ENGINEERING OFFICE
GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS DIVISION 5 - METALS
SECTION 05090 - METAL FASTENING
PART 1 - GENERAL
1.1 SCOPE OF SECTION
A. This section covers the methods and materials for fastening metals together and includes
connectors and welding.
1.2 REFERENCES
A. The following standards are referred to or implied by this specification.
1. BSI EN 499: Welding consumables - covered electrodes for manual metal arc welding
of non-alloy and fine grain steels – classification.
2. BSI EN 1435: Non-destructive testing of welds - Radiographic testing of welded joints.
3. BSI 3019: Part 1 Specification for TIG welding of aluminium, magnesium and their
alloys.
4. BSI 3692: ISO metric precision hexagon bolts, screws and nuts.
5. BSI EN 1714: Non-destructive testing of welds - Ultrasonic testing of welded joints.
6. BSI 4190: ISO metric black hexagon bolts, screws, and nuts.
7. BSI 4320: Metal washers for general engineering purposes.
8. BSI EN 10025: Hot rolled products of structural steels.
9. BSI 4395: High strength friction grip bolts and associated nuts and washers for
structural engineering.
10. BSI 4604: The use of high strength friction grip bolts in structural steelwork.
11. BSI EN 15614: Specification and qualification of welding procedures for metallic
materials - Welding procedure test.
12. BSI EN 287: Qualification test of welders - Fusion welding.
13. BSI EN 1011: Welding - Recommendations for welding of metallic materials.
14. BSI 5950: Structural use of steelwork in building.
15. BSI 6072: Methods for magnetic particle flow detection.
16. BSI 8118: Structural use of aluminium.
1.3 DESIGN
A. The detailed design of all connections shall be the responsibility of the Contractor and shall
be in accordance with the relevant sections of BSI 5950, BSI EN 1011 or BSI 8118 as
applicable.
B. The Contractor shall submit detailed calculations for all connections to the Owner for approval
before work commences.
1.4 SUBMITTALS FOR REVIEW
A. Submittals shall be made in accordance with Section 01330 "Submittal Procedures".
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GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS DIVISION 5 - METALS
B. Submit for Owners review all items described in this specification section.
PART 2 – MATERIALS
2.1 PRECISION AND BLACK BOLTS
A. Black hexagon head bolts shall comply with the requirements of BSI 4190 and shall be of the
strength shown on the drawings.
B. Precision hexagon head bolts shall comply with the requirements of BSI 3692 and shall be of
the strength shown on the drawings.
C. Washers complying with BSI 4320 used with such bolts shall be tapered or flat as appropriate
to ensure full bearing for the nut and the bolt head.
2.2 HIGH STRENGTH FRICTION GRIP BOLTS
A. High strength friction grip bolts, nuts and washers shall comply with the requirements of BSI
4395 and shall be of the strength shown on the drawings.
2.3 WELDING MATERIALS
A. Metal arc welding of steel shall comply with BSI EN 1011. Electrodes for manual metal arc
welding shall comply with BSI 639. Automatic welding processes shall deposit weld metal
complying with BSI 639.
B. Tungsten arc welding of aluminium shall be in accordance with BSI 3019: Part 1. All
materials used in welding or brazing shall be compatible with the parent alloys which are
being joined. The corrosion resistant properties and strength of the alloys shall not be unduly
impaired by the process of welding and care shall be taken to avoid high residual welding
stresses.
C. Electrodes used shall give a weld deposit having mechanical properties not less than the
minimum specified for the parent metal. All electrodes shall be used strictly in accordance
with the manufacturer's recommendations.
D. The storage of the consumable materials shall comply with the recommendations of the
respective manufacturer and shall be in accordance with the best modern practice.
E. The Contractor's attention is drawn to the necessity for keeping basic electrodes dry. On site,
the electrodes should be kept in heated portable quivers and only used when still warm.
F. The storage of wire for automatic and semi-automatic welding processes shall be such as to
avoid the formation of deleterious materials on the wire.
G. The Engineer shall have the right to inspect and approve the storage arrangements and may
reject any materials which have been damaged or are considered unsuitable for any reason.
PART 3 – EXECUTION
3.1 BOLTED CONNECTIONS
A. The Contractor shall undertake all calculations and detail all connections in accordance with
the appropriate British Standards from the information given on the Drawings or provided by
the Contractor in accordance with Clause 1.1 of the Section-05120. Shop connections may
be bolted, riveted or welded but site connections shall be bolted.
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GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS DIVISION 5 - METALS
B. Bolts complying with BSI 3692 or 4190 shall be of strength grade 8.8 and washers used with
such bolts shall be tapered or flat as appropriate to ensure full bearing for the nuts and the
bolt heads.
C. All bolts in any one connection shall be of the same diameter and all bolts used on Site shall
be of the same strength grade.
D. High strength friction grip bolts used in site connections shall have load indicating heads and
shall be used in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. High strength friction
grip bolts shall be the grade shown on the detailed or shop drawings.
E. Holes in members over 10mm thick shall be drilled and in members of 10mm or less may be
punched, cleaned of burrs or rough edges and countersunk where required before assembly.
F. All holes shall be the appropriate size for the type and diameter of bolt being used and shall
not be more than 2mm larger than the diameter of the bolt passing through them.
G. Drift pins shall only be used to bring together the several parts of the structure and shall not
distort or enlarge the holes. The Engineer shall be informed where misalignment exceeds
one third of the hole diameter off centre, and will either reject the work or order the holes
reamed out. Under no circumstance shall the holes be enlarged by thermal cutting, or shall
the bolts be driven into position.
H. All bolts shall have steel washers minimum 2.4mm thick between the part being turned and
the member being fixed. Tapered washers shall be fitted to the head and/or nut where the
bearing surface slopes more than 300 from a plane at right angles to the bolt areas. Care
shall be taken to ensure that the washers have the correct taper and are placed the right way
round.
I. Bolts connecting metal-coated steel shall have the washers fitted under both the head and
the nut.
J. All bolts shall show at least five turns of complete threads beyond the nut face. The threaded
portion of all bolts other than HSFG bolts shall terminate clear of any shear plane in the joints.
K. No bolted connection shall have less than two bolts through each member. In the case of
double-span purlin and rails this condition may be waived with the approval of the Engineer.
L. HSFG Bolts shall be used in accordance with the relevant part of BS 4606.
M. The contact surfaces of connections shall be free from paint, grease, oil or other material,
which would reduce the frictional properties of the joint.
N. Where necessary to prevent the nuts seizing on the bolts, liquid high-pressure lubricant may
be applied only to the outstanding threads after the bolts have been inserted through the
steelwork, taking care to prevent the lubricant from getting between the piles.
3.2 FOUNDATION BOLTS AND ANCHORAGES
A. The Contractor shall supply and deliver to site all necessary anchorages and foundation bolts
which are to be fixed into the foundations and all templates required for correct location of
anchorages and foundation bolts.
B. Foundation bolts shall be complete with tubular steel sleeves, washer plates, anchor frames,
washers and nuts.
C. After foundation bolts and anchorages have been cast into the concrete, the bolt ends shall
be protected by greasing and wrapping with suitable protective material.
3.3 GROUTING OF POCKETS AND HOLES
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A. All materials shall conform to the requirements of Section 03300 "Cast in Place Concrete".
B. Grout shall consist of ordinary Portland cement and water mixed in the proportions of two
parts by weight of cement to one part of water except where otherwise specified.
C. Grout which has been mixed for a period longer than 45 minutes shall not be used.
D. Holes and pockets for holding-down bolts, tubes and anchors shall be thoroughly cleaned out
using compressed air and water jet and filled with grout. The pouring of liquid grout shall
cease as soon as each hole is filled and any excess grout on the surface of the concrete
foundation shall be completely removed and the surface dried off before the next operation
proceeds.
3.4 WELDING
A. All welding shall be carried out in accordance with BSI 5135 or as amended by this
Specification in such a manner as to minimize distortion and locked-up stresses.
B. Before any work is commenced particulars of the following shall be submitted to the Engineer
for approval:
1. The welding process to be used for all major joints.
2. The type of electrode or welding wire and its size.
3. Welds to be full profile or minimum 6mm fillet welds
4. The approximate welding current and welding speed proposed.
5. The degrees of preheat; if any.
C. All welding operatives shall have been tested in accordance with BSI 4872, Part 1, and the
Contractor shall submit to the Engineer, when required, acceptable evidence of the welders'
competence to undertake the specified work using the same type of electrodes and welding
positions. The acceptance of these certificates will be at the sole discretion of the Engineer,
who may require further tests to be taken chosen from BSI 639.
D. The Engineer may also require further tests where the construction involves difficult or
unusual welds where, due to the problems of access or number of meeting plates or sections
or other peculiarities, the welding is more liable to be defective and/or of greater structural
importance. In this instance the welders test shall consist of a mock-up of the joint or joints in
question and shall be in all material respects the same as in the work itself. The completed
joint shall be submitted to non-destructive examination to the same standard as would apply
the works.
E. No restriction shall normally be placed on the choice of electrodes for manual arc welding of
mild or Grade S275 steel up to a thickness not exceeding 40mm except that the electrodes
shall comply with the requirements of BSI 639. However, where the thickness of a joint
exceeds 40mm only hydrogen controlled electrodes to BSI Classification E 5130 B (H) shall
be used.
F. The electrodes and fluxes to be used shall be chosen so that the mechanical properties of the
deposited weld material and parent material are comparable. In the case of construction
which comprises a mixture of mild and special steels, the deposited weld material a mixture
of mild and special steels, and deposited weld material shall comply with the mechanical test
requirements of the higher strength material.
G. Welds shall only be located where shown on the drawings and shall not be used for
temporary attachment or repair of faulty plates without approval.
H. The lengths of welds shall be calculated excluding end craters. Tack welds shall not be less
than 50mm long except on tubes.
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I. Run on and run off plates shall be used in the making of all butt welds and of all welds by
automatic processes to ensure a full throat thickness at the ends as follows:
1. The material for the plates shall be identical to the material being welded.
2. The plates shall be prepared in the same manner as the parts being joined.
3. After completion of the weld the plates shall be removed and the surfaces to which
they were attached shall be ground smooth.
4. The plates shall be identified and retained for inspection if required.
3.5 TESTING OF WELDS
A. Welds shall be tested in accordance with the requirements of the appropriate British
Standards listed in Clause 1.02-A of this Section. The names of independent organizations
to be employed on testing of welds shall be submitted to the Engineer for approval prior to
testing taking place.
B. The minimum percentage of welds given in paragraphs C and D of this Clause shall be tested
unless agreed otherwise with Engineer. Where the percentage of welds to be tested is less
than 100%, the location of tests or sections to be tested shall be agreed with the Engineer.
C. Testing of butt welds:
Item Test Percentage of Total
length of welds to be
tested
All welds Visual Inspection 100
All welds Magnetic Particle Inspection 10
Tension Members (excluding Radiographic or Ultrasonic 10
roof trusses)
Moment connections Radiographic or Ultrasonic 100
(excluding roof trusses)
Roof trusses bottom chords Radiographic or Ultrasonic 100
( Tension members)
Roof trusses top chords Radiographic or Ultrasonic 20
( Compression members)
Special fabrications e.g. tee Radiographic or Ultrasonic 100
plates and plates to girders
etc.
D. Testing of fillet welds:
Item Test Percentage of Total No.
of welds to be tested
All welds Visual Inspection 100
All welds Magnetic Particle Inspection 5
Web and flange stiffeners Magnetic Particle Inspection 10
Intersections of vertical and Magnetic Particle Inspection 20
diagonal members in roof
trusses
E. The following distribution of slag inclusions, or single or aligned gas pockets, throughout the
length of the weld shall be acceptable. The length of inclusions is in a direction measured
parallel with the length of the weld.
1. Multiple inclusions, 0.3mm - 1.6mm in length at a pitch not less than 10mm.
2. Single inclusions, 1.6mm - 3.00mm in length separated by at least 150mm.
3. Groups of three inclusions, 1.6mm - 2.4mm in length at a pitch not less than 10mm, the
groups separated by at least 150mm.
4. A single inclusion of not greater than 6mm in length.
F. Any area of weld which is found to be unacceptable shall be ground out and re-welded.
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1. The grinding process shall provide a tapering transition from the unacceptable to the
acceptable portion of the weld.
2. The decision of the Engineer on the acceptability of any weld shall be final.
3.6 WELDERS' TEST
A. Only certificated welders, tested and certified by an authority acceptable to the Owner, shall
be employed in fabricating the works.
B. Welder’s tests are divided into two categories. The first will be applicable to shop and site
welders who will be making the more commonly used configuration of joints, and the second
covers the more difficult or unusual welds where, due to problems of access or number of
meeting plates or sections or other peculiarities, the welding is more liable to be defective
and/or of greater structural importance.
C. Tests in the first category will normally be chosen from BSI 4872: Part 1. To simulate the
conditions which will apply to the work, the thickness of the test plates may be increased over
that specified in the BSI and may in addition be tested by non-destructive means, so that all
the weld is examined. The standard of acceptance shall be the same as that which will be
applied to the work.
D. In the case of shop welders who have been tested within the last six (6) months on similar
joints to those proposed for the present work the production of acceptable certificates of
competence may result in waiving of the first category of welder’s test. The acceptance of
these certificates shall be at the sole discretion of the Owner.
E. The second category of welders' test shall consist of a ‘mock-up’ of the joint or joints in
question and shall be in all material respects the same as on the work itself. The completed
joint shall be submitted to non-destructive examination to the same standard as would apply
to the work, and may also be sectioned for further examination as directed by the Engineer.
F. If the tests in this second category are required by the Engineer, then the welding of the joints
so represented shall be limited to those welders who have satisfactorily completed such a
test.
G. The cost of making all welder’s tests in either of the categories shall be borne by the
Contractor.
END OF SECTION 05090
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