Structural Bolting – Materials, Installation, and Inspection

This seminar will discuss three principal elements of structural bolting. The first element is the bolts, nuts, and washers typically used in steel construction, as well as special topics such as direct tension indicators, reaction and backing washers, and coating systems. Included will be product identification, certification, and product storage. This will be followed by discussion on bare, coated, and galvanized faying surfaces, and on the various methods to produce bolt holes and bolt hole quality requirements.

The second element is installation methods for snug-tightened, pretensioned, and slip-critical joints, including the turn-of-nut method, the combined method, the twist-off tension control bolt method, the direct tension indicator method, and the calibrated wrench method, including an overview of the tools that may be used and their limitations. Pre-installation verification testing and rotational-capacity testing will also be discussed.

The third element includes bolting inspection requirements in accordance with both the RCSC and the AISC 360 Specifications. Arbitration methods will be addressed. The new requirements in the 2025 RCSC Specification addressing the contractor’s responsibilities and the qualifications of bolting personnel will also be presented.