness
of the material is not greater than the nominal diameter of rivet or bolt plus 3 mm subject to
a maximum thickness of 16 mm provided that the holes are punched 3 mm less in diameter
than the required size and reamed after assembly to the full diameter.

Holes for rivets or black bolts shall be not more than 1.5 mm or 2.0 mm (depending on
whether the diameter of the rivet or bolt is less or more than or equal to 25 mm) larger in
diameter than the nominal diameter of the rivet or black bolt passing through them.

Holes for turned and fitted bolts shall be drilled to a diameter equal to the nominal diameter
of the shank or barrel subject to a tolerance grade of BS as specified in IS: 919. Parts to be
connected shall be firmly held together by tacking welds or clamps and the holes drilled
through all the thicknesses in one operation and subsequently reamed to size. Holes not
drilled through all thickness in one operation shall be drilled to a smaller size and reamed
out after assembly.

Holes for rivets or bolts shall not be formed by gas cutting process.

Assembly

All parts of riveted members shall be well pinned or bolted and rigidly held together
while riveting. Drifting to enlarge unmatching holes shall not generally be permitted. In
case drifting is permitted to a slight extent during assembly, it shall not distort the metal
or enlarge the holes. Holesthat must be enlarged to admit the rivets or bolts shall be
reamed. Poor matching of holes shall be cause for rejection .The component parts shall be
so assembled that they are neither twisted not otherwise damaged, and shall be so prepared
that the specified cambers, if any, are maintained.

Rivets shall ordinarily be hot driven, in which case their finished heads shall be
approximately hemispherical in shape and shall be of uniform size throughout the work for
rivets of the same size full, neatly finished and concentric with he holes. Rivets shall be
heated uniformly to a temperature not exceeding 1 125°C they shall not be driven after
their temperature has fallen below 540°C.

Rivets shall be driven by power riveters, of either compression or manually operated type,
employing pneumatic, hydraulic or electric power. Hand driven rivets shall not be allowed
unless in exceptional cases specifically approved by the Engineer. After driving, rivets
shall be tight, shall completely fill the holes and their heads shall be in full contact with the
surface. In case of countersunk rivets, the countersinking shall be fully filled by the rivet,
any proudness of the countersunk head being dressed off flush, if required.

Riveted members shall have all parts firmly drawn and held together before and during
riveting and special care shall be taken in this respect for all single riveted connections.
For multiple riveted connections, a service bolt shall be provided in every third or fourth
hole.

All loose, burnt, or otherwise defective rivets shall be cut out and replaced and special care
shall be taken to inspect all single riveted connections. Special care shall also be taken in
heating and driving long rivets. The Contractor shall prove the quality of riveting by
cutting some rivets chosen at random by the Engineer. No extra payment will be made to
the Contractor for such cutting and replacing. Riveting work, for any particular section or
group, will be considered satisfactory when at least 90% of the corresponding cut rivets is
found to be sound. If the ratio is below 75%, all the rivets in the particular section or group
shall be cut, removed and replaced and tested again at the Contractor's expense. For cases
between 75% and 90% the engineer shall have the option to instruct cutting and replacing
any number of further rivets at the Contractor's cost as he deems necessary.

Bolted construction shall be permitted only in case of field connections if called for on the
Drawings and is subjected to the limitation of particular connections as may be specified.
In special cases, however, shop bolt connections may be allowed if shown on drawing or
directed by the Engineer.

Washers shall be tapered or otherwise suitably shaped, where necessary, to give the heads
and nuts of bolts a satisfactory bearing. The threaded portion of each bolt shall project
trough the nut at least one thread. In all cases the bolt shall be provided with a washer of
sufficient thickness under the nut to avoid any threaded portion of the bolt being within the
thickness of the parts bolted together. In addition to the normal washer one spring washer
or lock nut shall be provided for each bolt for connections subjected to vibrating forces
or otherwise as may be specified on the Drawings.
 Welded Construction

Welding shall be in accordance with relevant Indian Standards and as

supplemented in the Specification. Welding shall be done by experienced
and good welders who have been qualified by tests in accordance with IS:
817.

Preparation of material

Surface to be welded shall be free from loose scale, slag, rust, grease,
paint, and any other foreign material except that mill scale, which
withstands vigorous wire brushing, may remain. Joint surfaces shall be
free from fins and tears. Preparation of edges by gas cutting shall,
wherever practicable, be done by a mechanically guided torch..

Welding Sequence

In assembling and joining parts of a structure or of built-up members, the

procedure and sequence of welding shall be such as will avoid needless
distortion and minimize shrinkage stresses in the closing welds of a rigid

Assembly, such closing welds shall be made in compression elements.

In the fabrication of cover-plated beams and built-up members, all shop

splices in each component part shall be made before such component part
is welded to other parts of the member. Long girders or girder sections
may be made by shod splicing not more than three sub-sections, each
made in accordance with this paragraph.

When required by the Engineer, welded assemblies shall be stress relieved

by heat-treating in accordance with the provisions of the relevant Indian
Standard or any other Standard approved by the Engineer.

Finish

Column splices and butt joints of compression members depending on

contact for stress transmission shall be accurately machined and close-
butted over the whole section with a clearance not exceeding 0.1 mm
locally at any place. In column caps and bases, the ends of shafts together
with the attached gussets, angles, channels etc; after welding/riveting
together, should be accurately machined so that the parts connected butt
over the entire surfaces of contact. Care should be taken that those
connecting angles of channels are fixed with such accuracy that they are
not reduced in thickness by machining by more than 1.0 mm.
Slab bases and caps

Bases and caps fabricated out of steel slabs, except when cut material with
true surface, shall be accurately machined over the bearing surface and
shall be in effective contact with the end of the stanchion. A bearing face,
which is to be grouted direct to a foundation, need not be machined if such
face is true and parallel to the upper face.

To facilitate grouting, holes shall be provided, where necessary, in

stanchion bases for the escape of air.

Shop connections

a) All shop connections shall be otherwise riveted or welded as specified

on the Drawings.

b) Heads of rivets on surfaces carrying brick walls shall be flattened to 10

mm thick projection.

c) Certain connections, specified to be shop connections, may be changed

to field connections if desired by the Engineer for convenience of
erection and the contractor will have to make the desired changes at no
extra cost to the exchequer.