SECTION 506 – STRUCTURAL STEEL
506.01 Description
This Section describes the requirements for furnishing and erecting bridges, structures, structural bearings and reinforced elastomeric bearings and associated elements that include use of structural steel and miscellaneous metals.
506.02 Materials
Provide materials as specified: Grout ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................... 903.08.02 Structural Steel ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............. 906.01 Structural Steel Fabrication ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................... 906.04 Structural Bearing Assemblies ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... 907.01 Reinforced Elastomeric Bearing Assemblies ................................ ................................ ................................ . 907.02 Bearing Pads ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 907.03 Bolts and Bolting Materials ................................ ................................ ................................ .......................... 908.01 Anchor Bolts ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............ 908.01.03 Direct Tension Indicators (DTI) ................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 908.03 Organic Zinc Coating System ................................ ................................ ................................ ................... 912.01.01 Epoxy Mastic Coating System ................................ ................................ ................................ .................. 912.01.01
506.03 Construction
506.03.01 Structural Steel
A.Working Drawings. Submit working drawings for approval.
B.Erection Plan. At least 30 days before the pre-erection meeting, submit working drawings for certification regarding the plan of operations to the RE. Include, at a minimum, the following in the plan:
1.Number and type of manpower and equipment.
2.Shipping procedures.
3.Lifting procedures.
4.Beam erecting sequence, including method of setting bearings and diaphragms.
5.Temporary bracing.
6.Manufacturer’s recommendations.
7.Procedures for employee safety.
8.Traffic control and protection.
C.Shipping and Handling. At least 5 days before shipping the steel, submit to the RE for approval all shipping and storage details. Ensure that structural steel is handled and shipped as specified in 906.04.04. Ensure that the steel is protected from the binding chains during shipping using softeners approved by the ME. Use padded hooks and slings to hoist steel. Space diaphragms and similar pieces to ensure that the coatings are not damaged by rubbing during shipment. Do not store steel on the ground. Ensure that members do not fall or rest on each other.
D.Erecting. Ensure that stringers and built-up girders involving field splices are completely preassembled in the shop, with account taken to their relative position in the finished structure as to grade, camber, and curvature. The Contractor may erect the built-up stringer or girder as a unit, as allowed by traffic conditions. Obtain Department approval before welding to members or parts of members subject to tension or reversal of stress. If necessary to weld in these areas, ensure that the actual stress range at the point of attachment does not exceed the value for Category F according to the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specification. If field welded splices are made, inspect splices using nondestructive tests at the site of erection. Unless otherwise approved, construct embankments in back of the abutment walls to at least 50 percent of their height, before placing structural steel. Erect structural steel according to Section 11 of the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Construction Specifications. Ensure that temporary attachments or supports for scaffolding or forms do not damage the coating system of the steel. Use sufficient support pads for fascia bracing. Provide lateral support when hoisting members into position so as to prevent lateral buckling or other damage. Ensure that bolt heads of high-strength bolts are on the outside of fascia stringers.
E.Installing High-Strength Steel Bolts. Check galvanized bolts and nuts to verify that a visible lubricant is on the threads. Check black bolts and nuts to verify that they are oily to the touch. Before beginning bolt installation, provide on the project site a Skidmore -Wilhelm calibrator or an acceptable equivalent tension measuring device. Ensure that the manufacture r’s representative is present during the first full day of tensioning work to provide technical assistance. Test assemblies as follows:
1.For bolt assemblies that do not require Direct Tension Indicators (DTI’s), perform the rotational capacity test in accordance with 908.02.02.C, on 2 assemblies from each rotational-capacity lot.
2.For bolt assemblies requiring DTI’s , install in accordance with the following, and perform the rotational - capacity test as specified in NJDOT S-3 on 3 assemblies from each rotational-capacity lot. Ensure that the bolt, nut, and washer are from the same rotational-capacity lot. If the DTI is used under the nut, place an additional washer between the nut and the protrusions on the DTI. If recommended by the bolt manufacturer, the Contractor may use wax lubricant, beeswax, or a wate r wax emulsion to aid in installation. Hold the bolt head stationary while tightening the nut. Install bolts in all of the holes of the connection and tighten to a snug -tight condition to compact the joint. Ensure that the number of spaces on DTIs in which a 0.005 inch feeler gauge is refused after snugging does not exceed the maximum snug-tight refusals as specified in Table 506.03.01-1. If the number of refusals exceeds the maximum, remove the assembly, insert a new DTI, and resnug. Tighten the assemblies successively from the most rigid part of the connection to the free edges by turning the nuts while holding the bolts stationary. Tension the assemblies until the numb er of spaces in which the 0.005 inch thickness gauge is refused meets or exceeds the minimum final tension refusals specified in Table 506.03.01-1. Table 506.03.01-1 Criteria for DTI Spaces for A 325 Bolts Bolt Diameter, Inches 1/2 5/8 3/4 7/8 1 1 1/8 1 1/4 1 3/8 1 1/2 Number of Spaces on DTIs 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 Maximum Snug Tight Refusals1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 Minimum Final Tension Refusals2 2 2 3 3 3 3 5 6 7
1.If the DTI is coated and under the nut, the maximum snug tight refusals is the number of spaces on the DTI minus one.
2.If the DTI is coated and under the nut, the minimum final tension refusals is the number of spaces on the DTI. If an assembly is tightened so that there are no visible gaps remaining in any of the spaces on the DTI, the assembly has been over-tightened. Remove and replace over-tightened assemblies. If assemblies do not meet the above rotational capacity requirements when tested at the work site, the Contractor may clean and relubricate the bolt assemblies in the rotational -capacity lot. After cleaning and relubricating, retest the assemblies for compliance to the above rotational capacity requirements. For painted steel, apply 3 coats of an organic paint system, supplied by the same manufacturer as the originally applied inorganic zinc system, to the field bolted connections.
F.Repairing Damaged Coating. Repair damaged coatings as directed by the RE. Use an organic zinc coating system for the paint repair, supplied by the same manufacturer as the originally applied inorganic zinc system. If the originally applied coating system is not available, the ME will designate an alternate system. Where limited areas of galvanized surfaces are damaged during shipping or erection, rep air the areas using any of the three methods in ASTM A 780. Ensure that the repair achieves the minimum coating thickness specified for the item. Paint galvanized surfaces only when directed by the RE. If painting is directed, treat the galvanized surface according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, then apply the epoxy intermediate and urethane finish coats only.
506.03.02 Bearings
A.Working Drawings. Submit for approval working drawings that include the following:
1.The total quantity of each kind of bearing required (fixed, guided-expansion, or non-guided expansion), grouped first according to type (load range) and then by actual design capacity.
2.Plan view and section elevation including all relative dimensions.
3.Details of components and sections showing all materials incorporated into the bearing.
4.All ASTM, AASHTO, and other material designations.
5.Any required revisions or additions to concrete members, reinforcement steel, or other facilities.
6.Details of the connections of the isolator load plates to the mounting plates.
7.Vertical, horizontal, rotation, movement, and load capacity.
8.A schedule of all bearing offsets.
9.Alignment plans.
10.Paint or coating requirements.
11.Installation scheme.
12.Anchorage details.
13.Bearing pre-set details.
B.Shipping and Storing. Ensure that bearings are handled and shipped as specified in 907.01.03. Store bearing devices and components in an area at the work site that provides protection from environmental and physical damage. Inspect bearings within 1 week after the bearings arrive on the Project. Following the inspection, rewrap the bearings and keep the bearings clean until installation. Do not dismantle bearings at the work site unless necessary for inspection or installation. If it is necessary to open or dismantle bearings at the work site, obtain RE approval and do so under the direct supervision of the manufacturer. When installing, ensure that the bearings are clean and free of all foreign substances.
C.Installing Bearings. Install bearings as follows:
1.Anchor Bolts. Provide anchor bolts in abutments and piers for bearings that are either cast-in-place, cast in 3 inch diameter corrugated sleeves, or cast in holes drilled after the concrete has set; however, the RE will prohibit drilling in rigid frame and T -type piers. If using anchor bolt sleeves, ensure that the y are circumferentially corrugated and are galvanized steel or plastic. Ensure that the wall thickness of the sleeves is sufficient to withstand the construction loads applied to them. If drilling holes to cast bolts in, core drill the holes at least 1 inch larger in diameter than the diameter of the bolts. Ensure that the reinforcement steel is not damaged during core drilling. Prevent the collection and freezing of water in holes during the time between when the anchor bolts are set and when the bearings are placed. Fill holes with an environmentally safe antifreeze, seal the top with a watertight cap, and coat with a rubber -asphalt joint sealer. Before setting the bearing, remove the environmentally safe antifreeze and other foreign material from the holes. Set the bolts by filling the holes with non-shrink grout.
Referenced in this section
Structural Steel in other states
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Source: Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction, 2019 (rev. 2022-12-21) Edition. Pages 277–279 of 651. View official source ↗