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2000v04 Economy PDF
2000v04 Economy PDF
Economy in Steel
By Charles J. Carter, P.E., S.E., Thomas M. Murray, P.E., Ph.D., and William A. Thornton, P.E., Ph.D.
The Economy
Equation
Given The Economy Equation above, with the fire protection. Above all, make • Show all the structural steel on the
the following are some basic suggestions sure to coordinate with the architect so structural design drawings.
that you can use in your office practice the primer and finish coat are compati- As indicated in the AISC Code of
today to work smarter, not harder — and ble! Standard Practice, structural steel items
to improve the economy of steel building • When specifying galvanized mem- should be shown and sized on the struc-
construction. bers, keep the maximum lengths in tural design drawings. The architectural,
mind. Galvanizing dip tanks are general- electrical and mechanical drawings can
• Communicate! With the division of be used as a supplement to the structural
responsibilities for design, fabrication and ly limited to a member length of 40 ft.
Longer members often can be double- design drawings, such as by direct refer-
erection that is normal in current U.S. ence to illustrate the detailed configura-
practice, open communication between dipped, as long as the noticeable zone of
overlap between the two dips into the tion of the steel framing, but the quanti-
the engineer, fabricator, erector and ties and sizes should be clearly indicated
other parties in the project is the key to tank is not objectionable.
on the structural design drawings.
achieving economy. In this way, the • Clearly state any inspection require-
expertise of each party in the process can ments in the contract documents. The • Make the GC/CM clearly defines
be employed at a time when it is still pos- scope and type of inspection of structural responsibilities for non-structural and
sible to implement economical ideas. The steel should be indicated in the project miscellaneous steel items. Structural
sharing of ideas and expertise is the key specification. Make sure that the require- and non-structural steel items are identi-
to a successful project. ments for inspection are appropriate for fied in AISC Code of Standard Practice
the application. For example, the inspec- Section 2. Many items, such as loose lin-
• Take advantage of a pre-bid confer- tels, masonry anchors, elevator framing,
ence. When in doubt about a framing tion of groove welds that will always be
in compression during their service life is and precast panel supports, could be pro-
detail or construction practice, consult a vided by more than one subcontractor.
knowledgeable fabricator and/or erector. probably not required. Also, make sure
shop inspection is scheduled so that it Avoid the inclusion of such items in two
Most will gladly make themselves avail- bids by clearly defining who is to provide
able at any stage of the game for a pre- does not disrupt the normal fabrication
process. them.
bid conference, such as to help with pre-
liminary planning or discuss acceptable • Avoid the use of brand names when • Avoid “catch-all” specification lan-
and economical fabrication and erection specifying common products. When guage. Language like “fabricate and
practices. A pre-bid conference can also many manufacturers make a product, or erect all steel shown or implied that is
be used to communicate the require- there are acceptably equivalent products, necessary to complete the steel frame-
ments and intent of the project to avoid avoid specifying the product by brand work” probably sounds good to a lawyer,
misunderstandings that can be costly. name. When it is necessary to indicate a but it really does not add much to quality
Many times, fabricators and erectors can brand name for the purposes of descrip- or economy because it is nebulous and
provide valid cost-saving suggestions that, tion, be sure it is a current, readily avail- ambiguous. What is implied? Such lan-
if entertained, can reduce cost without able product. Whenever possible, allow guage probably results only in arguments,
sacrificing quality. the substitution of an “equal”. One excel- contingency dollars or change orders —
lent example: paint. and legal fees.
• Issue complete contract documents,
when possible. Design drawings and • Try to avoid them entirely, but when • Avoid language that is subject to
specifications are the means by which the you can’t, clearly identify changes and interpretation. Vague notations, such as
owner, architect and/or engineer com- revisions. Changes and revisions that are “provide lintels as required”, “in a work-
municates the requirements for structural issued after the date of the contract gen- manlike manner”, “standard” and “to the
steel framing to the fabricator and erec- erally have some cost associated with satisfaction of the engineer” are subject
tor. For guidance on what constitutes them. For example, material may have to widely varying interpretations. Instead,
complete contract documents, consult the already been ordered, shop drawings may when required, specify measurable per-
AISC Code of Standard Practice, particu- have already been drawn and shipping formance criteria that must be met.
larly Section 3. When the nature of the pieces may have already been fabricated. • Use standard tolerances.
project is such that it is not possible to ASTM A6/A6M defines standard mill
issue complete contract documents at the • Provide meaningful and responsive
answers to requests for information. practice. The AISC Code of Standard
time of bidding, clearly provide the scope Practice defines fabrication and erection
and nature of the work as far as what the When the fabricator asks for a design
clarification through an RFI, the most tolerances. The Research Council on
framing will be and what kinds of con- Structural Connections (RCSC)
nections are required. prompt and complete response, within
the limitations of the available informa- Specification covers bolting acceptance
• Don’t forget to include the basics. tion, will be beneficial to all parties. If criteria. The American Welding Society
Show a North arrow on each plan. Show the RFI involves information on a shop (AWS) D1.1 establishes weld acceptance
a column schedule. Include “General drawing approval submission, it is best to criteria. These and other documents pro-
Notes” that cover the requirements for provide the most specific answer possible. vide standard tolerances that are accept-
painting, connections, fasteners, etc. in a
able for the majority of cases. Generally,
they present the most efficient practices.
In some cases, more restrictive tolerances
may be contemplated for compatibility
with the systems and materials that are
supported by the structural steel frame.
Or tolerances may need to be defined for
highly specialized systems or when steel
and concrete systems are mated. All non-
standard practices should be cost justi-
fied.
• Specify paint only when it is needed.
Corrosion resistance for architectural or Figure 2. Web penetration reinforcement of an I-shaped beam.
structural purposes may be an important
criterion in the performance of structural
steel. Often, however, the actual condi- Try to avoid responses such as “architect Shear studs are unforgiving in that they
tions of use do not warrant extensive sur- to supply”, “general contractor to sup- can protrude through the top of the slab
face preparation or shop painting, and in ply”, or “verify in field”. when too little camber is relieved under
these cases no special surface preparation the actual load. Alternatively, allow suffi-
or treatment should be called for. For • Use 50 ksi steel in wide-flange mem- cient slab thickness to account for
example, steel that is enclosed in building ber design. U.S. wide-flange steel shape reduced actual deflection. Also, the min-
finishes, fireproofed, or to be in contact production today is normally 50 ksi by imum length of a beam that is to be cam-
with concrete generally need not be default. Specifying ASTM A992, ASTM bered is about 25’. Why? Because the
painted. Furthermore, if a finish coat is A572 grade 50 or ASTM A529 grade 50 fabrication jig that is used to camber
not specified, a shop primer coat need is the same cost as or within pennies per beams is usually configured with pivot
not be specified as it is of only minor pound of specifying ASTM A36 material. restraints that hold the beam from 18’ to
influence on corrosion in the construc- 20’ apart. To make sure there is adequate
• Use 36 ksi steel for plates and angles.
tion phase. For more information, see beam extending beyond this point to
ASTM A36 material is still predominant
AISC Specification Section M3 and its resist the concentrated force from the
in angles; so much so that it is difficult to
Commentary. cambering operation, a 25’ beam is gen-
obtain 50 ksi angle material, except by
erally required.
• When painting is necessary, don’t special order from the rolling mill.
ask too much of the shop coat. The Additionally, there is still a cost differen- • Economize web penetrations to min-
shop coat of paint (primer) is temporary tial between 36 ksi and 50 ksi plate prod- imize or eliminate stiffening. Web pen-
and will provide minimal protection dur- ucts. etrations in beams are often a cost-effec-
ing exposure for steel that is to receive a tive means of minimizing the depth of a
• Consider the use of hollow structural
finish coat in the field. floor system that contains mechanical or
sections (HSS). Square and rectangular
electrical ductwork. However, if they are
• Also, when painting is necessary, HSS are available in ASTM A500 grades
numerous and require stiffening, it is
select the right surface preparation B and C with 46 and 50 ksi yield
probably more economical to eliminate
and paint system for the job. The three strengths, respectively. Round HSS are
them and pass all ductwork below the
most commonly used surface prepara- available in ASTM A500 grades B and C
beams, if possible. Thus, stiffening at web
tions are SSPC SP-2 (hand-tool clean- with 42 and 46 ksi yield strengths,
penetrations should be called for only if
ing), SSPC SP-3 (power-tool cleaning) respectively. Although their material cost
required. The use of a heavier beam, a
and SSPC SP-6 (commercial blast clean- is generally higher, HSS generally have
relocated opening, a change in the size of
ing). SSPC SP-2 or SP-3 cleaning is usu- less surface area to paint or fireproof (if
the opening, and the use of current
ally satisfactory for an ordinary shop required), excellent weak-axis flexural
design procedures can often eliminate
prime coat. If conditions call for a high- and compressive strength, and excellent
the need for reinforcement of beam web
performance paint system for long term, torsional resistance when compared with
penetrations. If web penetrations are to
low maintenance protection, SSPC SP-6 wide-flange cross-sections.
be use and stiffening is required, the
is more frequently required. When most efficient and economical detail is
• Be careful when specifying beam
assemblies are to be blast cleaned, con- the use of longitudinal stiffeners above
camber. Don’t specify camber below ¾-
sider the limitations on size and length, and below the opening as illustrated in
in.; small camber ordinates are impracti-
which vary depending upon the available Figure 2. For more information on
cal and a little added steel weight may be
equipment. designing web openings, see AISC Design
more economical anyway. Also, do not
• Careful consideration should also be overspecify camber. Deflection calcula- Guide #2: Steel and Composite Beams
given to specifying a paint system that tions are approximate and the actual end with Web Openings (call 800/644-2400
will satisfy the required degree of cor- restraint provided by simple shear con- or visit www.aisc.org).
rosion protection. A high-quality paint nections tends to lessen the camber
• Favor the use of partially composite
system (or galvanizing) can be cost-effec- requirement. Consider specifying from
action in beam design. Although shear
tive or even essential for certain applica- two-thirds to three-quarters of the calcu-
stud installation costs vary widely by
tions, as in open parking structures. In lated camber requirement for beams
region, on average, one installed shear
these cases, life-cycle costing should be spanning from 20’ to 40’, respectively, to
stud equates to 10 lb of steel. Fully com-
performed. An alternative to high-quality account for connection and system
posite designs are not usually the most
surface treatments, in normal atmospher- restraint. In any case, watch out when
economical because the average weight
ic environments, may be ASTM A588 rounding up the calculated camber ordi-
savings per stud is less than 10 lb.
(weathering) steel. nate, particularly with composite designs.