Steel column Repair
Steel column Repair
(OP)
I'm a fresh graduated civil engineering program and now I work for a petrochemical company. My plant area is located nearby the sea.
My problem is I'm having a rusted steel column at the end section that connects to the foundation and the rusted anchor bolt also as you can see in the picture below. My questions are:
1) what is the steps to decide whether the anchor bolt should be replaced or not?
2) what is the steps to assess whether the column should be replaced totally or partially
3) if the column or the anchor bolt should be replaced/repaired then what is the most efficient method?
Thanks guys
My problem is I'm having a rusted steel column at the end section that connects to the foundation and the rusted anchor bolt also as you can see in the picture below. My questions are:
1) what is the steps to decide whether the anchor bolt should be replaced or not?
2) what is the steps to assess whether the column should be replaced totally or partially
3) if the column or the anchor bolt should be replaced/repaired then what is the most efficient method?
Thanks guys






RE: Steel column Repair
If the bolts are carrying significant force, you may want to check them a little more carefully but turn of the nut tightening is a measure of the bolt strength and is likely sufficient for your purposes.
BA
RE: Steel column Repair
The nuts are gone, which is typical. They are usually the first thing to go, although I don't know exactly why.
The bolts may still have enough meat left, but the threads to receive new nuts may be a problem.
RE: Steel column Repair
Chase the threads on the bolts with a threading die. If they are still relatively intact, put new nuts on as noted. If the threads cannot be restored, check the anchor bolt material for weldability and consider welding a mild steel block over the bolts in place of replacing the nuts. The block would have a tapered hole that would allow a better and deeper penetrating weld to hold the bolt. A fillet seal weld could then be placed around the bottom of the block to reduce corrosion potential.
RE: Steel column Repair
hokie - I agree with you about the nuts. Maybe we can get an FHWA grant and study it for a few years.
RE: Steel column Repair
You may be able to weld the column to the bolts instead of re-thearding them.
RE: Steel column Repair
Thanks for your help
RE: Steel column Repair
Since an overhead crane could put horizontal forces on the anchor bolts, I would then encase the bottom foot, or so, of the column with a reinforced concrete collar that is anchored to the surrounding concrete.
The fact that the plant is near the sea is why I'm skeptical of the condition of the unseen part of the anchor bolts. The column/anchor bolts looks for all the world like it has been submerged in sea water, or perhaps subjected to corrosive chemicals spilled at the plant.
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