CLAUSE 5. FABRICATION
1M:2015
than 3/16 in [5 mm] deep on otherwise satisfactory sur-
faces shall be removed by machining or grinding.
Notches or gouges exceeding 3/16 in [5 mm] deep may
be repaired by grinding if the nominal cross-sectional
area is not reduced by more than 2%. Ground or
machined surfaces shall be faired to the original surface
with a slope not exceeding one in ten. Cut surfaces and
adjacent edges shall be left free of slag. In thermal cut
surfaces, occasional notches or gouges may, with ap-
proval of the Engineer, be repaired by welding.
5.15 Reentrant Corners
Reentrant corners of cut material shall be formed to pro-
vide a gradual transition with a radius of not less than 1
in [25 mm] except corners in connection material and
beam copes. Adjacent surfaces shall meet without offset
or cutting past the point of tangency. The reentrant cor-
ners may be formed by thermal cutting, followed by
grinding, if necessary, in conformance with the surface
requirements of 5.14.8.3.
5.16 Weld Access Holes, Beam Copes,
and Connection Material
Weld access holes, beam copes, and cut surfaces in con-
nection materials shall be free of notches. Beam copes
and cut surfaces in connection materials shall be free of
sharp reentrant corners. Weld access holes shall provide
a smooth transition that does not cut past the points of
tangency between adjacent surfaces and shall meet the
surface requirements of 5.14.8.3.
5.16.1 Weld Access Hole Dimensions. All weld access
holes shall have a length from the edge of the weld joint
preparation at the inside surface not less than 1-1/2 times
the thickness of the material in which the hole is made.
The minimum height of the access hole shall be the
thickness of the material with the access hole (tw) but not
less than 3/4 in [20 mm] nor does the height need to
exceed 2 in [50 mm]. The access hole shall be detailed to
provide room for weld backing as needed and provide
adequate access for welding.
5.16.1.1 Weld Access Holes in Rolled Sections. The
edge of the web shall be sloped or curved from the sur-
face of the flange to the reentrant surface of the access
hole. No corner of the weld access hole shall have a
radius less than 3/8 in [10 mm].
5.16.1.2 Weld Access Holes in Built-up Sections.
For built-up sections where the weld access hole is made
after the section is welded, the edge of the web shall be
sloped or curved from the surface of the flange to the re-
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AWS D1.1/D1.
entrant surface of the access hole. No corner of the weld
access hole shall have a radius less than 3/8 in [10 mm].
For built-up sections where the access hole is made be-
fore the section is welded, the access hole may terminate
perpendicular to the flange, providing the weld is termi-
nated at least a distance equal to the weld size away from
the access hole. Fillet welds shall not be returned through
the access hole (see Figure 5.2).
5.16.2 Galvanized Shapes. Weld access holes and beam
copes in shapes that are to be galvanized shall be ground
to bright metal. If the curved transition portion of weld
access holes and beam copes are formed by predrilled or
sawed holes, that portion of the access hole or cope need
not be ground.
5.16.3 Heavy Shapes. For rolled shapes with a flange
thickness exceeding 2 in [50 mm] and welded sections
with plate thickness exceeding 2 in [50 mm] in which the
curved surface of the access hole is thermally cut, a min-
imum preheat of 150°F [65°C] extending 3 in [75 mm]
from the area where the curve is to be cut shall be applied
prior to thermal cutting. For heavy sections the thermally
cut surfaces of beam copes and weld access holes shall
be ground to bright metal and inspected by either MT or
PT methods prior to deposition of splice welds. Weld ac-
cess holes and beam copes in other shapes need not be
ground nor inspected by PT or MT methods.
5.17 Tack Welds and Construction
Aid Welds
5.17.1 General Requirements
(1) Tack welds and construction aid welds shall be
made with a qualified or prequalified WPS and by quali-
fied personnel.
(2) Tack welds that are not incorporated in final
welds, and construction aid welds that are not removed,
shall meet visual inspection requirements before a mem-
ber is accepted.
5.17.2 Exclusions. Tack welds and construction aid
welds are permitted except that:
(1) In tension zones of cyclically loaded structures,
there shall be no tack welds not incorporated into the
final weld except as permitted by 2.17.2, nor construc-
tion aid welds. Locations more than 1/6 of the depth of
the web from tension flanges of beams or girders are
considered outside the tension zone.
(2) On members made of quenched and tempered
steel with specified yield strength greater than 70 ksi