Fabricator Designed Steel Connections
Fabricator Designed Steel Connections
(OP)
I have a conflict with a senior engineer in our office who states that all connections are designed by the fabricator. I cannot say that he's dead wrong but I look at Section 3 of the 2005 AISC Code of Standard Practice for Steel Buildings and Bridges and it really implies that this responsibility is on the engineer of record. How do others view this issue?
TIA
TIA






RE: Fabricator Designed Steel Connections
RE: Fabricator Designed Steel Connections
I'm in the Texas- connections are detailed by fabricators (question of efficiency), but in any seismic area, the EOR details connections.
RE: Fabricator Designed Steel Connections
RE: Fabricator Designed Steel Connections
RE: Fabricator Designed Steel Connections
ht
RE: Fabricator Designed Steel Connections
frv, I would say that for west coast jobs, the EOR designs the connections, but this is not necessarily the case for all seismic jobs. I have seen projects in the midwest (New Madrid fault) with seismic connections assigned to the fabricator.
JKW05, neither the 2000 or 2005 code lists specifically what the EOR is required to provide if the connection design is delegated to the fabricator. It instead says something to the effect that the EOR shall provide the necessary information, which may include reactions, moments, etc, but not a solid checklist per se.
RE: Fabricator Designed Steel Connections
I have also done previously connection designs, which are then reviewed by the fabricators for detailing. This can be time-consuming and queried heavily; it is a design by the engineer that is dependent on the engineer's experience and may not reflect the preferred practice by the fabricator. I may have only designed tens of different kinds of connections, mostly moment-type, whereas the fabricator has thousands, of all kinds!
It matters the scale of work, deadlines, comfort factor in each other and the team work.
Robert Mote
www.motagg.com
RE: Fabricator Designed Steel Connections
RE: Fabricator Designed Steel Connections
We do design and document unusual connections.
Designing all of the connections can often be a waste of time if the fabricator comes back and asks to change all of your double angle connections to shear tabs. Now they are designing them and your design time was wasted.
RE: Fabricator Designed Steel Connections
If the C.o.S.P. is being used, I would interpret that as a requirement. It does not say it "may" include these items. It then goes on to say that the connection details are to be submitted to the "Owner's designated representative" for approval.