IRC:SP:104-2015

Guidelines
for
Fabrication and Erection
of
Steel Bridges

Published by:

INDIAN ROADS CONGRESS

Kama Koti Marg,
Sector-6, R.K. Puram,
New Delhi-110 022
January, 2015

Price : ` 600/-
(Plus Packing & Postage)
IRC:SP:104-2015

First Published : January, 2015

(All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication shall be reproduced,

translated or transmitted in any form or by any means without the
permission of the Indian Roads Congress)

Printed by India Offset Press, Delhi - 110 064

1000 Copies
 IRC:SP:104-2015

Contents
S. No. Description Page No.
Personnel of the Bridges Specifications and Standards Committee i - ii
Introduction 1
1. FABRICATION 2
1.1 General 2
1.2 Material and Properties 2
1.3 Material Control 5
1.4 Storage and Handling of Materials 6
1.5 Workmanship and Quality Assurance Plan 6
1.6 Straightening and Flattening 6
1.7 Layout for Camber 6
1.8 Bending 7
1.9 Cutting and Edge Preparation 8
1.10 Planing and Machining 8
1.11 Rivet and Bolt Holes 9
1.12 Bolted Connection 9
1.13 High Strength Friction Grip (HSFG) Bolted Connections 10
1.14 Riveted Connection 10
1.15 Welded Connection 11
1.16 Inspection and Testing for Fabrication and Assembly 23
1.17 Bearings 29
1.18 Painting and Metallising 29
2. ERECTION 30
2.1 Transportation, Handling and Erection 30
2.2 Erection Scheme and Erection Procedure 32
2.3 Joints 35
APPENDICES
A. Inspection Register 37
B. Manufacturing Tolerance 39
C. Welding Records 42
D. Tolerance and Specification for Roller and Knuckle Bearings 45
E. Specification for Metallising with Sprayed Aluminium for Bridge Girders 46
F. Acceptance Levels of Welds 48
G. Procedure for Providing Plug Welds 50
H. Weld Details 51
I. Lifting Tools, Tackles and Suggested Methods 62
J. HSFG Bolt and Installation Process 68
K. Utilization of Crane and Safety 77
L. Erection Inspection Checklist 80
 IRC:SP:104-2015

PERSONNEL OF THE Bridges Specifications

and Standards Committee

(As on 8th August, 2014)

1. Das, S.N. Director General (RD), Ministry of Road

(Convenor) Transport & Highways, New Delhi
2. Tawade, D.O. Addl. Director General, Ministry of Road
(Co-Convenor) Transport & Highways, New Delhi
3. Chief Engineer (B) S&R Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, New Delhi
(Member-Secretary)

Members

4. Agrawal, K.N. DG(W), CPWD (Retd.), Ghaziabad

5. Alimchandani, C.R. Chairman & Managing Director, STUP Consultants (P)
Ltd., Mumbai
6. Arora, H.C. Chief Engineer (Retd.), MORT&H, New Delhi
7. Bagish, Dr. B.P. C-2/2013, Vasant Kunj, Opp. D.P.S., New Delhi
8. Bandyopadhyay, Dr. N. Director, Stup Consultants (P) Ltd., New Delhi
9. Bandyopadhyay, Dr. T.K. Joint Director General (Retd.), INSDAG, Kolkata
10. Banerjee, A.K. Chief Engineer (Retd.) MoRT&H, New Delhi
11. Banerjee, T.B. Chief Engineer (Retd.) MoRT&H, New Delhi
12. Basa, Ashok Director (Tech.) B. Engineers & Builders Ltd.,
Bhubaneswar
13. Bhasin, P.C. ADG (B), (Retd.), MoRT&H, New Delhi
14. Bhowmick, Alok Managing Director, Bridge & Structural Engg. Consultants
(P) Ltd., Noida
15. Bongirwar, P.L. Advisor, L&T, Mumbai
16. Dhodapkar, A.N. Chief Engineer (Retd.) MoRT&H, New Delhi
17. Ghoshal, A. Director and Vice President, STUP Consultants (P) Ltd.,
Kolkata
18. Joglekar, S.G. Vice President, STUP Consultants (P) Ltd., Mumbai
19. Kand,, C.V. Chief Engineer (Retd.), MP, PWD Bhopal
20. Koshi, Ninan DG(RD) & Addl. Secy., (Retd) MOST, New Delhi
21. Kumar, Ashok Chief Engineer (Retd.), MoRT&H, New Delhi
22. Kumar, Prafulla DG (RD) & AS, MoRT&H (Retd.), New Delhi
23. Kumar, Vijay E-in-Chief (Retd.) UP, PWD,
24. Manjure, P.Y. Director, Freyssinet Prestressed Concrete Co., Mumbai

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IRC:SP:104-2015

25. Mukherjee, M.K. Chief Engineer (Retd.), MoRT&H, New Delhi

26. Nagpal, A.K. Prof. IIT, New Delhi
27. Narain, A.D. DG (RD) & AS, MoRT&H (Retd.), New Delhi
28. Ninan, R.S. Chief Engineer (Retd.), MoRT&H, New Delhi
29. Pandey, R.K. Chief Engineer (Planning), MoRT&H, New Delhi
30. Parameswaran, Dr. (Mrs.) Lakshmy Chief Scientist (BAS), CRRI, New Delhi
31. Raizada, Pratap S. Vice President (Corporate Affairs). Gammon India Ltd.
Mumbai
32. Rao, Dr. M.V.B. A-181, Sarita Vihar, New Delh
33. Roy, Dr. B.C. Senior Executive Director, M/s. Consulting Engg. Services
India (Pvt.) Ltd., Gurgaon
34. Saha, Dr. G.P. Executive Director Construma Consultancy (P) Ltd.,
Mumbai
35. Sharan, G. DG (RD) & Spl. Secy (Retd.) MoRT&H, New Dellhi
36. Sharma, R.S. Chief Engineer (Retd.) MoRT&H, New Delhi
37. Sinha, N.K. DG(RD) & SS, (Retd.) MoRT&H, New Delhi
38. Subbarao, Dr. Harshavardhan Chairman & Managing Director, Construma Consultancy
(P) Ltd., Mumbai
39. Tandon, Prof. Mahesh Managing Director, Tandon Consultants (P) Ltd.,
New Delhi
40. Thandavan, K.B. Chief Engineer (Retd.) MoRT&H, New Delhi
41. Velayutham, V. DG (RD) & SS (Retd.) MoRT&H, New Delhi
42. Viswanathan, T. 7046, Sector B, Pocket 10 , Vasant Kunj, New Delhi
43. The Executive Director (B&S) RDSO, Lucknow
44. The Director and Head, (Civil Engg.), Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi

Corresponding Members
1. Raina, Dr. V.K. Consultant, World Bank
2. Singh, R.B. Director, Projects Consulting India (P) Ltd., New Delhi

Ex-Officio Members
1. President, (Bhowmik, Sunil), Engineer-in-Chief,
Indian Roads Congress PWD (R&B) Govt. of Tripura
2. Honorary Treasurer, (Das, S.N.), Director General (Road Development),
Indian Roads Congress Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
3. Secretary General,
Indian Roads Congress

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 IRC:SP:104-2015

Guidelines for Fabrication and Erection of Steel Bridges

INTRODUCTION

A need was felt during the deliberation on IRC:24 to have some Guidelines for Fabrication
and Erection of Steel Bridges, since more and more steel bridges are being fabricated and
erected for road use in our country.
The present document has been prepared for fabrication, incorporating the various items
like testing of materials, preparatory works for fabrication and joining by welding, riveting and
bolting.
It has also been considered necessary to add a few chapters on erection dealing with
precautions safety measures, loads and forces to be taken note of and other issues considered
relevant.
The Personnel of the Steel and Composite Structures Committee (B-5) is given below:
Ghoshal, A. -------- Convenor
Basa, Ashok -------- Co-Convenor
Ghosh, U.K. -------- Member Secretary
Members
Bagish, Dr. B.P. Mohanty, G.R.
Banerjee, T.B. Parameswaran Dr. (Mrs.) Lakshmy
Baul, Saibal Purakayastha, D.
Bhattacharya, A.K. Roy, Dr. B.C.
Bhattacharya, D. Singh, A.
Chopra, A.K. Singhal, U.
Ghosh, Prof. Achyut Sood, V.B.
Guha, Arijit Subbarao, Dr. H.
Kalyanaraman, Dr. V. Tandon, Prof. Mahesh
Kumar, Sudhanshu Venkatram, P.G.
Vijay, Late P.B.
Corresponding Members
Bhowmick, A. Singh, R.B.
Ex-officio Members
President, (Bhowmik, Sunil), Engineer-in-Chief,
Indian Roads Congress PWD (R&B), Govt. of Tripura
Honorary Treasurer, (Das, S.N.),
Indian Roads Congress Director General (Road Development),
Ministry of Road Transport and
Highways
Secretary General,
Indian Roads Congress

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IRC:SP:104-2015

The B-5 Committee finally approved the draft document in its meeting held on 19.7.2014 for
placing before the BSS Committee. The Bridges Specifications and Standards Committee
(BSS) approved the draft document in its meeting held on 8th August 2014. The Executive
Committee in its meeting held on 18th August 2014, approved the same document for
placing it before the Council. The IRC Council in its 203rd meeting held at New Delhi on
19th and 20th August 2014, approved the document “Guidelines for Fabrication and Erection
of Steel Bridges” for publishing.

1 Fabrication

1.1 General
Fabrication shall be carried out as per the drawings issued by the Engineer. Work should be
executed as per the relevant IS: Codes. Safe working procedure should be adopted at all
time of the work. Working procedures should be environment friendly. Proper care should be
taken to handle and store the raw-materials, in process materials and fabricated materials,
so that they are easily identifiable. Work should be carried out by qualified personnel. Stage
inspection should be carried out for ensuring proper quality. Joining methodology for welding,
bolting and riveting should be carried out as per the clauses of the relevant IS Codes or
as specified in the drawing and subsequently accepted by the engineer as per the Quality
Assurance Plan (QAP).

1.2 Materials and Properties

The material properties given in this clause are nominal values, as given by various IS codes
defining the material properties.

Structural Steel
All structural steel shall, before fabrication comply with the requirements of the latest revisions
of the following Indian Standards.
IS 808 Dimensions for hot rolled steel beam, column, channel and angle
sections
IS 1161 Steel Tubes for structural purposes
IS 1239 (Pt.1) Steel tubes, tubular and other wrought steel fitting Part-1 Steel
tubes
IS 1239(Pt.2) Mild steel tubes, tubular and other steel fittings : Part-2 Steel pipe
fittings
IS 1730 Dimensions for steel plates, sheets, strips and flats for general
engineering purposes
IS 1732 Steel bars, round and square for structural and general engineering
purposes
IS 1852 Rolling and cutting tolerances for hot rolled steel products
IS 2062 Hot rolled low medium and high strength structural steel
IS 4923 Hollow steel sections for structural use

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 IRC:SP:104-2015

IS 11587 Structural weather resistant steels

IS 12778 Hot-rolled parallel flange steel sections for beams, columns and
bearing piles

Other Steels
Except where permitted with the specific approval of the authority, steels for machined parts
and for uses in other than structural members or elements shall comply with the following or
relevant Indian Standards.
IS 1875 Carbon Steel billets, blooms, slabs and bars for forgings
IS 6911 Stainless Steel Plate, Sheet and Strip

Casting and Forgings

Steel casting and forgings shall comply with the requirements of the following Indian
Standards as appropriate :
IS 1030 Carbon Steel Castings for general engineering purposes
IS 1875 Carbon Steel billets, blooms, slabs and bars for forgings
IS 2004 Carbon steel forgings for general engineering purposes
IS 2644 High tensile steel castings
IS 2708 1.5 percent manganese steel castings for general engineering
purposes
IS 4367 Alloy Steel forgings for general industrial use

Fasteners
Bolts, Nuts, Washers, and Rivets shall comply with the following or relevant IS standards, as
appropriates :
IS 1148 Steel Rivets bars (Medium and high tensile) for structural purposes
IS 1149 High tensile steel rivet bars for structural purposes
IS 1363 Hexagon heads bolts, screws, and nuts of products grades C (size
(Pt.1 to Pt.3) range M 5 to M 64)
IS 1364 Hexagon heads bolts, screws, and nuts of products grades A & B
(Pt.1 to Pt.3) (size range M 1.6 to M 64)
IS 1367 Technical supply conditions for threaded steel fasteners
(Pt.1 to Pt.18)
IS 1929 Hot forges steel rivets for hot closing (12 to 36 mm diameter)
IS 2155 Cold forges solid steel rivets for hot closing (6 to 16 mm diameter)
IS 3640 Hexagon fit bolts

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IRC:SP:104-2015

IS 4000 High strength bolts in steel structures – code of practice

IS 5369 General requirements for plain washers & lock washers
IS 5370 Plain washes with outside dia 3 x inside dia
IS 5372 Taper washers for channels (ISMC)
IS 5374 Taper washer for I beams (ISMB)
IS 5624 Foundation bolts
IS 6610 Heavy washers for steel structures
IS 6623 High strength structural nuts
IS 6649 Hardened and tempered washers for high strength structural bolts
and nuts
IS 7002 Prevailing torque type steel hexagon nuts

Welding Consumables
Welding consumables shall comply with the following Indian Standards as appropriate :
IS 814 Covered electrodes for manual metal arc welding of carbon and
carbon manganese steel
IS 1395 Low and medium alloy, steel covered electrodes for manual metal
arc welding
IS 3613 Acceptance tests for wire flux combination for submerged arc
welding
IS 6419 Welding rods and bare electrodes for gas shielded arc welding of
structural steel
IS 6560 Molybdenum and chromium – molybdenum low allow steel welding
rods and bare electrodes for gas shielded arc welding
IS 7280 Bare wire electrodes for submerged arc welding of structural steels

Welding
IS 812 Glossary of terms relating to welding and cutting of metals
IS 816 Code of practice for use of metal arc welding for general construction
in mild steel
IS 822 Code of procedure for inspection of welds
IS 1024 Code of practice for use of welding in bridges and structures subject
to dynamic loading
IS 1182 Recommended practice for radiographic examination of fusion
welded butt joints in steel plates

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 IRC:SP:104-2015

IS 4853 Recommended practice for radiographic inspection of fusion welded

butt joints in steel pipes
IS 5334 Code of practice for magnetic particle flaw detection of welds
IS 7307(Pt.1) Approval tests for welding procedures : Part-1 fusion welding of
steel
IS 7310 (Pt.1) Approval tests for welders working to approved welding procedures
Part-1 fusion welding of steels
IS 7318 (Pt.1) Approval test for welders when welding procedure is not required :
Part-1 fusion welding of steel
IS 9595 Recommendations for metal arc welding of carbon and carbon
manganese steels

Wire Rope and Cables

These shall conform to the following or relevant Indian Standards except where use of other
types is specifically permitted by the authority
IS 1785 (Pt.1) Plain hard-drawn steel wire for prestressed concrete : Part-1 Cold
drawn stress relived wire
IS 1785 (Pt.2) Plain hard drawn steel were for pesteressed concrete : Part-2 As
drawn wire
IS 2266 Steel wire ropes and strands for general engineering purposes
IS 2315 Thimbles for wire ropes
IS 9282 Wire ropes and strands for suspension bridges

1.3 Material Control

The structural steel to be used shall conform to IS: 2062 or as mentioned in the drawing.
All the steel sections used in the fabrication must have mill test certificate clearly indicating
the specification to which the steel conforms.
All the cast mark numbers/heat mark numbers shall be recorded along with the numbers of
the plate in a register, after receiving the steel in the fabrication shop and before starting the
work.
Sample test pieces from the steel of each cast mark shall be cut and sent for testing from an
independent test house, approved by the engineer. The steel shall be used for fabrication
after co-relation with Mill Test Certificate (MTC), received from the manufacturer, and test
report from the test house.
Any steel, other than the quality mentioned above, shall be accepted by the engineer before
use.
Identification of the steel shall be as per the Quality Assurance Plan (QAP). The quantum of
inspection and the number of samples, for co-relation, shall be agreed by the engineer and
the record shall be maintained for his scrutiny.

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IRC:SP:104-2015

While transferring the mark, hard stamping shall be carried out in those area that are allowed
by the engineer.

1.4 Storage and Handling of Materials

Raw steel shall be stored free from dirt, foreign matter and shall be protected from
corrosion and distortion. All materials and consumables, including raw steel, shall be stored
specification wise and size wise above the ground. The materials shall be stored on platforms,
skids or on other supports. Floors shall have a light slope to allow proper drainage of water.
Fabricated components shall be stacked neatly above ground with clear visibility of the match
mark as shown in the part list. The electrodes shall be stored in dry and warm condition and
in properly designed racks, specification wise. The bolts, nuts, washers and other fasteners
shall be stored on racks above the ground in gunny tags and with protective oil coating. The
paint shall be stored under cover in airtight container. Raw steel shall be handled by using
lifting beam with proper slings in a manner so as to cause minimum damage or distortion of
the plates and structural. Fabricated components shall be handled and stacked in a manner
that is not subject to any deformation.

1.5 Workmanship and Quality Assurance Plan

QAP shall be prepared according to the nature of fabrication. QAP shall elaborate nodal points
of checking and inspection during different stages of fabrication. This shall be submitted to
the engineer for his approval. Fabrication shall be taken up after the approval of the QAP
by the Engineer. All fabricated components shall carry mark number and the serial number.
Method of marking shall commensurate with the process of manufacturing and shall ensure
retention of identity at all stages.

1.6 Straightening and Flattening

Steel materials such as plates and structural’s shall have straight edges, flat surface and
be free from twist. Straightening/flattening of the plates and structural’s are required to be
carried out for making good of deformation and distortion that may have occurred during
rolling or handling operation. Structural sections can be straightened by presses, preferably
hydraulic. Plates can be flattened by presses or straightener consisting of series of rollers.
Pressure applied for straightening of flattening shall be such that it does not injure the material.
Hammering shall not be permitted. Deformations caused at the time of handling can be
removed by application of heat, hydraulic/gradually applied mechanical force.
Heating temperature shall not be more than 650ºC. Heating and cooling rate shall be pre-
determined and applied to steel only after consultation with the engineer.

1.7 Layout for Camber

A full scale layout for the girder shall be done on a leveled bed and as per the drawing on
the basis of nominal length of the members. Jigs for gussets and members shall be made
from the layout. The position of the holes and their angular settings shall be as per the
nominal layout. In case of small plate girders, where camber is not provided, the length of the
members shall be taken from the drawing.

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 IRC:SP:104-2015

Long span of open web girders have provision of camber. The drawings show two diagrams.
One is the diagram for nominal layout and the other is the camber diagram. A full scale layout
for the girder shall be done on leveled bed, as per the diagram for nominal layout in the
drawing. Jigs for gussets and members shall be made from the nominal layout. The position
of the holes and their angular settings shall be as per the nominal layout. The length of the
members shall be manufactured as per the corresponding length in the camber diagram. The
machining of the ends shall be done to ensure proper contact of the members at the joints.

1.8 Bending
1.8.1 Cold Bending
Cold bending of steel having yield stress 360 MPa or more shall not be done. The bend plate
orientation shall be done in a manner that the bend line shall be approximately perpendicular
to the direction of rolling. Materials with non specified kinks or sharp bends, cracks, large
dents or visible reductions of section (necking) shall not be used. Visual inspection of all the
load points and for suspected damaged places, magnetic particle testing shall be done. For
bend plates, the use of the largest bend radius that is permissible shall be ensured.
1.8.2 Heating and Bending
Heating shall be done before painting. The stresses due to pre-load (including loads
induced by member weights) shall be limited to 0.5 fy where fy is the normal yield strength
(y/s) of the materials. When jacks are used, the load shall be applied and locked off before
applying heat. For heating, orifice tip shall be fixed for neutral flame and its tip size shall be
proportional to the thickness of the materials used. The heating torches shall be manipulated
to guard against over-heating. When V-shaped/straight regular heat patterns are used, the
patterns shall be marked on the steel prior to heating. The steel shall be brought to planned
heating temperature as rapidly as possible without over-heating. Care shall be taken against
buckling when thin or wide plates are heated. The temperature shall be monitored with temp.
– sensitive crayons, pyrometer or infra-red non-contact thermometers. The temperature shall
be measured within 5-10 seconds after the heating flame leaves the test area. Cooling of the
steel with compressed air, passing through dryers for removing moisture, is permitted only
after the steel has cooled below 315ºC. Cooling shall not be done with water or mist.
Steel shall be allowed to cool below 120ºC before applying another set of heating pattern.
For curving or cambering by V-shaped heating pattern, a location shall be re-heated after
completion of three sets of heating patterns at adjoining locations. Application temperature
shall be done under controlled procedure and not more than 650ºC. Accelerated cooling shall
not be done unless approved by the Engineer-in-charge.
Material to be heated shall be properly supported. The material shall not yield before or
during application of heat.
1.8.3 Heat Curving of Bridge Member
The procedure of application of heat shall be approved by the engineer. Care should be
taken to ensure that the stress due to pre-load does not exceed 0.5 fy where fy is the normal

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IRC:SP:104-2015

y/s of the material. Heat curving shall be done before attaching longitudinal stiffener. When
radius is more than 300 Meters for heat curving, pre-loading of the web shall be done prior
to heating. When the web is heat curved in vertical position, sufficient support shall be given
to avoid lateral deflection during heat curving process. The member should not over turn or
twist. To prevent buckling and excessive local deformation, intermediate catch blocks should
be maintained. Heating pattern shall be planned and applied along the length of the member
to produce the specified curvature. Enough patterns shall be used to eliminate visually
detectable chording effect. Heat curving shall not be done when the radius of curvature is
less than 300 meters, flange thickness exceeds 75 mm or when the flange width exceeds
750 mm.
For rolled sections heat curving methods can be applied after taking approval of heating
procedure from engineer. It is not possible to give camber by heating in plate girders. Web
should be cut to prescribed camber. Suitable allowance for shrinking due to cutting and
welding should be provided.

1.9 Cutting and Edge Preparation

Edge preparation shall be done by anyone of the following prescribed methods for Plate and
Structural’s.
Shearing, cropping, sawing, flame cutting with subsequent grinding.
Wherever possible, the edges shall be cut in shearing machine which will take the whole
length of the plate in one cut. Sheared edges of plate shall be ground to a smooth profile for
secondary use such as stiffeners and gussets. When used as stiffeners, they shall be ground
so that the maximum gap is less than 0.2 mm in 60 percent of contact area.
Sawing can be effectively used for structural Steel.

1.9.1 Flame Cutting

Hardness of cut edge should not exceed 350 BHN after flame cutting. The material to be
removed after flame cutting shall be to the extent of 2 mm or minimum necessary to ensure
that the edge is less that 350 BHN hardness. When hardness increases beyond acceptable
limit, even after material removal, the flame cut edge shall be heat-treated by the method
approved by the Engineer for bringing the hardness to 350 BHN. It has to be ensured by
dye penetration or magnetic particle test that cracks have not developed at the cut edges.
All flame cut edges shall be ground to obtain reasonably clean, square and true edges. Drag
lines produced by flame cutting shall be removed. Outside edge of plates and sections, which
are prone to corrosion, shall be smoothened by grinding.
Use of flame cutting machine, having multiple oxy acetylene torches, is desirable for reducing
the distortion due to cutting operation and for higher productivity. Plasma-arc-cutting method
is preferable as this process offers less heat input and causes less distortion.

1.10 Planing and Machining

Machining of the edges or surface shall be carried our when specified in the drawings or
where specifically instructed by the Engineer. Plates and Sections up to a thickness of 12 mm

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 IRC:SP:104-2015

shall be cut to a size 3 mm or more and in plates and sections exceeding 12 mm, a thickness
of 6 mm or more than the finished size shall be cut for carrying out the finishing operations.
After completion of fabrication the butting ends of the members shall be smoothened by an
end milling process to ensure uniform gap/proper contact as may be necessary. In the case
of compression members the machined faces should be at right angle to the axis of the
members and in contact as specified.
At the discretion of the Inspecting Officer, a tolerance of 0.4 mm may be permitted at isolated
places on the butting line.

1.11 Rivet and Bolt Holes

Holes for rivets, black bolts, high strength bolts and countersunk bolts/rivets (Excluding close
tolerance and turn fitted bolts) shall be either punched or drilled. The diameter of holes shall
be 1.5 mm larger for bolts or rivets up to 25 mm Ø and 2.0 mm for bolt & rivets more than
25 mm Ø.
All holes shall be drilled except for secondary members such as, floor plate, handrails
etc., and the members which do not carry the main load. The punching shall be done in
materials whose yield stress, fy, does not exceed 360 MPa and thickness does not exceed
(5600/fy) mm.
When holes are required to be made in a pack of plates/plates and structural’s in material
grade E250 (FE 410 w) with thickness more than 20 mm or grade E350 (FE 440) with thickness
more than 16 mm, the drilling shall be done up to a diameter which is 3 mm less than the
required size of the hole. The under sized holes shall then be reamed to full diameter. The
reaming of materials shall be done after assembly.
For bolts of close tolerance or turn fitted bolts, the diameter of the holes shall be upto
+ 0.15 mm to 0 mm, of the diameter of the bolt shank. The members to be connected with
close tolerance or turn fitted bolts shall be firmly held together by service bolts, clamped
and drilled through all thickness in one operation. The reaming to required size within the
specified limit of accuracy, shall be done subsequently.
For HSFG joints, all holes shall be drilled after, removal of burrs. Where the number of plies
in the grip does not exceed three, the diameters of holes shall be 2.0 mm larger than those of
bolts. For more than three plies in grip, the diameters of hole in outer plies shall be as above
and diameter of holes in inner plies shall be not less than 1.5 mm and not more than 3.0 mm
larger than the bolt diameter, unless otherwise specified by Engineer.

1.12 Bolted Connection

All joint surfaces, for bolted connection, shall be free of scale, dirt, burrs, foreign material and
all such defects that prevent solid seating of parts. The slope of surface of bolted parts in
contact with bolt head and nuts shall not exceed 1:20, in the plane normal to bolts otherwise
suitable tapered washer shall be used.
All fasteners shall have a washer under nut or bolt head, whichever is turned in tightening.

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IRC:SP:104-2015

Each fastener of joint shall be tightened by hand wrenches/impact wrenches. Calibrated

torque wrenches (manual/digital) shall be used for final tightening.
When turn of nut method is used for tightening the bolts in joint, first all bolts shall be brought
to “snug tight” condition, (that is tightening by full effort of man using ordinary wrench or by
few impacts of any impact wrench). All bolts in the joint shall then be tightened additionally by
applicable amount of nut rotation specified below for guidance.
Table 1 Tightening the Bolts By Nut Rotation

Bolt Length (from Underside Disposition of Outer Faces of Bolted Parts

of Head to Edge) Both Face Normal to One Face Normal to Bolt Axis &
Bolt Axis other Face Sloped Less that 1:20
Up to and including 4 dia 1/3 turn 1/2 turn
Over 4 dia but less than 8 dia 1/2 turn 2/3 turn
Over 8 dia but less than 12 dia 2/3 turn 5/6 turn

1.13 High Strength Friction Grip (HSFG) Bolted Connections

The various requirement of chemical and physical properties of bolts nuts and washers shall
be as per relevant IS specifications unless otherwise mentioned in the drawing or required
by the Engineer. Bolted connections of joints using high tensile friction grip bolts shall comply
with requirements mentioned in IS:4000. Bolted Connections.
Reference should be made to Appendix-J for selection, usage, installation and testing
procedures.

1.14 Riveted Connection

Assembled riveted joint surfaces including those adjacent to the rivet head shall be free of
scale, dirt, loose scale, burrs, other foreign material and defects that would prevent solid
seating of parts.
The part/members to be riveted shall be firmly drawn together with bolts, so that the sections
riveted are in close contact throughout. Every third hole of the joint shall have assembly bolts
till riveted. Drift shall be used only for matching of holes of the parts/members but not to the
extent as to distort the holes.
While riveting built-up members, great care should be taken to ensure that the set of holes
for field rivets in each flange of the built up member, is aligned dead-square in relation to that
in the other flange and not abrogated. Use of assembly fixture shall be made to ensure this
drift of larger size than the diameter of the drilled holes shall not be used.
Rivets shall be heated uniformly to a “light cherry red color” between 650ºC to 700ºC for
hydraulic riveting and “orange colour” for pneumatic riveting of mild steel rivets. High tensile
steel rivets shall be heated upto 1100ºC. The head of the rivet, particularly in long rivets, shall
be heated more than the point. Sparking or burnt rivets shall not be used.
Rivet shall be driven in hole when hot so as to fill the hole as completely as possible and shall
be of sufficient length to form a head of the standard dimension. When countersunk head

10
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is required the head shall fill the countersunk hole. Projection after countersinking shall be
ground off where necessary.
The riveting shall be done by hydraulic or pneumatic machine unless otherwise specified by
Engineer. The head can be held by pneumatic holding device. Where, it is impossible to back
up by normal method of holding up, double gunning method may be resorted to. The working
pressure to be applied, when using pneumatic or hydraulic tools, shall be approved by the
engineer.
Any rivet due to defect in head size or head driven off the centre shall be removed and
replaced. The method of removal of the defective rivet shall ensure that, the members of the
joint are not damaged in the process.
The parts not riveted in the shop shall be secured by bolts to prevent damage during
transportation and handling.

1.15 Welded Connection

1.15.1 General
Over welding is a common defect in fabrication industry. Excessive welding does not
necessarily increase the strength of a welded joint. On the contrary, it increases the stresses
in a highly restrained joint. There are many criteria for the selection of an edge preparation
and they are :
* Ease of assembly.
* Resistance to lamellar tearing.
* Weld inspection by radiography, ultrasonic etc., testing methods.
The joint preparation must be designed.
* To allow full approach of electrode.
* To have minimum deposition of weld metal.
* To have access for welding and inspection.
* To be linked to the welding process.
1.15.2 Weldability of Steel
The weldability of steel depends on its susceptibility to cracking during and after welding. The
amount of carbon in the metal has a considerable influence on the weld ability of structural
steel. The weldability is expressed by Carbon Equivalent (CE) of the material based on ladle
analysis. The CE is determined from the following expressions:

Mn Cr + Mo + V Ni + Cu
CE = C + + +
6 5 15

The lower the CE better is the weldability. For general structural steel, the CE value should
preferably be not more that 0.45 to ensure good weldability. Steel with higher CE are also
weldable with special electrodes, weld designs and procedures. Though CE does not take

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IRC:SP:104-2015

into account, Sulphur and Phosphorus, the presence of more that 0.06 percent of these
constituents will have deleterious effect on welding.
If the Carbon Equivalent exceeds a particular limit, there exist a possibility of cracking in
the Heat-Affected Zone (HAZ). Hard, brittle martensite, cracks are likely to develop. This
phenomenon is called under bead cracking. The high thermal cycles accelerate the formation
of HAZ cracking. Presence of hydrogen in the weld is another potential factor in the formation
of under bead cracking. The principal factors governing the risk of HAZ cracking in steel
are :-
* Compatibility of Weld metal composition with parent metal.
* Pre-heat temperature according to CE (carbon equivalent).
* Hydrogen Content in the form of ingredients in the flux.
* Cooling rate (heat input, joint type, thickness).
Table 2 shows the recommended preheat and inter pass temperature for different type of
structural steel.
Table 2 Recommended Pre-Heat and Inter Pass Temperature

Steel Type Welding Process Thickness of Thickest Temp ºC (Minm)

Part of Welding (mm)
Mild steel with Manual metal arc with Upto 19 incl. None
some restriction electrodes other than low 19 to 38 incl. 66
hydrogen type 38 to 64 incl. 107
Over 64 150
Mild & Medium Manual metal arc with Upto 19 incl. None
Tensile steel electrodes of low hydrogen 19 to 38 incl. 10
type, submerged-arc, cored 38 to 64 incl. 66
wire Over 64 107
Higher tensile Manual metal arc with Up to 19 incl. 10
as-rolled or electrodes of low hydrogen 19 to 38 incl. 66
normalized steel type, Submerged-Arc cored 38 to 64 incl. 107
wire Over 64 150
1.15.3 Welding Procedure Sheet
The symbols for welding used on the drawings and procedure sheets shall be in accordance
with IS:812. If other symbols are used, a complete explanation of their meaning shall be
given.
The welding procedure sheets prepared for direction of the welding shall include the following
information:
a) Specification of the Parent metal, Electrodes, Wires and/or wire-flux
combination.

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 IRC:SP:104-2015

b) Locations, sizes, actual lengths and details, i.e. form of joint, angle between
fusion faces, gap between parts, etc., of all welds.
c) Whether welds are to be made in shop or field.
d) Current, voltage and other relevant parameters.
e) Welding procedure, like welding sequence, pre-heating, post heating etc.
f) Details of testing and inspection requirements.
1.15.4 Welding Processes
Generally, Manual Metal Arc-welding, Submerged-Arc Welding, (Automatic & Semi Automatic)
Gas shielded Arc welding etc., are used in bridge fabrication.
The various types of welds are Fillet, Butt, Plug, Spot and Seam welds. The two most popular
types of welding for structural purpose are fillet and butt joints.
1.15.5 Fusion Faces
The preparation of fusion faces, angle of preparation root radius and root face shall be as
specified in IS:9595 and IS:4353. Where the gap between the root faces of a butt joint is
excessive, the gap shall not be bridged since this procedure often leads to cracking. The
fusion faces of the joint shall be built-up with weld metal to give the appropriate gap before
the weld is commenced.
The preparation of fusion faces, angle of bevel, root radius and root face shall be such that
the limits of accuracy required by the appropriate application standard can be achieved.
When however, no appropriate application standard exists and this guide lines is itself to
be used, it is recommended that, for manual welding, the tolerances on limits of gap and
root face should be ± 1 mm on the specified dimensions for material upto and including
12 mm thick and ± 2 mm for material over 12 mm thick. The tolerance on the included angle
between the fusion faces of a V preparation is recommended to be ± 5 degree and for
U and J preparations ± 10 degree. For an automatic process, closer limits are necessary and
particular requirements depend on the characteristics of the process.
It shall be ensured, if necessary, by suitable non-destructive tests that the fusion faces and
adjacent surfaces shall be free from cracks, notches or other irregularities which might be the
cause of defects or would interfere with the deposition of the weld.
Fusion faces and the surrounding surfaces shall be free from heavy scale, moisture, oil, paint
or any other substance which might affect the quality of the weld or impede the progress of
welding. Certain proprietary protective coatings are specially formulated with the intention
that they should not interfere with welding. The use of such coatings is not excluded by the
requirements of this clause but shall be demonstrated by means of specimen welds that the
coating complies with the above requirements.
1.15.6 Assembly for Welding
Parts to be welded shall be assembled such that the joints are easily accessible and visible
to the operator. Jigs and manipulators shall be used, where practicable, so that the welding

13
IRC:SP:104-2015

can be carried out in the most suitable position. Jigs shall maintain the alignment with the
minimum restraint so as to reduce the possibility of locked in-stress.
1.15.7 Structural Details
Changes in section shall be gradual and notch-like corners shall be avoided.
Attachment of fittings and making openings at locations of severe fatigue stress shall
preferably be avoided.
Packing’s - Where a packing is used between two parts, the packing and the welds connecting
it to each part shall be capable of transmitting the load between the parts, except where the
packing is too thin to carry the load or permit the provision of adequate welds, when it shall be
trimmed flush with the edges of the narrower part and the load shall be transmitted through
the welds alone, the welds being increased in size by an amount equal to the thickness of
the packing.
1.15.8 Arrangement of Welds
Fillet welds at right angles to the lines of principal stresses in a plate subjected to tension
shall be avoided in dynamically loaded structures.
Accumulation of weld joints in a single location shall be avoided (See Appendix H, Fig. H-20)
Sizes or lengths of fillet welds shall be sufficient to provide for better distribution of stress.
Excessive sizes or lengths shall not be specified.
1.15.9 Safety Precautions
Provisions of IS:818, IS:1179 and IS:3016 shall generally apply for safety and health
requirements during welding operations.
1.15.10 Approval and Testing of Welding Procedures
Welding procedure test shall be carried out in accordance with IS:7307 (Part-1) to
demonstrate, by means of a specimen weld of adequate length on a steel representative
of that to be used, so as to confirm that satisfactory weld is achievable with the welding
procedure to be used for fabrication.
Provisions of IS:9595 and IS:4353, shall generally be followed, as applicable, for welding
procedure, details of workmanship, correction of weld faults, penning, painting, etc. In case
any of the provisions contained therein contravene the provisions made in this guideline, the
code shall be followed.
In addition to the provisions of IS:4353 the Inspector may, where deemed necessary, require
a sample joint having the same cross-section as the joint to be used in construction and a
length of at least 300 mm to be welded with the wire, flux current, arc voltage and speed of
travel that are proposed to be used and a macro etched cross section of the welded joint
prepared as a demonstration that the specified requirements will be met, when the welding
current, arc voltage and speed of travel are established by a test made in accordance with
requirements of this clause, they shall be kept within the following limits of variations:

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 IRC:SP:104-2015

Welding current ± 10%

Arc Voltage ± 7%
Speed of travel ± 15%
1.15.11 Approval and Testing of Welders
The welders shall be trained in accordance with IS:817. The welders shall be subjected to
appropriate qualifying tests specified in IS:7310 (Part-1).
1.15.12 Welding Procedures
Welding work shall be given to an agency who does produce satisfactory evidence of his
ability to handle the work in a competent manner. The agency shall also prove the ability of
the operator/welders employed by him to produce welds of the required strength. The agency
shall employ a competent welding supervisor to ensure that quality of materials and the
standard of workmanship comply with the requirements laid down in this guideline.
The sizes and length of welds shall not be less than those specified in the drawings nor shall
they be substantially in excess of the requirements without prior approval of the Engineer.
The location of welds shall not be changed without prior approval of the Engineer. Welds
shall preferably be made in flat position.
In case of welds in structures subjected to dynamic loading, adequate means of identification,
either by identification stamp or other records shall be provided to enable each weld to be
traced to the welding operator by whom it was made.
During the cooling of the weld the joints shall not be subjected to any external forces or
shocks.
Freedom of movement of one member of a joint shall be allowed wherever possible. No butt
joint shall be welded without allowing one component, freedom of movement of the order of
1.5 mm.
In making welds under conditions of severe external shrinkage restraint, the welding shall be
carried out with electrodes having type 6 covering as per IS:814.
In case of welding using direct current, earthing on the work piece to be welded shall
be connected carefully at more than one location with a view to avoid “Arc Blow” during
welding.
All welds should be done by submerged arc welding process either fully automatic or semi-
automatic. Carbon-dioxide (CO2) welding or manual metal arc welding may be done only for
welds of very short runs or of minor importance or where access of the locations of weld does
not permit automatic or semi-automatic welding.
Neither the depth of fusion nor the maximum width in the cross section of weld metal
deposited in each weld pass shall exceed the width of the face of the weld pass.
(Appendix-H, Figs. H-21 & H-22).

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IRC:SP:104-2015

1.15.13 Sequence of Welding

The sequence of welding shall be such that when possible the members, which offer the
greatest resistance to compression, are welded first.
The welding in the thinnest element of a section (usually the web in case of beams) shall be
done prior to the welding of the thicker elements (usually the flanges in case of beams).
In making butt welded joints in rolled shapes, the sequence and procedure of welding shall
take into account unequal amount of expansion or contraction in elements being welded.
Splices in each component part of a solid web girder or built-up member shall be made
before such component part is welded to other component part of the member.
1.15.14 Position of Welding
For fabrication of steel bridge girders the following positions of welding shall be adopted.
i) Flat and horizontal position for Submerged Arc Welding (SAW)
ii) Horizontal or horizontal-vertical position for welding done using Manual Metal
Arc Welding (MMAW) or Co2 Welding.
Note: Different positions have been shown diagrammatically in Appendix-H, Fig. H-23.
All butt welds by the submerged arc process shall be made in the flat position. Fillet welds
may be made in either flat or horizontal-vertical position. The size of the single pass fillet
welds made in the horizontal-vertical position shall not exceed 8 mm.
1.15.15 Tack Welds
Tack welds shall be not less than the throat thickness or leg length of the root run to be used
in the joint. The length of the tack weld shall not be less than four times the thickness of the
thicker part or 50 mm whichever is the smaller.
Where a tack weld is incorporated in a welded joint, the shape, size and quality shall be
suitable for incorporation in the finished weld and it shall be free from all cracks and other
welding defects. Tack welds, which are prone to cracking, shall be cut out and re-welded.
Tack welds shall not be made at extreme ends of joints.
1.15.16 Inter-Run Cleaning
Each run of weld bead shall be thoroughly cleaned to remove particles of slag, spatters,
etc. before the subsequent bead is super-imposed during multi-pass welding. Similarly,
each layer of weld should be thoroughly cleaned of slag, spatters, etc, before depositing
subsequent layers of weld with particular reference to thorough cleaning of toes of the welds.
Visible defects, such as cracks, cavities and other deposition faults, if any, shall be removed
to sound metal before depositing subsequent run or layer of weld.
1.15.17 Stray Arcing on Work
Stray arcing shall be avoided as this can leave local hard spots or cracking which are to
be removed by mechanical means and be checked by inspection depending upon the
application.

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 IRC:SP:104-2015

1.15.18 Butt Welding

a) Forms and details - All details of butt welded joints shall be in accordance
with IS:9595 and IS:4353 as applicable.
b) Unsealed butt welds of single V,U,J and bevel types and incomplete
penetration butt welds shall not be used. Sketches of different types of butt
weld are given in (Appendix-H, Fig. H-1)
c) Intermittent butt welds shall not be used.

Sealing or Backing
a) Single V, U, J bevel or square butt welds shall generally be completed by
depositing a sealing run of weld metal on the back of the joints.
b) Where it is not practicable to deposit a run of weld metal on the back of
the joint, then single V, bevel or square butt welds, welded from one side
only, may be permitted, provided that another steel part of the structure or
a special steel backing strip is in contact with the back of the joint and the
edges of the steel parts of the joint are prepared as specified in IS:9595 or
IS:4353, whichever is applicable, to ensure complete fusion of the parts to
be joined.
c) In all full penetration butt welds which are to be welded from both
sides, the back of the first run shall be gouged out by suitable means to
clean sound metal, before welding is started on the gouged out side
(Appendix-H, Fig. H-2).

Butt Welding Parts of Unequal Cross-Section

a) In butt welding steel parts in line with each other which are intended to
withstand dynamic forces, and which are of unequal width, or where the
difference in thickness of the parts exceeds 25 percent of the thickness of
the thinner part or 3 mm whichever is greater, the dimensions of the wider
or thicker parts shall be reduced at the butt joints to those of the smaller
part, the slope being not steeper than 1 in 5 (Appendix-H, Fig. H-3). Where
the difference in thickness of the parts does not exceed 25 percent of the
thickness of the thinner part or 3 mm whichever is greater, the transition
of thickness shall be accomplished by sloping weld faces (Appendix-H,
Fig. H-4) by chamfering the thicker part or by combination of the two methods
(Appendix-H, Fig. H-5), at an angle not steeper than 1 in 5.
b) Where the reduction of the dimensions of the thicker part is impracticable,
and/or where structures are not designed to withstand dynamic forces, the
weld metal shall be built-up at the junction with the thicker part to dimension
at-least 25 percent greater than those of the thinner part, or alternatively, to
the dimensions of the thicker member (Appendix-H, Fig. H-6).

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IRC:SP:104-2015

Butt Welded T Joints - Butt weld in T joint shall be reinforced by welding as shown in
(Appendix-H, Fig. H-7). Flange to web connection will also fall under this category.
Ends of butt welds - The ends of butt joint shall be welded so as to provide the full throat
thickness. This shall be done, in all cases of parent metal more than 20 mm thick and
preferably in other cases also, by extending the ends of the butt welds past the edges of
the parts joined by the use of run-on and run-off plates with a similar joint preparation and of
reasonable thickness not less than the thickness of the part joined and of the length not less
than 40 mm (Appendix-H, Fig. H-8). If run on and run off plates are removed after completion
of the welds, the ends of the weld shall be finished smooth and flush with the edges of the
abutting parts. Run on and run off plates are to be removed after completion of welds by
abrasive cut off or by hacksaw blade .To avoid thermal stress as well as heat affected zone,
Oxy-acetylene cut should not be permitted. If the parent metal is not more than 20 mm thick,
the ends of the butt welds may be chipped or cut back to sound metal and then filled-up with
welds having a width not less than one and half time the ‘V’ opening and having the same
reinforcement as adopted for the faces of the butt weld. (Appendix-H, Fig. H-9).
Reinforcement of butt welds - Sufficient convexity not exceeding 3 mm, shall be provided
as reinforcement to ensure full cross sectional area at the joint. Where a flush surface is
required, the butt welds shall be first built up as specified above and then dressed flush.
1.15.19 Fillet Weld
Types of fillet welds
Normal Fillet Weld – A normal fillet weld is one in which the depth of penetration beyond the
root is less than 2.4 mm (Appendix-H, Fig. H-10).
Deep Penetration Fillet Weld – A deep penetration fillet weld is one in which the depth of
penetration beyond the root is 2.4 mm or more (Appendix-H, Fig. H-10). It shall be used only
by agreement between engineer and contractor, and tests shall be agreed between engineer
and contractor to verify that the requisite route penetration is being obtained.
The size of normal fillet weld shall be taken as the minimum leg length (Appendix-H,
Fig. H-11). The size of a deep penetration fillet weld shall be taken as the minimum nominal
leg length plus 2.4 mm (Appendix-H, Fig. H-12) The minimum size of the first run or of a single
run fillet welds shall be as given in Table 3. Minimum size of fillet weld shall be as given in
Table 4 to avoid the risk of cracking in the absence of pre-heating.
Table 3 Minimum Size of First Run or of a Single Fillet Weld

Thickness of Thicker Part Minimum Size (mm)

6 mm upto and including 20 mm 5
Over 20 mm upto and including 32 mm 6
Over 32 mm upto and including 50 mm 8

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 IRC:SP:104-2015

Table 4 Minimum Size of Fillet Weld

Thickness of Thicker Part Minimum Size (mm)

upto and including 6 mm 3
Over 6 mm upto and including 12 mm 4
Over 12 mm upto and including 18 mm 6
Over 18 mm upto and including 36 mm 8
Over 36 mm upto and including 56 mm. 10
Over 56 mm upto and including 150 mm 12
Over 150 mm 16

Note:
1. When the minimum size of the first run of fillet weld and/or minimum size of the fillet weld as
given in Table 3 and Table 4 is greater than the thickness of the thinner part, the minimum
size of the weld shall be equal to the thickness of the thinner part. The thicker part shall be
adequately pre-heated to prevent cracking of the weld.
2. Where the thicker part is more than 50 mm in case of steel to IS: 2062 special precautions like
pre-heating as per IS:9595 shall be taken to ensure weld soundness.
Effective Throat Thickness - The effective throat thickness of a fillet weld shall be taken
as ‘K’ times fillet size where ‘K’ is a constant, given in as per (Appendix-H, Fig. H-13), for
different angles between fusion faces. All fillet welds shall have a flat or convex face. In no
case, except at the outside of a corner joint shall the convexity exceed the value given by the
formula 0.1S + 0.76 mm, where S is size of weld in mm.
Angle Between Fusion Faces - Fillet weld shall not be used for connecting parts, whose
fusion faces form an angle of more than 120º or less than 60º, unless such welds are
demonstrated by practical tests to develop the required strength.
Effective Length - The effective length of fillet weld shall be that length only, which is of the
specified size and required throat thickness. It shall be taken to be the actual length of the
weld minus twice the weld size. This deduction need not be made in the case of end and side
fillets, which are returned continuously around the corner for a minimum length of twice the
weld size.
Effective Area - The effective area of a fillet weld shall be the effective length times the
effective throat thickness.
Minimum Length - The effective length of a fillet weld designed to transmit loading shall not
be less than four times the size of the weld, subject to minimum of 40 mm.
1.15.20 Intermittent Fillet Welds
Intermittent fillet welds may be used in structures not subjected to dynamic loading, to transfer
calculated stress across a joint when the strength required is less than that developed by a
continuous fillet weld of the smallest allowable size for the thickness of the parts joined.

19
IRC:SP:104-2015

Load carrying intermittent fillet welds shall not be used in members subjected to dynamic
loading, except for connecting intermediate stiffeners to webs of beams and girders, subject
to the provisions of such connections as stipulated.
Intermittent fillet welds shall not be used where they would result in the formation of rust
pockets.
Chain intermittent welding is to be preferred to stagger intermittent welding.
The distance along an edge of a part between effective lengths of consecutive intermittent
fillet welds, whether the welds are in line or staggered on alternate sides of the edge, shall
not exceed 12 times the thickness of the thinner part and shall in no case exceed 150 mm.
In a line of intermittent fillet welds, there shall be a weld at both ends of the parts connected.
For staggered welds, this shall apply to both sides.
In built-up members in whose parts are connected by intermittent filled welds, continuous
longitudinal fillet welds shall be used at the end for a length not less than the width of the part
concerned.
1.15.21 Fillet Welds Applied to the Edge of a Plate or Section
Where a fillet weld is applied to the square edge of a part, the specified size of the weld shall
generally be at-least 1.5 mm less than the edge thickness, in order to avoid melting down of
the outer corner (Appendix-H, Fig. H-14).
Where a fillet welds is applied to the rounded toe of a rolled section, the specified size of the
weld shall generally not exceed 3/4 of the thickness of the section at the toe (Appendix-H
Fig. H-14).
Where a fillet weld equal in size to the thickness of the section at the toe of a rolled section
or at the square edge of a plate is required from design considerations and is specially
designated in the drawing, the toe or edge shall be specially built-up with weld metal in such
a manner as to ensure full throat thickness, full fusion area and no injury to the parent metal
(Appendix-H, Figs. H-15 & H-16).
End fillets - When end fillets are used alone, each fillet shall be returned as a side fillet
for a minimum length equal to twice the size of the weld, and this returned length shall be
disregarded in calculating the strength of the joint.
1.15.22 Fillet Welds in Slots or Holes
When welding inside a slot or a hole, in a plate or other part, in order to join the same to an
underlying part, fillet welding may be used along the wall or walls of the slot or the hole, but
the latter shall not be filled with weld metal or partially filled in such a manner as not to form
a direct weld metal connection between opposite wall.
The dimensions of the slot or hole shall comply with the following limits in terms of the
thickness of the steel part in which the slot or hole is formed.
i) The width or diameter to be not less than three times the thickness or 25 mm
whichever is greater.

20
 IRC:SP:104-2015

ii) Corners at the enclosed ends of slots to be rounded with a radius not less
than 1.5 times the thickness or 12 mm whichever is greater.
iii) The distance between the edge of the part and edge of the slot or hole or
between adjacent slots and/or holes not to be less than twice the thickness
when measured along the direction of stress and five times the thickness
when measured normal to the direction of stress.
End Returns - Fillet welds terminating at the ends or sides of parts or members shall be
returned continuously around the corner for a distance of not less than twice the size of the
weld. This provision shall apply particularly to side and end fillet welds joining brackets, beam
seating’s and similar attachments at the tension side of such connections.
Bending about a Single Fillet - A single fillet weld shall not be subjected to bending moment
about the longitudinal axis of the fillet (Appendix-H, Fig. H-17).
1.15.23 Lap Joints
The minimum overlap of parts in stress carrying lap joints shall be four times the thickness of
the thinner part. Unless opening out of the parts is prevented, they shall be connected by at
least two transverse or two longitudinal fillet welds (Appendix-H, Fig. H-18).
If longitudinal fillet welds are used alone in lap joints of end connections, the length of each
fillet weld shall be not less than the perpendicular distance between them. The transverse
spacing of longitudinal fillet welds used in end connections shall not exceed sixteen times
the thickness of the thinner part connected. The longitudinal fillet welds may be in slots in
addition to those along the edges, to comply with this provision.
1.15.24 Plug Weld
Plug welds shall not normally be provided and in any case shall not be designed to carry
stresses. Where unavoidable, the procedure laid down in Appendix-G shall be followed.
1.15.25 Combination of Welds
If butt and fillet welds are combined in a single joint, the allowable capacity of each shall
be separately computed with reference to the axis of the group in order to determine the
allowable capacity of the combination.
Butt welds in parts or members, subjected to dynamic loading, shall not be supplemented by
splice plates attached by fillet welds.
1.15.26 Welding of Stud Shear Connectors
a) The stud shear connectors shall be welded in accordance with the
manufacturer’s instructions including pre-heating.
b) The stud and the surface to which studs are welded shall be free from scale,
moisture, rust and other foreign material. The stud base shall not be painted,
galvanized or chrome-plated prior to welding.
c) Welding shall not be carried out when temperature is below 0ºC or surface is
wet.

21
IRC:SP:104-2015

d) The welds shall be visually free from cracks and lack of fusion and be capable
of developing at least the nominal ultimate strength of studs.
e) The procedural trial for welding the stud shall be carried out when specified
by Engineer.
1.15.27 Stress Relieving and Peening
The members which are indicated in the contract or specified by Engineer, to be annealed or
stress relieved shall have finish machining, boring etc. done subsequent to heat treatment.
The stress relief treatment shall conform to the following unless specified by Engineer.
a) The temperature of the furnace shall not be more than 300ºC at the time
welded assembly is placed in.
b) The rate of heating shall not be more than 220ºC per hour divided by max.
metal thickness subject to max. 220ºC per hour.
c) After max. temperature of 600ºC is reached, the assembly shall be held
within specified limit of time based on weld thickness. The temperature shall
be maintained uniformly throughout the furnace during holding period such
that temperature at no two points on the member will differ by more than
80ºC.
d) The cooling shall be done in closed furnace when temperature is above
300ºC at the maximum rate of 260ºC per hour divided by maximum metal
thickness. The local stress relieving shall be carried out in specified procedure
and approved by Engineer.
Peening of weld shall be carried out wherever specified by Engineer.
i) If specified, peening may be done on each weld layer, except the first
run.
ii) The peening shall be carried out after weld has cooled by light blows
from a hammer, using a round nose tool. Care shall be taken to prevent
scaling or flecking of weld and base metal from over peening.
1.15.28 Cope Holes
Cope hole is a semi circular notch in between web plate and flange plate to disconnect
junction of welds (Appendix-H, Fig. H-19).
Provision of cope hole in welded girders is not required when the following conditions are
satisfied:
a) Butt welds in flanges and web are made by automatic sub-merged arc
welding prior to assembling web and flanges together.
b) Weld reinforcement is dressed flush both at top and bottom by grinding/
machining and
c) Weld is tested by radiographic/ultrasonic method.

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 IRC:SP:104-2015

1.16 Inspection and Testing for Fabrication and Assembly

1.16.1 General
No protective treatment shall be applied to the work until the appropriate inspection and
testing has been carried out. The stage inspection shall be carried out for all operations so
as to ensure the quality and correctness of fabrication. An inspection Register (Appendix-A)
should be maintained throughout the fabrication process.
1.16.2 Testing of Material
Structural steel shall be tested for mechanical and chemical properties as per various Indian
Standards as may be applicable and shall confirm to requirements specified in IS:2062.
Rivets, bolts, nuts, washers, welding consumables, steel forging, casting and stainless steel
shall be tested for mechanical and chemical properties as applicable and shall conform to
requirements, as specified in the appropriate Indian Standard.
Rolling and cutting tolerance shall be as per IS:1852. The thickness tolerance check
measurements for the plates and rolled sections shall be taken at not less than 15 mm from
edge.
Ultrasonic test shall be mandatory for plates of thickness of 25 mm and above for checking
defects like laminations etc. Flame cut edges without visual signs of laminations need not be
tested for unless specifically suggested by the engineer.
Steel work shall be inspected for surface defects and exposed edge laminations during
fabrication and blast cleaning. Significant edge laminations found, shall be reported to
Engineer for his decision.
Ultrasonic testing shall be used to determine depth of imperfection. For dynamically loaded
structures recommended criteria for allowable discontinuities for edge defects and the repair
procedure shall be as given in Table 5, until and unless specified otherwise. The weld
procedure shall be as per the requirement of the material being used.
Table 5 Discontinuities for Edge Defects and Repair Procedure
S. No. Discontinuity Repairs Required
1) Discontinuities of 3 mm in max. depth, any length for material None
thickness up to 200 mm
2) Discontinuities of 3 mm to 6 mm in depth and over 25 mm in Remove. Need not be welded
length for thickness upto 100 mm and 6 mm to 12 mm depth,
over 50 mm in length for thickness 100 mm to 200 mm
3) Discontinuities of 6 mm to 25 mm in depth, over 25 mm in length Remove and weld. No single repair
for thickness upto 100 mrn and 12 mm to 25 mm in depth, over shall exceed 20 percent of edge
25 mm in length for thickness over 100 to 200 mm being repaired
4) Discontinuities over 25 mm in depth, any length for thickness With approval of Engineer remove
100 to 200 mm to depth of 25 mm and repair by
weld
5) On edges cut in fabrication, discontinuities of 12 mm maximum None
depth any length

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IRC:SP:104-2015

1.16.3 Measurement of Curvature and Camber

Horizontal curvature and vertical camber shall not be measured for final acceptance before
completion of welding and heating operations and cooling down of the job. Horizontal curvature
shall be checked with girder in the vertical position by measuring offsets from a string line or
wire attached to both flanges or by any other suitable means. Camber shall be checked by
the method specified by the engineer.
1.16.4 Tolerance for Drilled and Reamed Holes
Acceptable deviation in holes drilled and reamed for mild steel and high strength rivets, bolts
of normal accuracy and also for high strength friction grip bolts shall be as per appropriate
Indian Standard.
1.16.5 Bolted Connections
Bolted connection joints with black bolts and high strength bolts shall be inspected for
compliance of requirements as per relevant IS codes.
The Engineer shall observe the installation and tightening procedure of the bolts. Inspection
for initial snug tightening and in final tightening shall be carried out.
The tightness of bolts in connection shall be checked by calibrated torque Wrench.
Tightness of 10 percent bolts, but not less than two bolts, selected at random in each
connection shall be checked by calibrated torque wrench. If no nut or bolt head is turned by
this application connection can be accepted as properly tightened, but if any nut or head has
turned, all bolts shall be checked and retightened.
Bolts, and bolted connection joints with high strength friction grip bolts shall be inspected and
tested according to IS:4000/IRC:24.
Checks after second stage tightening: After the second stage of tightening, following shall
be checked:
100 percent bolts shall be checked and certified to have been turned through the requisite
amount by verifying the permanent marks on the nut and the bolt.
1 percent of the bolts, subject to minimum of 10 per size of bolts shall be checked for gross
under-tightening as per procedure given in Annexure-D of IS 4000.
1.16.6 Riveted Connections
Rivets and riveted connection shall be inspected and tested for compliance.
The firmness of the joint shall be checked by 0.2 mm filler gauge, which shall not go inside
under the rivet head by more than 3 mm. There shall not be any gap between members to
be riveted.
Driven rivets shall be checked with rivet testing hammer. When struck sharply on head with
rivet testing hammer, rivet shall be free from movement and vibration.
Loose rivets and rivets with cracked, badly formed or deficient heads or with heads which
are unduly eccentric with shanks, shall be cut-out and replaced, preferably, by rivet busters

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 IRC:SP:104-2015

or chisels. If rivet heads are removed by gas cutting, adequate care should be taken so that
no damage is caused to any of the member of the joint.
1.16.7 Alignment of Joints
The alignment of plates at all bolted splice joint and welded butt joints shall be checked.
Testing of flame cut and sheared edges is to be done where the hardness criteria is mentioned
in QAP. Hardness testing shall be carried out on, at least, six specimens.
1.16.8 Inspection and Testing of Welded Joints
The Inspector designated by the purchaser shall ascertain that fabrication by welding is
performed in accordance with the requirements of this guideline. Inspection of welds shall also
be carried out in accordance with this guideline. For the provisions which are not incorporated
in this guideline, IS:822 “Code of Procedure for Inspection of Welds” shall be followed.
Inspector shall be furnished with complete detailed drawings showing the size, length, type
and location of all welds, which are required to be made. The weld size shall be checked with
fillet weld gauges as shown in (Appendix-H, Fig. H-29).
He shall be notified in advance of the start of any welding operations.
He shall have free access to the work being done at all reasonable times by the Contractor
and facilities shall be provided so that during the course of welding he may be able to inspect
any layer of weld metal. He shall be at liberty to reject any material that does not conform to
the provisions of this code and to require any defective welds to be removed and re-welded.
A suggested proforma for welding records is shown in Appendix-C.
1.16.9 Inspection Prior to Welding

Parent metal
a) All plates and sections shall be inspected in the contractor’s works before
fabrication. Verification of the quality of parent metal shall be carried out by
reference to the relevant test certificate. The Inspector may, at his discretion,
ask for spot checks to be made on the chemical composition and physical
properties of the material.
b) Freedom from harmful defects such as cracks, surface flaws, laminations,
and rough, jagged or imperfect edges shall be verified by visual examination
of the material prior to welding. Dimensions of parts shall be checked by
measurement.
c) Edge preparation shall conform to the relevant drawings and meet the
requirements of this guideline.
d) After the parts are assembled in position for welding, the Inspector shall
check for incorrect root gap, improper edge preparation and other features
that might affect the quality of the welded joint.
Verification of operator’s qualification - Welding shall be permitted to be
performed only by welders and welding operators who are qualified.

25
IRC:SP:104-2015

e) The Contractor shall, if so required, prescribe the welding procedure to be

followed. Before any welding on the actual job is allowed under the contract,
the Inspector shall verify whether the welding procedure is in accordance
with the provisions of IS:9595 and IS:4353 as applicable.
1.16.10 Inspection During Welding
Filler material - Filler material shall be tested periodically to ensure that the specified quality
is being consistently maintained.
While welding is in progress, visual examination shall be employed to check the details of
work, such as proper arc, arc length, speed of weld deposit, sequence of welding, cleaning of
slag after each run in multi-run welding, electrode spattering, manipulation of the electrode,
employment of proper current and voltage etc. Particular care shall be taken during the early
stages of the work.
All facilities necessary for stage inspection during welding and on completion shall be provided
to Engineer or their inspecting authority by contractor.
Adequate means of identification either by an identification mark or other record shall be
provided to enable each weld to be traced to the welder (s) by whom it was carried out.
All metal arc welding shall in compliance with the provision of IS:9595.
The method of inspection shall be according to IS:822 and extent of inspection and testing
shall be in accordance with the relevant standards or in the absence of such a standard, as
agreed with the Engineer.
1.16.11 Procedure Tests
The Destructive and Non-destructive test of weld shall be carried out according to IS:7307
(Part-I).
One or more of following methods may be applied for inspection or non-destructive testing
of weld.
1.16.12 Visual Inspection
For visual inspection of defects, the weld surface shall be thoroughly cleaned of oxide layers
and adherent slag. If chipping hammer is used to remove slag, care shall be taken to see that
hammer marks do not obscure the evidence of fine cracks. Brushing with a stiff wire-brush or
grit blasting shall normally be followed.
Welding Profile - The finished welds shall be visually inspected and shall conform to the size
and contour specified in the drawings (Acceptable and defective weld profiles are illustrated
in Appendix-H, Figs. H-24 to H-28. Conformity of fillet welds as to size and contour shall
be determined by the use of gauges (Appendix-H, Fig. H-29) Concavity and excessive
convexity of fillet welds shall be marked for correction.
1.16.13 Acceptance Levels for Quality of Welds
Welds shall meet acceptance levels as per Appendix-F.
Dimensional Check- The weld met shall be inspected for dimensional accuracy (including
war page) and shall be within the tolerances specified.

26
 IRC:SP:104-2015

All welds shall be visually inspected, which should cover all defects of weld such as size,
porosity, crack in the weld or in the HAZ (Heat affected zone) etc. Suitable magnifying glass
may be used for visual inspection. A weld shall be acceptable by visual inspection if it shows
that:
The weld has no crack.
There is adequate fusion between weld and base-metal and between adjacent layers of weld
metal.
Weld profiles are in accordance with requisite clauses of IS: 9595 or as agreed with Engineer.
The weld shall be of full cross-section, except for the ends of intermittent fillet welds outside
of their effective length.
When weld is transverse to the primary stress, under-cut shall not be more than 0.25 mm
deep in the part that is under cut and shall not be more than 0.8 mm deep when the weld is
parallel to the primary stress in the part that is under-cut.
The fillet weld in any single continuous weld shall be permitted to under run the nominal fillet
weld size specified by 1.6 mm without correction provided that under size portion of the weld
does not exceed 10 percent of the length of the weld. On the web-to-flange welds on girders,
no under run is permitted at the ends for a length equal to twice the width of the flange.
The piping porosity in fillet welds shall not exceed one in each 100 mm of weld length and
the maximum diameter shall not exceed 2.4 mm, except for fillet welds connecting stiffeners
to web where the sum of diameters of piping porosity shall not exceed 9.5 mm in any 25 mm
length of weld and shall not exceed 19 mm in any 300 mm length of weld.
The full penetration groove weld in butt joints transverse to the direction of computed tensile
stress shall have no piping porosity. For all other groove welds, the piping porosity shall not
exceed one in 100 mm of length and the maximum diameter shall not exceed 2.4 mm.
1.16.14 Magnetic particle and Radiographic Inspection
Weld that are subject to radiographic or magnetic particle testing in addition to visual Inspection
shall have no crack.
Magnetic particle test shall be carried out for detection of crack and other discontinuity in the
weld according to IS:5334.
Radiographic test shall be carried out for detection of internal flaws in the weld such as crack,
piping porosity, inclusion, lack of fusion, incomplete penetration etc. This test may be carried
out as per IS:1182 and IS:4853.
1.16.15 Ultrasonic Inspection
The Ultrasonic testing in addition to visual inspection shall be carried out for detection of
internal flaws in the weld such as cracks, piping porosity inclusion, lack of fusion, incomplete
penetration etc. Acceptance criteria shall be as per IS:4260 or any other relevant IS
Specification and as agreed by Engineer.
1.16.16 Liquid Penetrant Inspection

27
IRC:SP:104-2015

The liquid penetrant test shall be carried out for detection of surface defect in the weld, as per
IS:3658, in addition to visual inspection.
The non-destructive testing of following welds be carried out using one or more of the methods
described by Engineer.
All transverse butt weld in tension flange.
a) 10 Percent of length of longitudinal butt welds in tension flange.
b) 5 percent of the length of longitudinal and transverse butt welds in compression
flanges.
c) All transverse butt welds in webs adjacent to tension flanges as specified by
the Engineer.
The particular length of welds to be tested shall be agreed with the Engineer, in case of (b)
and (c).
Where specified by the Engineer, bearing stiffeners or bearing diaphragms adjacent to welds,
flange plates adjacent to web/flange welds, plates at cruciform welds, plates in box girder
construction adjacent to corner welds shall be ultrasonically tested after fabrication.
Any lamination, lamellar tearing or other defect found shall be recorded and reported to
Engineer for his decision.
1.16.17 Marking of Defective Welds
The marking shall be positive and clear and in accordance with the method of marking
followed and understood by the Inspector and shop personnel involved in making the
repairs.
Marking shall be permanent enough to be evident until the repair is carried out and the
inspection completed.
After the repair has been done, it shall be inspected again and properly marked to indicate
whether the repair is satisfactory or not.
The testing of weld for cast steel shall be carried out as may be agreed by the Engineer.
1.16.18 Testing of Stud Shear connectors
The fixing of studs after being welded in position shall be tested by striking the side of the
head of the stud with 2 kg hammer, to the satisfaction of the Engineer.
The selected stud head stroked with 6 kg hammer shall be capable of lateral displacement of
approximately 0.25 height of the stud from its original position. The stud weld shall not show
any signs of cracks or lack of fusion.
The studs which have failed the tests given above shall be replaced.
1.16.19 Final inspection of components
The fabricated member/component made out of rolled and built-up section shall be checked
for compliance of the tolerances given in Appendix-B, Inspection of member/components for
tolerances and the check for deviations shall be made over the full length. During checking

28
 IRC:SP:104-2015

the inspection equipment shall be placed in such a manner that local surface do not influence
the results. Out-of-plane deviations for plates and other flat surfaces shall be checked at right
angle to the surface over the full area.The relative cross girder or cross frame deviation shall
be checked over the middle third of length of cross girder or frame between each pair of webs
and for cantilever at the end of member. The web of rolled beam or channel section shall be
checked for out-of-plane deviation in longitudinal direction equal to the depth of the section.
During inspection, the component/member shall not have any load or external restraint.
1.16.20 Inspection Stages
The inspection to be carried out for compliance of tolerances for completed parts, component
members on completion of fabrication and before surface preparation for painting and,
erection. For webs of plate and box girder, longitudinal compression flange stiffeners in box
girders, and orthotropic decks and all web stiffeners at site joints, on completion of site joint.
For cross girders and frames, cantilevers in orthotropic decks and other parts, on completion
of site assembly.
Where, on checking member/component for the deviations in respect of out­of plane or out-of-
straightness at right angles to the plate surface, and any other instances, exceed tolerance,
the maximum deviation shall be measured and recorded. The recorded measurements shall
be submitted to the Engineer, who will determine whether the component/member may be
accepted without rectification.
1.17 Bearings
Specification and tolerances for roller and knuckle bearings are indicated in Appendix-D.
1.18 Painting and Metallising
1.18.1 General
No part of the work shall be painted or coated, packed or dispatched, until it has been finally
inspected and approved by the Inspecting Officer. Dry film thickness shall be measured by
Paint coat meter (Preferably digital) or any other approved method.
When so specified, the whole of the work except machined surfaces, shall be given protective
coating using one of the systems of painting or metalizing. Prior to the application of protective
coating, the surface or work shall be carefully prepared removing mill scale, rust, etc., using
wire brushes, shot or grit blasting as stipulated and approved by the Engineer.
1.18.2 Surface Preparation
Remove oil/grease from the metal surface by using petroleum hydro-carbon solvent as per
IS:1745.
Prepare the surface by shot/grit blasting to Sa 2.5 (Swedish Standard SIS 055900) to ensure
proper surface cleanliness and roughness.
1.18.3 Metalizing and Painting
For locations where the girders are subjected to salt spray such as in close vicinity of the sea
and/orover creeks etc., protective coating by metalizing with sprayed aluminium followed by

29
IRC:SP:104-2015

painting as per painting schedule given below may be applied. The metalizing should be as
per Appendix-E.
Primer Coat - One Coat of etch primer to IS:5666.
For locations where girders are exposed to corrosive environment i.e girders in industrial,
sub-urban or coastal areas, components of the girders shall be given protective coating
by metalizing followed by painting using epoxy based paints as per the following painting
schedule.
Primer Coat- Brush/Airless Spray of Two Coats of Epoxy Zinc Phosphate primer of 60
microns min. dry film thickness (DFT) and giving sufficient time gap between two coats to
enable the first coat of primer to hard dry.
Intermediate Coat - One Coat of Zinc Chrome Primer to IS:104.
Finishing Coat - Two coats of aluminium paint to IS:2339 brushing or spraying as required.
One coat shall be applied before the fabricated steel work leaves the shop. After the steel
work is erected at site, the second finishing coat shall be applied after touching up the primer
and the finishing coat if damaged in transit.
Intermediate Coat- Brush/Airless Spray of One Coat of Epoxy Micaceous Iron Oxide paint
of DFT 100 microns and allowed to hard dry.
Finishing Coat- Brush/Airless Spray of Two Coats of Polyurethane Aluminium Finishing for
coastal locations or Polyurethane Red Oxide (Red Oxide to IS:146) for other locations of
40 microns minimum DFT giving sufficient time gap between two coats to enable the first
coat to hard dry. The finishing coats shall be applied in shop and touched after erection, if
necessary.
Where the life of protective coating is required to be longer to avoid frequent paintings,
because of the accessibility of locations and where metalizing or epoxy based painting is
recommended but there are no facilities available for the same, protective coating by painting
as per following painting schedule may be applied.
Primer Coat - One coat of ready mixed paint zinc chrome priming to IS:104 followed by one
coat of ready mixed paint red oxide zinc chrome priming to IS:2074.
Intermediate - Two coats of Zinc Chromate Red Oxide Primer to IS:2074.
Finishing Coat - Two finishing coats of Aluminium paint to IS:2339 or of any other approved
paint shall be applied over the primer coats. One coat shall be applied before the fabricated
steel leaves the shop. After the steel work is erected at site, the second finishing coat shall
be applied after touching up the primer and the finishing coat if damaged in transit.

2 ERECTION
2.1 Transportation, Handling and Erection
2.1.1 General
The handling, transportation and erection of bridges and their components should be done
which utmost care & safe procedures.

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 IRC:SP:104-2015

The actions to be taken for various operations in handling, transportation in shop floor and in
transit, should be done with safe working procedures and be intimated to the engineer.
2.1.2 Transportation to Site and Handling
Packing, placement, fastening of components and their transportation to site shall be carried
out with care and it shall be ensured that damages or undue distortion do not occur.
Before deciding the mode of transportation, the route shall be surveyed and local restriction
considered. Instructions for proper handling during transportation and storage shall be
issued.
All component shall be securely lashed during transportation to ensure that they do not
fall/slide or endanger other traffic. All possible safety measures shall be adopted.
In case of heavy and unusual structures, availability of the transportation medium shall be
checked in advance and arrangements tied up.
Stability of the members shall be checked and ensured during loading and transportation.
Protruding members shall be specially protected during transit. Threaded and machined
portion of fabricated structures shall be oiled/greased against corrosion and carefully
protected against damage.
Loose or sub - assembled items shall have clear mark number as per the erection drawing.
Critical items shall be given special care.
Small items such as nuts, bolts, washers, packing plates, rivets, electrodes shall be dispatched
in container and their details shall be fully listed to ensure proper receipt and storage.
Under loaded consignments shall be normally avoided.
All consignments of steel work shall carry dispatch advice/challan to maintain the correlation
between fabricated components and components sent to site for erection.
For access to the erection site it may be necessary to construct temporary road/bridges
which allow safe movement of the fabricated materials & equipment.
2.1.3 Storage and Handling at Site
Suitable area for storage of structures and components shall be located near the site of work.
The access road shall be free from water logging during the working period and the storage
area should be on a level and firm ground.
The site store should be provided with adequate handling equipment such as mobile crane,
gantries, derricks, chain-pulley blocks, winch and other lifting tools and tackles of adequate
capacity.
Stacking area shall be properly leveled and shall have access tracks for movement of cranes.
Racks, sleeper stands and requisite open space for storage shall be available. Storage
shall be planned to avoid damage or distortion of the components and availability to suit the
erection sequence.

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IRC:SP:104-2015

Fabricated materials shall be stored in such a way that erection marks are visible and shall
have accessible to handling equipment. They should be stored in such a way that they do not
come in contact with earth surface or water.
Small fittings, hand tools etc., are to be kept in containers in covered stores.
Safety requirement for equipment should be as per IS:7293, and for storage IS:7969 shall be
followed. For useful information about Cranes see Appendix-K.

2.2 Erection Scheme and Erection Procedure

2.2.1 General Considerations
The construction methodology, types of equipment to be used use and other relevant
information relating to the erection scheme shall be intimated to the engineer for his
approval.
While preparing erection scheme, provision for wind loads shall be made according to local
conditions. Ground conditions should be stable enough to ensure that the temporary supports
do not settle during erection.
Span erected upon staging shall be supported upon suitable blocks and camber jacks. Care
shall be taken to ensure that the girders are erected at the correct elevation, alignment and
camber, when completed.
When chains are used for lashing, care must be taken to protect the edges of members from
denting and distortion.
Proper method shall be used for lifting and slinging of flexible members to ensure that
permanent deformations are not made.
Erection work shall start only when resources, as per approved scheme, are available at site
and the foundations for supports are ready for taking the load.
In works of erection involving high volume, mechanization to the possible extent, shall be
adopted.
The structure shall be divided into modules. Before erection the modules shall be pre-
assembled in a suitable yard/platform and its matching with members of the adjacent module
shall be checked.
Where erection has to be carried out on a difficult terrain, the trial assembly of the girder
should be done and simulated load shall be applied to study the effect.
The supporting structure shall be set out to the required lines and levels. Sufficient packing
materials should be available at site to start erection. The erection of the girder shall be
completed with sufficient drifts and bolts and in the required position.
2.2.2 Plants and Equipment
Capacity chart for each crane configuration and boom length should be studied in detail and
placement of the crane planned accordingly.

32
 IRC:SP:104-2015

Periodical inspection of the crane and other lifting equipment shall be made to ensure that the
equipments are in working order. The lifting gear and machinery should have the periodical
load testing certificate and declared fit for service by authorized personnel only.
Prior to actual commencement of erection all equipment, machinery, tools, tackles, shall be
load tested and witnessed by the engineer, to ensure their efficient working.
Appendix-I, illustrates some typical lifting tools, tackles and lifting methods.
2.2.3 Temporary Works
All temporary work shall be properly designed and constructed for construction loads.
Temporary bracing shall be provided to take care of rigidity during erection.
2.2.4 Inspection and Testing Prior to Erection
Visual inspection is essential in vulnerable areas to detect displacements, distress, damages
etc.
Deflection tests shall be conducted in respect of supporting structures, launching truss as
also the structure under erection. Any looseness of fittings or unusual behavior shall be noted
and adequate precautions taken.
Safety requirements shall conform to IS:7205 and IS:7293.
Organized “Quality Surveillance” checks shall be exercised intermittently.
For erection Inspection checklist see Appendix-L.
2.2.5 Lifting and Assembling
Planned systems for achieving and maintaining stability at all times during construction
shall be fully detailed in the method statement which should contain precise step-by-step
instructions.
These shall be indicated on the detailed working drawings and given to the erection
supervisor.
Any special or unusual features of the structural design which may affect stability during
erection shall be highlighted and emphasized on drawings which shall form part of the method
statement.
The ground on which the crane shall stand must be firm, leveled and free from obstruction.
All outriggers must be fully extended, jacked and locked.
The crane shall be leveled before attempting the lift and in many cranes there may be ‘level
bubble’ which can be used to satisfy this condition.
Before using the equipment the safe working load shall be considered and shall be inspected
for defects, if any including excessive wear and tear.
2.2.6 Bearing and Anchorages
Bed plates shall be set to required level and fixed accurately in position by giving full and
even bearing by setting them on a layer of cement sand and cast iron chips as approved and
directed by the engineer.

33
IRC:SP:104-2015

The holes shall be drilled , where necessary, and the anchor bolts set. The bolts shall be set
accurately and fixed with cement grout or any other grouting material, as approved by the
Engineer to completely fill the holes.
2.2.7 Cambering for Erection of Open Web Girders
The joints of the chords shall be drifted, bolted and preferably riveted to their geometric
outline.
All other members are to be elastically strained into position by external forces, so that as
many holes as possible are fair when filled with rivets.
Drifting of joints shall be avoided as far as possible, and when necessary, should be done
with great care and under close expert supervision. Hammers not exceeding one kg in weight
shall be used with turned barrel drifts and a number of holes drifted simultaneously, the effect
of the drifting shall be checked by observation of adjacent unfilled holes.
The first procedure during erection consists of placing camber jacks in position on which the
structure shall be supported. The camber jacks shall be set with their tops level, and with
sufficient run out to allow for lowering of panel points except the centre by the necessary
amounts to produce the required camber in the main girders. It is essential that the camber
is accurately maintained throughout the process of erection and it should be constantly
checked. The jacks shall be spaced so that they shall support the ends of the main girders
and the panel points. The bottom chord members shall then be placed on the camber jacks,
carefully leveled and checked for straightness and the joints made and riveted up.
The vertical and diagonal web members, except the posts, shall then be erected in their proper
positions on the bottom chords It is recommended that temporary top gussets, the positions
of the holes in which are corrected for the camber change of length in the members, should
be used to connect the top ­ends of the member this will ensure that the angles between the
members at the bottom joints are as given by the nominal outline of the girders. The vertical
and diagonal shall then be riveted/bolted to the lower chords.
All panel points, except the centre, shall now be lowered by amounts to produce the correct
camber in the main girders as shown on the camber diagram.
The top chord should be erected piece by piece working symmetrically from the centre
outwards, and the joint made by straining the members meeting at the joint and bringing the
holes into correct position.
The temporary gussets, if used, shall be replaced by the permanent gussets in the same
sequence as the erection of the top boom members.
The end posts shall be erected last. The upper end connection should preferably be made
first and if there is no splice in the end raker, the final closure made at the bottom end
connection. If there is a splice, the final closure should be made at the splice.
When cantilever method of erection is used, the above procedure does not apply.

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2.3 Joints
2.3.1 Bolted Joints
No joint shall be assembled for bolting until the contact surface have been properly inspected
to ensure that they are free from dirt ,scales and other foreign materials.
Each bolt and nut shall be assembled with at least one washer. A washer, conforming to
Clause 502.4 of IRC:24, shall be placed under the rotating component.
Where the angle between the axis of the bolt and the joints surface is more that 3 degree
off normal, a tapered washer shall be used against the tapered surface. The non-rotating
components shall preferably be placed against the tapered washer.
The nut should be placed so that the mark to identify a high strength nut is visible after
tightening.
Packing shall be provided wherever necessary to ensure that the load transmitting plies are
in effective contact when the joint is tightened to the ‘snug-tight’ condition. All packing shall
be of steel with a surface condition similar to that of the adjacent material.
The holes in the parts to be joined shall be aligned to permit the bolts to be positioned without
damage to the threaded portion of the bolt. Drifting to align holes shall not distort the metal
or enlarge the holes.
Snug tightening and final tensioning of the bolts shall proceed from the stiffest part of the joint
towards the free edges.
High strength bolts, conforming to IS:3757, may be used temporarily during erection to
facilitate assembly. They shall not be finally tensioned until all bolts in the joint are snug-tight
in their correct sequence.
Re-tensioning of bolts which have been fully tensioned shall be avoided wherever possible.
If re-tensioning must be carried out it shall only be permitted once and only when the bolt
remains in the same hole in which it was originally tensioned and with the same grip.
Under no circumstances shall bolts, which have been fully tensioned, be reused in another
hole.
2.3.2 Riveted Joints
All rivets shall be properly and uniformly heated to straw heat for the full length of the shank.
The head of the rivet, particularly in long rivets, shall be heated more than the point. Sparking
or burnt rivets shall not be used. Pneumatic/hydraulic operated dolly and riveting gun should
be used for holding the rivet head and forming the rivet head at the point end.
Where support is not available to hold the rivet head by pneumatic/hydraulic operated dolly
or any other mechanical method, head forming of the rivet should be done by utilizing two
riveting gun, operating simultaneously, from both ends of the rivet.
Gauges for rivet dimensions and contours shall be provided by the contractor for the use of
the Inspecting Officer.

35
IRC:SP:104-2015

Rivets when driven shall completely fill the hole. The formed head of the rivet should be
concentric with the shanks and shall be in full contact with ply surface. Driven rivets shall be
free from movement or vibration, when struck sharply on the head with the 110 gm. Rivet
testing hammer. While riveting built-up members great care should be exercised to ensure
that the set of holes for field rivets in each flange of the built-up member, is aligned dead-
square in relation to that in the other flange and not abrogated.
All loose, burnt, head cracked, badly formed, eccentric and deficient head rivets shall be cut
out and replaced. Rivets shall also be cut out when required for the examination of the work.
Actual method of cutting out shall be approved by the Engineer.
Recapping and caulking should not be done.
Riveting shall be started when the Engineer gives permission after personally satisfying
himself about the correctness of the assembly, the suitable cambering and proper alignment
of the girder and ensuring about the tightening of service bolts and concentricity of field rivet
holes.
Special care should be taken that service bolts are frequently re-tightened as the riveting
proceeds. All field rivets shall be tested as directed by the Engineer.
Where practicable all riveting shall be done by pneumatic or hydraulic riveting machine. The
working pressure to be used for the riveting shall be accepted by the Engineer.
Hand riveting shall only be done when sanctioned by the Engineer. In such cases, means
shall be adopted to ensure the rivets being used fill the rivet holes completely, the snap is
used only to give the correct head formation.
When all the rivets of joints have been finally passed, they shall be painted as under:
One coat of ready mixed Zinc Chrome Primer to IS:104 followed by one coat of ready mixed
paint red oxide zinc chrome primer to IS:2074.
Finishing coat should be done at the time of final painting.
2.3.3 Welded Joints
Any connection to be site welded shall be securely held in position by approved means to
ensure accurate alignment, camber and position before welding is commenced.
Weld Procedure Specifications (WPS) shall be prepared and got approved by the engineer.
All weldings are to be carried out as per IS 816/IS 9595 with suitable consumables, as
approved in the WPS. All welds shall be sound and shall conform to Clause No 512.4.4 of
IRC:24.
For welded connections, welders qualification are to be done as per relevant IS code.
Non-destructive tests (NDT) of joints as per designer’s directives are to be carried out.
Precision non-destructive testing instruments available in the market should be­ used for
noting various important parameters of the structures frequently and systematic record
should be kept.
____________

36
 IRC:SP:104-2015

Appendix - A

(Inspection Register)
(Refer Clause 1.16.1)

A 1 Jigs Register
This register shall be maintained for keeping records of details of jigs, their approval and
modification/rectification to the jigs. One page should be allotted for each jig and details
mentioned in the following Proforma :
a) Description of Jigs:
b) Jig No.
c) Shipping mark of the components for which jig is made.
d) Drawing No. for the component.
Date of Inspection Observation/inspection Notes Compliance action Initial of supervision in-charge
1 2 3 4

In the beginning of Register, a statement of jigs shall also be placed in the following proforma.
Jig No. Description of Jig Shipping mark of the Drg. No. as per which jigs Inspecting official’s
component is made/modified approval details
1 2 3 4 5

A 2 Rivet Checking Register

This register shall be maintained for keeping records of rivet quality checking and replacement
of defect rivets. Register shall be maintained in the following proforma :-
Component Date of Rivetting Number & nature of Number of defective Initial of Supervision
description riveting party defective rivets rivets replaced in-Charge
1 2 3 4 5 6

After riveting, component has been inspected and defective rivets have been replaced, the
Supervisor-in-charge of riveting should put a stencil mark on the component to this effect.

A 3 Material Offering And Inspection Register

This register shall be maintained separately for each work order for keeping record of material
offered for inspection, inspection remarks and passing details. One page should be allotted
for individual members or fittings. Proforma shall be under:
a) Description of component/fitting:
b) Shipping mark :
c) Quality required per span.
Span Initial of Inspecting Compliance Seal & initial of Despatch &
No. Supervisor offering material official action inspecting official consignee
for inspection Remarks details
1 2 3 4 5 6

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IRC:SP:104-2015

A 4 Inspection Notes and Compliance Register

This register shall be maintained for record of compliance action taken Engineer Inspection
notes. In this register one copy of the inspection note received from Engineer shall be pasted
and compliance action record against each item.
A 5 Welding Procedure Data Register
In this register complete details of welding of welded girders shall be maintained in the
proforma under :
Name of Work ____________________________________________________________
Contract/ Work Order No. ___________________________________________________
Span No. ________________________________________________________________
Date of Welding Girder component & its Welding joint Name of welder/ WPSS No. followed
Sl. No. description Ticket No.
1 2 3 4 5

Welding Welding Parameters Weld repair Run on/Run Radiography Initial of

consumable used details off tabs. No. No. if any Supervisor
if any in-charge
Electrode Flux Current Arc Voltage Travel
/ Wire (Amp.) (Volt) Speed
(m/min)
6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
The welding data record to be submitted to Engineer while offering the welded girders for
inspection, shall be prepared based on the details recorded in this register.
A6 Radiographic Inspection Register
Record of radiographic inspection of welded girders shall be maintained in the register in the
Proforma given below :­-
Name of Span Girder Weld joint Date of Radiograph Obser- Result Initial of
work No. Part description radiographic No. vation Supervisor-In-
inspection charge
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

A 7 Radiographic Inspection Register

Record of radiographic inspection of welded girders shall be maintained in the register in the
proforma given below :­
Name of Work ____________________________________________________________
Contract/Work Order No. ___________________________________________________
Span No. ________________________________________________________________
Girder component Type & Sized Material Test Cast No. Steel quantity Steel Initial of
description & of rolled Certificate No. as per the test Manufacturer Supervisor-
identification No. section certificate Supplier In-charge.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

One page should be allotted for each span.

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 IRC:SP:104-2015

APPENDIX - B

(Manufacturing Tolerance)
(Refer Clause 1.16.19)
B 1 Plate Girder
Tolerance in mm Notation in the
(Plus) (Minus) Fig. B-1
a) Overall length of the girder 6 3 A
b) Distance between centers of Bearings 1 1 B
c) Depth over Angles 3 1 C
d) Corner of flange angle to edge of web at any 0 2 D
place
e) Diagonal at either end of the assembled 3 3 E
span
f) Centres of intersection of diagonals with girder 3 3 F
flange measured along the girder flange
g) Butting of Compression ends
i) Throughout 0 0.15 G
ii) Locally 0 0.25 G
h) Butting edge at web splices 0 1 H
i) Straightness of girder bottom laid on the
ground and checked with piano wire
i) Vertical Plane
Convexity 0 3 j
Concavity 0 0 j
ii) Horizontal Plane 2 2 j

B 2 Open Web Girder

a) Overall length of Girders 1 1 K
b) Distance between centre to centre of 1 1 L
bearings
c) Cross diagonals of assembled bays 1 1 M
d) Centre to centre of cross girders 1 1 N
e) Centre to centre of Rail bearer 1 1 P
f) Panel length in lateral bracing system 1 1 Q
g) Distance between inter section line of chords 1 1 R
vertical & horizontal
h) Butting edges of compression members
i) Throughout 0 0.15 S
ii) Locally 0 0.25 S
i) Twist in members 0 0 T
j) Lateral distortion between points of lateral .001L .001L U
support

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IRC:SP:104-2015

B 3 Holes
a) Between any two holes in group 0.5 0.5 V
b) Between holes of one group and another 1 1 W
c) Edge distance 0.5 0.5 X
d) Distance of ‘GO’ gauge open holes in two or 0 0.8 Y
more thickness

B 4 Special Fabrication Tolerance as applicable to Welded Plate Girder

Description Tolerance in mm
1. Depth at the centre of web + 2 to -1
2. Flange out of square for compression member and beams 1/200 or 3 max. from edge
whichever is less
3. Displacement of vertical axis of the web with reference to 2
flange
4. Box width of member 0 to + 3
5. Verticality of stiffener or diaphragm out of plumb 2
6. Overall length of girder + 6 to - 3
7. Depth of the girder at the ends + 3 to - 1
8. Depth of the girder at the centre of span + 2 to - 1
9. Distance between centre of bearings + 1 to - 1
10. Diagonal at either ends of assembled span + 3 to - 3
11.

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 IRC:SP:104-2015

Fig. B-1

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IRC:SP:104-2015

APPENDIX - C

(Welding Records)
(Refer Clause 1.16.8)

C1. Proforma for Welding Procedure Specification Sheet

Name & Address of Fabricator :
Welding Procedure Specification No. :
C.1.1 Welding Joint Description :
C.1.2 Base Metal :
C.1.3 Base Metal :
C.1.4 Welding Process :
C.1.5 Welding Position :
C.1.6 Welding Consumables :
C.1.7 Electrode/Wire Class :
Dia :
Drying Method :
C.1.8 Flux. Class :
Type :
Drying method :
C.1.9 Shielding gas :
C.1.10 Base Metal preparation :
Joint design details :
(Give sketch showing arrangement of parts, welding groove details
Weld passes & their sequence etc.,)
C.1.11 Joint preparation : Type :
C.1.12 Welding current : Polarity :
C.1.13 Welder qualification :
C.1.14 Welding parameters and technique :
C.1.15 Welding Parameters :
Weld Electrodeswire Current Arc Voltage Wire Feed Travel Electrical Gas flow
Pass No. dia (mm) (Amp.) (Volt) Speed (m/min) Speed stick out rate (liter/
(m/min) (mm) min.)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

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 IRC:SP:104-2015

C.1.16 Welding sequence and technique :

(Give sketch showing sequence and direction of welding).
C.1.17 Provision of run in and run-off tabs :
C.1.18 Cleaning of weld bead before laying next weld bead :
C.1.19 Root preparation before welding other side of groove weld :
C.1.20 Preheating and inter pass temperature :
C.1.21 Peening :
C.1.22 Post weld treatment :
C.1.23 Rectification of weld defects :
C.1.24 Inspection of weld :
C.1.25 Any other relevant details :

C2. Proforma For Welding Procedure Qualification Record

Name & Address of Fabricator :
C.2.1 Description of Weld Joint :
C.2.2 Welding Procedure Specification No. :
C.2.3 Name of Welder :
C.2.4 Date of preparation of test piece :
C.2.5 Dimension of test piece :
C.2.6 Base Metal :
C.2.7 Welding Process :
C.2.8 Welding Position :
C.2.9 Welding Current : Type : Polarity :
C.2.10 Weld joint design details :
C.2.11 Welding consumables :
C.2.11.1 Electrode/Wire Class : Dia : Drying method :
C.2.11.2 Flux : Type : Drying method :
C.2.11.3 Shielding gas :
C.2.12 Welding Parameters
Weld Electrodes/ Current Arc Voltage Wire Feed Travel Electrical Gas flow rate
Pass No. wire dia (Amp.) (Volt) Speed Speed stick out (liter/ min.)
(mm) (m/min) (m/min) (mm)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

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IRC:SP:104-2015

C.2.13 Pre-heating and inter pass temperature :

C.2.14 Results of Qualification Test :
Test Specification No. Results
1 2 3
Non-destructive Tests :
i) Visual Examination
ii) Dye Penetrate test
iii) Magnetic particle test
iv) Radiographic/Ultrasonic test
Destructive Test:
i) Micro-examination
ii) Hardness survey
iii) Fillet weld fracture test
iv) Transverse tensile test
Tensile strength
Yield Stress
Location of fracture
v) All-weld tensile test
Tensile strength
Yield stress
Elongation %
vi) Guided bend test
Root bend test
Face bend test
Side bend test
vii) Any other test

Signature ___________________
Designation _________________

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 IRC:SP:104-2015

APPENDIX - D

Tolerance and Specifications for Roller and Knuckle Bearings

(Refer Clause 1.17)

D 1. Roller
No roller shall vary in diameter, from that shown on the contract drawings, by more that
± 0.04 mm.

D 2. Knuckle castings and pins (interchangeable work)

The diameter shall not be greater than D, not less that D-0.2 mm.
Knuckle Castings.
The knuckle castings must be bored greater that D, but not greater than D + 0.3 mm.
Where D, in all cases is the diameter given on the contract drawings.

D 3. Knuckle castings and pins ( non-interchangeable work)

If sets of bearings are not made inter-changeable but are made separately and the pins and
knuckles all fitted together than the minus tolerance on the pin, and the plus tolerance on
the bore on the knuckles may bed varied provided that the difference between the diameter
of the pin and the diameter of the knuckle does not exceed 0.5 mm also in this case all sets
of bearing are to be given a consecutive number and each component part shall have this
allotted number stamped upon it and encircled in white paint in the manner shown on the
sketch.

D 4. Marking
Accurate centre marks should be made on the four sides of the bottom slab of the bearing to
facilitate positioning during erection.

D 5. Thickness of castings (Interchangeable and non-changeable

work)
No minus tolerance will be allowed in the thickness of any part of any of the castings. The
edges of all ribs shall be of the thickness shown on the contract drawing and shall be parallel
throughout their length.

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IRC:SP:104-2015

APPENDIX - E

Specification for Metallising with Sprayed Aluminium for Bridge Girders

(Refer Clause 1.18.3)

E 1 Surface Preparation
The surface shall be thoroughly cleaned and roughened by compressed air blasting or
centrifugal blasting with a suitable abrasive material in accordance with Clause 3 of IS:6586
immediately, before spraying. It shall be free from grease, scale, rust, moisture or other foreign
matter. It shall be comparable in roughness with a reference surface produced in accordance
with Appendix-A of IS:5905 and shall provide an adequate key for the subsequently sprayed
metal coating.

E 2 Metal Spraying
The metal spraying shall be carried out as soon as possible after surface preparation but in
any case within such period that the surface is still completely clean, dry and without visible
oxidation. If deterioration in the surface to be coated is observed by comparison with a freshly
prepared metal surface of similar quality which has undergone the same preparation, the
preparation treatment should be repeated on the surface to be coated.
The wire method shall be used for the purpose of metallising, the diameter of the wire being
3 mm or 5 mm. Specified thickness of coating shall be applied in multiple layers and in no case
less than 2 passes of the metal spraying unit shall be made over every part of the surface. At
least one layer of the coated to the specified thickness within 8 hours of blasting.
The chemical composition of aluminum to be sprayed shall be 99.5 percent aluminium
conforming to IS:2590. The surface of the sprayed coating shall be of uniform texture and
free form lumps, coarse areas and loosely adherent particles. The nominal thickness of the
coating shall be 150 μ (microns). The minimum local thickness, determined in accordance
with procedure given in Clause E.5.1 below, shall be not less than 110 μ (microns).

E 3 Shop Painting
Any oil, grease or other contamination should be removed by through washing with a suitable
thinner until no visible traces exist and the surfaces should be allowed to dry thoroughly before
application of paint. The coatings may be applied by brush or spray. If sprayed, pressure
type spray guns must be used. One coat of wash primer, one coat of Zinc chrome primer to
IS:104 with the additional provision that Zinc chrome to be used in the manufacture of primer
shall conform to type 2 of IS:51, shall be applied. After hard drying of zinc chrome primer, one
coat of Aluminum paint to IS:2339 (brushing or spraying as required) shall be applied.

E 4 Site Painting
After the steel work is erected at site a second cover coat of Aluminum paint to IS:2339
(brushing or spraying as required) shall be applied after touching up the primer and the cover
coat given in the shop if damaged in transit.

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 IRC:SP:104-2015

E 5 Inspection

E 5.1 Equipment
Any magnetic or electro-magnetic thickness meter that will measure local thickness of a
known standard with an accuracy of ± 10 percent shall be used. The meter shall be checked
on one of the following standards.
i) A soft brass shim, free form burrs, in contact with the grit blasted surface
of the base metal prior to its being sprayed. The thickness of the shim shall
be measured by micrometer and shall be approximately the same as the
thickness of the coating.
ii) A sprayed metal coating of uniform known thickness of approximately the
same as the thickness of the sprayed coating to be tested, applied to a base
of similar composition and thickness.

E 5.2 Procedure
For each measurement of local thickness, an appropriate number of determinations shall
be made, according to the type of instrument used. With instrument measuring the average
thickness over an area of not less than 0.645 cm2, the local thickness shall be the result of
the one reading. With instruments having one or more pointed or rounded probes, the local
thickness shall be the mean of three readings within a circle of 0.645 cm2 area. With meters
having two such probes, each reading shall be the average of two determinations with the
probes reversed position.

E 5.3 Method of Test for Adhesion

Using a straight edge and hardened steel scriber which has been ground to a sharp 30 degree
point, scribe two parallel line at a distance apart equal to approximately 10 times the average
coating thickness. In scribing the two lines, apply enough pressure on each occasion to cut
through the coating to the base metal in a single stroke. If any parts of the coating between
the line breaks away from the base metals, it shall be deemed to have failed the test.
Articles, which have been rejected shall have the defective sections blasted clean of all
sprayed metal prior to re-spraying. Where the rejection has been solely due to too thin a
coating, sprayed metal of the same quality may be added provided that the surface has been
kept dry and is free from visible contamination.

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IRC:SP:104-2015

APPENDIX - F

Acceptance Levels for Welds

(Refer Clause 1.16.13)
Defect Type Permitted, Maximum
F1) Planar defects

a) Cracks and lamellar tears not permitted

b) Root concavity 0.1t or 1.2 mm whichever is less
c) Lack of root fusion not permitted
d) Lack of side fusion not permitted
e) Lack of inter-run fusion not permitted
f) Lack of root penetration not permitted
F2) Cavities
a) Isolated pores φ ≤ t/4 and also less than
(or individual pores in a group) (i) 1.5 mm for t upto and including 25 mm; or
(ii) 3.0 mm for t over 25 mm upto and including 50 mm; or
(iii) 4.5 mm for t over 50 mm upto and including 75 mm; or
(iv) 6.0 mm for t over 75 mm
b) Uniformly distributed or localized One percent by area (as seen in a radio graph) for t ≤ 25 mm and pro-rata
porosity for greater thicknesses
c) Linear porosity Linear porosity parallel to the axis of the weld may indicate lack of fusion
or lack of penetration and is, therefore, not permitted
d) Worm holes, isolated l ≤ 6 mm w ≤ 1.5 mm
e) Worm holes, aligned same as for linear porosity
f) Crater pipes l ≤ 6 mm w ≤ 1.5 mm
F3) Solid Inclusions (Slag Inclusions)
a) Individual and parallel to weld axis (as seen in the radiograph)
t l w
i) ≤ 18 mm ≤ t/2 and ≤ 6 mm ≤ 1.5 mm
ii) > 18 mm and ≤ t/3 ≤ 1.5 mm
≤ 75 mm
iii > 75 mm ≤ 25 mm ≤ 1.5 mm
b) Linear group* Aggregate length should not exceed 8 percent of length of
group, which in turn should not exceed 12t in length.
c) Individual and randomly oriented (Not parallel Maximum dimension in any direction: 6 mm.
to weld axis)
F4) Copper inclusions
(Detected by visual examination or by Not permitted
radiography)

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 IRC:SP:104-2015

F5) Profile defects

a) Undercut Slight intermittent undercut permitted, provided it does not form a
sharp notch ; depth should not exceed 0.4 mm.
b) Shrinkage grooves and root concavity Same as for under cut, depth should not exceed 1.2 mm.
c) Excess penetration H ≤ 3 mm. Occasional local slight excess is allowable
d) Reinforcement shape The reinforcement shall blend smoothly with the parent metal
and dressing shall be as specified in drawing or required for NDT
techniques.
e) Overlap Not permitted
f) Linear misalignment H ≤ t/10 and ≤ 3 mm

Symbols:
t = Thickness of parent metal. In the case of dissimilar thicknesses t applies
to the thinner component
w = Width of defect , l = Length of defect , h = Height of defect , φ = Diameter
of defect
* Individual inclusions within the group should not exceed the sizes in 3(a) above. A linear group
is defined as a number of inclusions in line and parallel to the weld axis where the spacing
between their adjacent ends does not exceed 6 times the length of the longest inclusion within
the group. With parallel groups, all inclusions count towards the aggregate.

49
IRC:SP:104-2015

APPENDIX - G

Procedure for Providing Plug Welds

(Refer Clause 1.15.24)
The holes shall be tapered to ensure adequate root penetration.
Welding shall generally be carried out in flat position using a copper block plate of 25 mm
minimum thickness as a backing surface. This plate shall have a depression of about 3 mm
at the center and in the line of the hole.
For welds to be made in the flat position, the arc shall be carried round the root of the joint
and then carried along spiral path to the center of the hole fusing and depositing a layer of
weld metal in the root and bottom of the joint. The arc shall then be carried to the periphery of
the hole and the procedure repeated, fusing and depositing successive layers to fill the hole.
The slag covering the weld metal shall be kept molten, or nearly so, until the weld is finished.
If the arc is broken, except briefly for changing the electrodes, the slag must be allowed to
cool and be completely removed before starting the weld.
For welds to be made in the vertical position, the arc shall be started at the root of the joint, at
the lower side of the hole, and carried upwards along a zig zag path depositing a layer about
5 mm thick on the exposed face and fused to the side of the hole. After cleaning the slag from
the weld, subsequent layers shall be similarly deposited to fill the hole.
For welds to be made in the overhead position, the procedure shall be the same as for the flat
position except that the slag shall be allowed to cool and shall be completely removed after
depositing each layer until the hole is filled.
All plug welds shall be finished with reinforcement of about 3 mm which shall then be dressed
flush.

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 IRC:SP:104-2015

APPENDIX - H

Weld Details
(Refer Clause 1.15 and 1.16)

(a) Open Square Butt Weld (b) Open Square Butt Weld (c) Single V Butt Weld (without
(without Backing) (with Backing) Backing)

(d) Single V Butt Weld

(with Backing) (e) Double V Butt Weld (f) Asymmetric Double V Butt
Weld

(g) Single U Butt Weld (h) Double U Butt Weld (i) Asymmetric Double U Butt
Weld

(j) Single J Butt Weld (k) Double J Butt Weld (l) Single Bevel Butt Weld

(m) Double Bevel Butt Weld

Fig. H-1 Different Types of Butt Weld

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IRC:SP:104-2015

(i) (ii)

(a) First Side Welded

(i) (ii)

(b) Back of First Run Gouged

To Clean Metal

(i) (ii)

(c) Second Side Welded

Fig. H-2 Diagrammatic Representation Method of Gouging out Complete

Penetration Butt Joints Welded From Both Sides

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 IRC:SP:104-2015

Fig. H-3 Transition by Chamfering Thicker or Wider Part

Fig. H-4 Transition by Sloping Weld Surface

Fig. H-5 Transition by Sloping Weld Surface and Chamfering

Fig. H-6 Butt Weld Where Transitioning is Not Practicable

Note:
1. * Weld may be of any Permitted or Qualified Type & Detail
2. Transition Slopes Shown are the Maximum Permitted
Butt Welding Parts of Unequal Cross Section

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IRC:SP:104-2015

Fig. H-7 Butt Welded T Joint

Fig. H-8 Butt Welded Joint with Run-on and Run-Off Plates

Fig. H-9 Butt Weld End Reinforcement

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 IRC:SP:104-2015

Fig. H-10 Types of Fillet Weld

Fig. H-11 Size of Normal Fillet Welds

Fig. H-12 Size of Deep Penetration Fillet Weld

Fig. H-13

55
IRC:SP:104-2015

Fig. H-14 Fillet Weld Applied to Square

Edge of Plate or Round Toe of Rolled Section

Fig. H-15

Fig. H-16 Fillet Weld Equal to the Size of Plate or Section

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 IRC:SP:104-2015

Fig. H-17 Single Fillet Weld Bending

Fig. H-18 Fillet Welds in Lap Joints

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IRC:SP:104-2015

Fig. H-19

Fig. H-20 Avoiding Accumulation of Weld Joints

Fig. H-21 Diagram of Weld Pass in Fillet Weld Showing Depth of Fusion Width in Cross Section
and Width of Face

Fig. H-22 Diagram of Weld Pass in Butt Weld Showing Depth of Fusion in
Cross Section and Width of Face

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 IRC:SP:104-2015

Fig. H-23 Position of Welding

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IRC:SP:104-2015

Fig. H-24 Desirable Fillet Weld Profile

Fig. H-25 Acceptable Fillet Weld Profile

Fig. H-26 Defective Fillet Weld Profile

Fig. H-27 Acceptable Butt Weld Profile

Fig. H-28 Defective Butt Weld Profiles

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 IRC:SP:104-2015

Fig. H-29

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IRC:SP:104-2015

APPENDIX - I

Lifting Tools, Tackles and Suggested Methods

(Refer Clause 2.2.2)

Vertical Type Plate Horizontal Type Plate Clamp.

Fig. I-1 Clamp with Short Chain Length Fig. I-2 Clamp Lever in Locked Position

When two clamps are used to raise or lower a plate by gripping one edge, the clamp shoud
be applied so that the centerlines are in line with the respective sling legs.

Fig. I-3

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 IRC:SP:104-2015

Fig. I-4 Collar Eyebolt

Eye Bolts for Lifting

Fig. I-5 Collar Eyebolt

Collar eye blots are normally used for permanent attachment to heavy equipment and are
usually fitted in pairs.

Fig. I-6 Eyebolt with Link

The link is an integral part of the eyebolt and is large enough to accept a hook. This type is
regarded as general purpose eyebolts and are used in preference to the collar bolts whenever
the lifting axis cannot be confined to the vertical plane.

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IRC:SP:104-2015

Fig. I-7 Dynamo Eyebolts

Eyebolt of this type is designed for vertical lifting only and must not be used for off-centre lift.
The eye of the Dynamo should be large enough to allow direct entry of hook. It should be
ensured that the lifting device is directly above the eyebolt before rising the load and avoid
pushing of pulling the load into position since this load into position since this may produce
an off-centre lift.

Fig. I-8
One Leg Wire Rope Slings with Ordinary One Leg Wire Rope Slings with Ring, Two Leg Wire Rope Slings with Ring
Thimble at One End & Reeving Thimbles Ordinary Thimble & Hook. at One End Hooks at other end
at Both ends

a. Three-Leg Wire rope Sling with Main Ring b. Four-Leg Wire Rope Sling with Main and Intermediate
One End, Hooks at other end Rings at One End, Hooks at other end
Fig. I-9 Three and Leg Wire Rope Slings

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 IRC:SP:104-2015

Three Leg Wire Rope Sling with Main Ring at Four-Leg Wire Rope Sling with Main and Intermediate
One end, Hooks at Other end. Rings at One end, Hooks at Other end.

Fig. I-10 Three and Leg Wire Rope Slings

Fig. I-11 Single-leg Sling Fig. I-12 Two-leg Sling

Fig. I-13 Fig. I-14

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IRC:SP:104-2015

Sl. No. Condition Desirable/Undesirable Reasons

Never carry material on the point

1.
of hook

Carrying load in this manner will

2. cause the hook to stretch and
break

Load is supported in the saddle or

3.
seat of the hook

Never leave unwanted slings

4. hanging from the hook. Only the
sling in use must be on the hook

The ring of the sling and point of the

5. hook may be damaged because
the lifting ring is too small

Use shackle to connect the eye of

6. separate slings before placing the
hook

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Sl. No. Condition Desirable/Undesirable Reasons

Placing the pin of the shackle

7. against a moving surface should
be avoided

Avoid passing a rope around a

shackle in this way because of the
8.
crushing effect on the rope strands
due to very tight radius

Proper gathering the eyes of a

double or multiple leg sling in a
9.
shackle before placing it on a
crane hook

Always avoid eccentric loading of

10.
the shackle

Proper way of lifting by placing

11. spacers in the gaps between hook
and shackle

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APPENDIX - J

HSFG Bolt and Installation Process

(Refer Clause 1.13)
J 1 Types of Bolts: For the purpose of HSFG connections, only high strength structural
bolts can be used. IS 4000 gives two property Classes : 8.8 and 10.9 for the same. Bolts shall
conform to IS 3757. The bolts have the following characteristics:
J 2 Property Class: A property class has two parts separated by a decimal in the form
x.y. The first part, x, indicates 1/100 of the nominal tensile strength in Newton per sq. mm
and y indicates ten times the ratio of the lower yield stress and nominal tensile strength. For
example, property Class 8.8 means that the bolt will have nominal Ultimate Tensile strength
of 800 N/mm2, and lower yield stress of 80 percent of 800 N/mm2, i.e. 640 N/mm2.
J 3 Identification: The property class of bolts (8.8 or 10.9) shall be embossed
or indented as 8S or 10S respectively on the top of head along with the manufacturer’s
identification symbol. Alternately, marking ‘8.8 S’ or ‘10.9 S’ are also acceptable. The suffix
‘S’ here denotes that the bolt is high strength structural bolt with a large series hexagon.

Fig. J-1 Typical Marking on Bolt Heads

J.1.3 Diameter: IS 4000 gives diameters of HSFG bolts as M16, M20, M24, M30 and
M36. Other sizes given in IS 1367 include M18, M22 and M27 (Referred to as ‘non-preferred’
sizes also). For bridge works, these can be used and M22 size is readily available in the
market.
J.1.4 Length: The length of bolt shall be chosen such as to hold the steel members in
position, with provision for the nut, washer(s) and some projection beyond the bolt. Along with
the overall length of the bolt, the thread length has to be specified. At least 4 full threads shall
remain clear between the bearing surface of the nut and unthreaded part of the shank 3 (This
means that at least 4 threads shall extend into the members being joined by the bolt). Further,
minimum one full thread pitch must protrude from the nut after tightening. The minimum
length of bolt shall be worked out on the basis of maximum grip length covering maximum
limits of ply thickness plus an additional allowance given in Table 1 of IS: 4000. Table 1 of
IS 4000 is reproduced below:
Table J.1
Nominal Size of Bolt Nominal Dia of Bolt (mm) Allowance for Grip in mm
M 16 16 26
M 20 20 31
M 24 24 36
M 30 30 36
M 36 36 48

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For M 22 bolts, the allowance for grip shall be 34 mm. Most manufacturers have ready tables
for the bolt lengths depending upon the steel plates to be gripped. Still, it will be prudent
on the part of the field Engineer to cross check the computations before ordering the bolts.
Maximum grip length of all plies, including packing’s and packing washers, shall not exceed
10 times the nominal diameter of the bolt.
J 1.5 Surface Finish: All bolts shall be supplied with coating consisting of zinc phosphate
that is used in conjunction with suitable oil of rust preventive type as per IS 1367 (Part XII).
J 1.6 Other Types of Bolts: There are other types of bolts, called twist-off bolts which
have an additional stem at the end, which are tightened using double acting torque wrenches
and the additional leg twists off when the desired torque is reached. The twist off occurs due
to the torque applied and is not a direct indicator of the force in the bolt. For rusted bolts, the
value of force in bolt may be appreciably less than that indicated by torque, hence these bolts
are not preferred.
J.2 Nut: Each bolt shall be tightened using a high strength nut, conforming to IS:6623.
The nut has to be strong enough to be able to impart the necessary torque to the bolt and
also withstand the force during the life of the structure. Further, the threads in nut shall be
matching with the threads in the HSFG bolt and the nut shall be free running on the threads
of the HSFG bolts.
J.2.1 Property Class: Nuts are designated by property class designation, which is
equal to 1/100 of the minimum tensile strength in Newton per square mm of the bolt. For
HSFG bolts, the property classes to be used are 8, and 10 as specified in IS:1367 (Part 6),
suitable for bolts of property Class 8.8 and 10.9 respectively. The nuts shall be hardened and
then tempered at a temperature of at least 425ºC. Normal height of nut shall be more than
0.8 times the nominal bolt diameter.
J.2.2 Identification of Nut: The nuts have the following markings:
a) Manufacturer’s Identification Symbol.
b) Property class, marked as ‘8S’ or ‘10S’. (The suffix ‘S’ denotes a high strength
structural nut with a large series hexagon.) Alternately, ‘8.8 S’ or ‘10.9 S’ are
also acceptable.

Fig. J-2 Typical Marking on Nuts

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IRC:SP:104-2015

The marking shall be either on the top or the bottom face of double chamfered nuts and shall
be either indented or embossed on non bearing surface of washer faced nuts.
J.2.3 Surface of Nut: All nuts shall be supplied with coating consisting of zinc phosphate
that is used in conjunction with suitable oil of rust preventive type as per IS:1367 (Part XII).
J.2.4 Position of Nut in Bolt: HSFG bolt cannot be easily opened out except by use of
torque wrench. Still, as an additional precaution, it may be ensured that the nut is not easily
accessible for opening out by anti-social elements, the same shall be provided preferably as
follows:
In Girder Web: Towards outside of the girder
In Flanges: Towards bottom (Except when in composite construction)
In Composite Construction: Towards inside of concrete
In Bracing: Towards the rolled section side so that the space for rotation of the nut
is not readily available
Where tapered washer is used, the nut shall preferably be on the other side
J.3 Holes for HSFG Bolts: Normal holes in the steel members being connected by
the rivets shall be used for HSFG bolts also, subject to the following:
J.3.1 Making of holes: The holes shall be made by drilling only.
J.3.2 Nominal Diameter of Hole: The nominal diameter of hole shall be 2 mm more
than the bolt diameter i.e. for 20 mm Ø HSFG bolt, the hole shall be 22 mm in diameter.
J.3.3 Oversize Holes: In case the bolts are to be provided in existing structure, the
maximum size of hole shall not 1.25 d or d + 4 mm whichever is less i.e. for 16 mm Ø bolt,
the maximum diameter of hole shall not exceed 20 mm and for 24 mm Ø bolt, the maximum
diameter shall not exceed 28 mm.
Use of Hardened Washers: In case the hole diameter exceeds the bolt diameter by 2 mm,
hardened washer shall be used in place of normal washers.
J.4 Washer: Annular rings which are provided between the bolt head/ nut and the
members being joined are washers. Washers for HSFG bolts shall conform to IS 6649. The
washers have the following characteristics:
Type A: Plain Hole Circular Washers
Type B: Square Taper Washers for use with Channels (6º Taper)
Type C: Square Taper Washers for use with I-Beams (8º Taper)
J.4.1 Identification: Type A washers shall be identified by provision of two nibs (small
projections) and manufacturer’s identification symbol in indented character. The Type B and
C washers shall be identified by the type identification Symbol, B or C and the manufacturer’s
identification symbol.

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Fig, J-3 Typical markings/Shapes on Plain and Tapered Washers

J 4.2 Washer : HSFG bolts shall be provided with minimum one washer. Normally, plain
washer is provided. The washer(s) is (are) provided to prevent wear of the steel members
being joined and coating there on during the tightening of bolt. If the bolt is longer than
required, packing washers may be used. However, the maximum number of packing washers
shall be limited to 3, with maximum total combined thickness of 12 mm. For over-size holes,
hardened washers shall be used. These washers are required to prevent punching of the nut
in the annular space around the bolt shank.
Note : IS:6649 specifies only one type of washers, which are through hardened and tempered.
Where the angle between the axis of bolt and the joint surface is more than 3 degree off
normal, a tapered washer shall be used against the tapered surface. Non rotating surface
shall preferably be placed against tapered washer. All washers (except DTIs) shall be
supplied with coating consisting of zinc phosphate that is used in conjunction with suitable
oil of rust preventive type as per IS:1367 (Part XII). All washers shall be flat with a maximum
deviation not exceeding 0.25 mm from straight edge laid along a line passing through the
center of the hole.
The Direct Tension Indicators (DTI) are special type of washers with indentations which get
pressed when tension is applied. The pressing of indentations to required level indicates that
the required tension has been applied in the bolts. Resemblance of DTIs with washers is
incidental. In fact, these are precision engineered mechanical load cell which is the reliable
method for checking HSFG bolt tensioning. As shown in figure below, DTIs have multiple
projections, between which the feeler gauge is to be inserted to check if the bolt has been
sufficiently tightened or not. Complete closing of the projections, however, may indicate either
over tightening or poor quality material in DTI.
DTIs are very good method of ensuring that the bolts are tightened properly, and this method
of tightening shall be preferred over the method with plain washers. The DTIs normally
are patented products and shall be supplied preferably with zinc phosphate coating, but
alternatively can be with any other corrosion prevention treatment given to the surface as
specified by the manufacturer. These shall normally be provided below the head of the bolt
(with projections towards bolt head) in case nut is rotated. In case the bolt is to be rotated,
DTI shall be provided under nut (with projections towards nut) and in this case, an additional
washer shall be provided on the DTI side to protect the protrusions from damage due to the

71
IRC:SP:104-2015

abrasion during bolt tightening. Measuring the amount by which the indentations have been
pressed indicate if the bolts have been tightened to the desired tension level.
The DTIs used shall be the ones which are compatible metallurgically and also suitable for
the bolts of property Class 8.8 and 10.9. Suitable markings identifying the bolt manufacturer,
property class of DTI and its diameter shall be engraved suitably on the DTI. Action of DTIs
is as indicated below:

Fig. J-4 Direct Tension Indicator Washers

There are other proprietary tension indicators such as those having squirting action in which
material squirts off and those having rubber projections which shear off when required tension
load is applied. These tension indicators have not been considered in these guidelines.
Each bolt of property Class 8.8 shall have minimum one plain washer, which shall be provided
in the part being rotated. Mostly the nut is rotated, but if space constraint is there, the reverse
is true.
For Class 10.9 bolts, two washers shall be provided, one against head and one against the
nut. The two washers are required in this case because of very high tension is imparted to
the bolt, which can damage the steel members.
One DTI shall be used in one bolt. In case DTI is being provided, the same will count as
one washer and in Class 10.9 bolts, one DTI and one plain washer shall be provided. In
class 8.8 bolts only one DTI washer needs to be provided. If the nut is rotated, the DTI shall
be provided under the head, and if the head is rotated, the DTI is to be provided under the
nut. If DTI is used under the nut, washer faced nut as per IS:6623 shall be provided.

J.5 Surface Preparation for Steel Interface before Providing HSFG Bolts
The steel interface between the plies which form a joint having HSFG bolts shall have special
surface preparation so that sufficient slip factor is available. The following surface preparation
shall be done.
The interface between the plies which are connected together by the HSFG bolts shall be
“Aluminium metalized without any over coating”. The aluminium metalizing shall have a
nominal thickness of 150 μm.
The interface of plies in old structures which are to be replaced by the HSFG bolts shall be
cleaned by wire brushing/flame cleaning. The surfaces shall be cleaned to remove all loose

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rust and paint layers (Only isolated patches of coatings/ rust can remain). If, however, in
existing structures, rivets are to be replaced by bolts but no surface preparation is possible,
the slip factor shall be suitably reduced.

J.6 Installation of Bolts

The HSFG bolts work on the principle of applying a specified pre-load on the joint such that
the plies in the joint are joined together without any gap. The tightening of HSFG bolts is to
be done at stress level which is beyond the yield point, i.e. the plastic flow of material shall
take place. This is important because the yield point of bolt material is well defined and after
this level, the strain increases without increase in stress, as shown in Fig. J-5 below:

Fig. J-5 Tension - Elongation Screw

The bolt shall be tightened to minimum loads specified in IS:4000. For bolts subject to only
tension, the force shall be as specified in Table 2 of IS:4000. For other joints, the same shall
be as per Table 3 of IS:4000, reproduced below (Table J.2).
Table J. 2

Nominal Size of Bolt Minimum Bolt Tension in KN for Bolts of Property Class
8.8 10.9
M 16 94.5 130
M 20 147 203
M 24 212 293
M 30 337 466
M 36 490 678
For M 22 bolts, which are non standard as per IS codes, the minimum bolt tension shall be
182 KN for Class 8.8 and 251 KN for property Class 10.9.
The holes shall be brought in alignment by using drifts etc such, that the bolt threads are not
damaged during insertion of bolts. Drifting shall not distort the metal or enlarge the holes. The
members being joined shall be held in position by insertion of few HSFG bolts (tightened to
first stage only). These bolts shall not be tightened to second stage till all the bolts in a joint
are inserted and tightened to first stage (Fig. J-6).

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IRC:SP:104-2015

Fig. J-6 Installation of HSFG Bolts

The bolts shall be inserted and tightened up to first stage of tightening. The drifts inserted as
above shall also be removed one by one. The final tightening shall not proceed until the gap
between the plates has been closed such that the residual gap, if any, is less than 2 mm at
edges. There shall, however, be no gap in the central portion. In case the central portion is
not in close contact or gap at edges is more than 2 mm, straightening of members may be
done after opening out the bolts inserted and the entire procedure shall be repeated. During
tightening of bolts also, the steel members can continue to deform and hence the tightening
of subsequent bolts can lead to loosening of already tightened bolts. In order to minimize the
loosening of already tight bolts, tightening in the two stages shall be done starting from the
stiffest part to the free edges. Stiffest parts of joint are generally towards the center of the
joint.
J.7 Procedure for Installation of HSFG Bolts Using Direct Tension Indicator: This
is the preferred method of installation of HSFG bolts.
Calibration of Direct Tension Indicator: Before the DTI are brought to site, the same shall be
tested in the presence of Engineer. Three numbers of bolt of similar diameter and property
class, as shall be used in the work, shall be taken and installed with DTI. The installation
procedure to be followed shall be similar to the one given for plain washers. On full tightening,
the projections on DTI washers shall meet the requirements of checks specified after second
stage tightening using DTIs. Only the DTIs which satisfy the calibration shall be brought to
site for work.
As a first stage, all bolts in the joint shall be tightened to ‘snug tight’ condition. Snug tight
condition means the nut is tightened using an ordinary wrench by an average worker, applying
maximum force on the wrench. This stage is required to bring the plies in close contact. After
first stage of tightening, the joint shall be checked to see if the plies are in close contact and
the clearances are not exceeded.
During the second stage of tightening, torque wrench is used to tighten the bolts until the
indentations on the DTI indicate full tightening, feeler gauge of 0.40 mm thickness shall be
used to check 100 percent of the bolts for proper tightening. The feeler gauge shall be used

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to determine if the bolt has been sufficiently tightened, as follows:

Table J.3

Number of Indicator position in DTI Washer Minimum Number of Feeler Gauge

Refusals
4 3
5 3
6 4
7 4
8 5
9 5
No more than 10 percent of the indicators in a connection bolts group shall exhibit full
compression of the indicator.
The procedure for checking the proper tightening of bolt using DTI is shown in the Fig. J-7
below:

Fig. J-7 Method of Checking the Correct Tensioning Using DTI

The total number of indicators in a bolt connection shall be counted and it shall be ensured
that not more than 10 percent exhibit full closure i.e. zero gap after tightening.
In the first stage, a calibrated wrench with an accuracy of ± 10 percent shall be set to
75 percent of the torque computed for the complete tightening of the bolt. All the bolts in the
joint shall be tightened to this torque. After checking all bolts after the first stage, permanent
marks shall be made with suitable marker on the bolt as well as nut to indicate the relative
position of the two. The mark shall be such that the same shall be visible for inspection upto
1 year after the date of installation.
The steel members that make up the plies of the joint with HSFG bolts shall be checked for
proper contact. 10 percent bolts shall be checked with a separate calibrated wrench set at
75 percent of the proof load for the bolt and bolt turning by more than 15 degrees during the
test, shall be reworked. If the loose bolts thus found are more than 5 but less than 1 percent
of the total, another 10 percent of the bolts shall be checked. If the total loose bolts thus found

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exceed 1 percent of the total, the torque wrench shall be calibrated afresh and the entire lot
shall be checked for tightness. The bolts shall be turned by a further amount as specified
below (Table J.4).
Table J.4
Total Nominal Thickness “t” of Parts to be Further Rotation to be Applied, During the
Connected (Including all Packing and Washers) d Second Stage of Tightening
= dia of Bolt Degrees Part Turns
t < 2d 60 1/6
2d ≤ t < 6d 90 1/4
6d ≤ t < 10d 120 1/3

After the second stage of tightening, 100 percent bolts shall be checked and certified to have
been turned through the requisite amount by verifying the permanent marks on the nut and
the bolt. 1 percent of the bolts, subject to minimum of 10 per size of bolts shall be checked
for gross under-tightening as per procedure given in Annexure-D of IS:4000.

J.8 Retensioning of Bolts

The HSFG bolts are tightened beyond yield stress level and undergo plastic deformation once
tightened fully. If the bolt is opened out after complete tightening, its length gets increased
permanently as compared with the initial length. The initial few threads which transfer the load
from the nut to the bolt suffer the maximum damage. Therefore, a bolt completely tightened
shall not be re-used under any circumstances.
The bolt tensioned completely can be identified by damage to the threads especially near
the front end of nut where most of the load is transferred. The coating, if any, may also show
signs of damage. The free running of the nut on the threads may also be affected. A fully
tensioned bolt, opened out for any reason whatsoever, needs to be rejected and removed
from the site of work. Along with the bolt, the nut, washer(s) and DTI(s) used on that bolt also
need to be rejected and removed from the site of work. A bolt which has been snug tightened
or partially tightened and then opened out will not be considered to have been re-tensioned
and reuse of such bolts will be permissible in the same or different holes, as required.
Except for works of minor nature where number of HSFG bolts to be installed is very less,
only mechanical torque wrenches (pneumatic, hydraulic, electronic etc.) shall be used for
tightening of bolts. For small quantum of work, manual torque wrenches may be used.
Calibrated torque wrenches, accompanied with a certificate to the effect, shall be brought
to site. Torque wrenches shall be calibrated periodically, once in a year, to an accuracy of
± 10 percent. These shall be re-calibrated in case of any incidence involving the wrench during
use resulting in heavy impact (such as fall, mishandling etc.). The procedure for calibration
of torque wrench shall be as specified by the manufacturer.
There are other methods of tensioning, but only the two methods outlined above have been
found to be suitable as per the field conditions.

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APPENDIX - K

Utilization of Crane and Safety

(Refer Clause 2.1.3)
The following knowledge of cranes will be of help in Fabrication and Erection of Steel
Bridges:

K.1 Basic Types and Configuration

Within broad category of mobile cranes there have evolved the following basic types and
configurations:
Lorry Loaders
Industrial Yard Cranes
Truck Mounted Lattice Boom Crane
Crawler Mounted Lattice Boom Crane
Truck Mounted Telescopic Boom Crane
Rough Terrain Cranes
Mobile Tower Cranes
Heavy Lift Mobile cranes

K.2 Basic Operational Characteristics

There are many types of design to satisfy both the general needs of construction and industrial
operations. However the basic operational characteristics of all mobile cranes are essentially
the same.
They include
Adjustable boom length
Adjustable boom angle
Ability to lift and lower loads
Ability to slew loads
Ability to travel about the job site under their own power

K.3 Principles of Operation

The crane manual should be strictly followed and referred for Load vs operating radius chart
and Do’s & Dont’s for Safe operation of the crane.
There are four quadrants of operation. The forward quadrant of 90º degrees is made up of
45º spread on either side of the centre line of the crane in the forward direction. Similarly
the backward quadrant on the backward direction. The remaining two quadrants will be side
quadrants. As far as the stability is concerned, the safety of the crane is comparatively more
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IRC:SP:104-2015

while the boom is operating in the forward quadrant i.e. over the front compared to those
operating in other quadrants like over the back or over the side.
The pressure acting on the ground below the crane due to the reaction from the crane is
never uniform. Generally, it is tapered and increasing towards the tipping point. Before lifting
is started the ground is to be judged for its capacity to provide the required reaction. Most of
the time the ground is reinforced with wooden sleepers, steel sections etc. The force from the
outrigger pads are to be passed to the ground through appropriately arranged grillage.
Special care should be taken while operating the crane on freshly filled and or not properly
compacted soil. Also care must be taken while working on embankment particularly near the
slopes as machine weight and vibrations can cause them to collapse. Stability failures are
foreseeable.
Structural failure often occurs before stability failure If load is added beyond its rated capacity
the crane fails structurally before there is any sign of tipping. Structural failure includes all
permanent damages such as over-stressing, bending and twisting of any of the components of
the crane . When the crane is over-stressed the damage is not usually apparent. Nevertheless
a structural failure might have occurred. The over-stressed component is liable to have a
catastrophic failure at some future time. So care should be taken to avoid the over-loading
of the crane.

K.4 Assembly, Disassembly and Transportation of Crane and it’s Components

While transporting the crane, care should be taken to arrest the movement of the swinging
parts. Attaching slings to the main chord should be avioded and the fittings at the ends of
the main chords should be used. Synthetic web slings should be used preferably and, if wire
ropes are used, the boom sections should be padded well to prevent damage. The boom
sections should be suitably blocked while loading on to trucks. Chain binders should be
avoided, as they may damage or bend the boom.
For assembly of booms, the manufacturer’s procedure and the instructions should be
followed, assembly of the crane should be done on a level area and should be done in such
a way that the boom is in the quadrant of maximum stability. All outrigger beams should be
fully extend laterally and outrigger’s lifting cylinders should lift the wheels off the ground and
level the carrier.
The amount of counter-weight required should be checked from the crane manual for the
maximum value of the load that will be lifted and the length of boom that will be installed.
The swing lock should be set when the assembly is being done. No attempt should be made
to raise the boom, while assembly, until all boom insert connection pins (splicing bolts) are
installed. Wind velocity should be checked before lifting the boom off the ground.

K.5 Signaling
The signal men must be used when the operator is not in a position to see the load and
its movement. Hand signals can be used when the distance between the operator and the

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signalman is not more and conditions allow for clear visibility. Standard hand signaling should
be adopted. It is always preferable to use walkie-talkie.

K.6 Multiple Crane Lifts

A multiple crane lift should be meticulously planned and every eventuality taken into
consideration. Lift must be planned and carried out under qualified supervisors. For a multiple
crane lift, no crane should be loaded to 75 percent of its net capacity. The lift, swing and
boom speeds of both the cranes should be matched. Wherever possible the cranes should
not travel with load. Sufficient communication should be ensured (preferably by walkie-talkie)
amongst the Supervisor and Crane Operators. Supervisor should be positioned to view the
total operation and be able to communicate with both the operators. The movement of the
load should be jerk free and smooth. Use of equalizer beam is preferable.

K.7 Working Near a Electric Line

If power line exists in the erection area, the electric department should be intimated in advance
regarding the time and place of crane use. The limit of operating distance should be above
6 m from 33 KVA live line. Dry polypropylene ropes should be used for tag line. All safety
precautions shall be ensured to avoid electrocution.

K.8 Load Charts

Load chart of the crane shall be referred to for assessing the lifting capacity of the crane at
the required radius and height of erection. Engineers should adjust the lifting capacity of the
crane basing on the machine condition, crane type ,wind speeds and other site conditions.

K.9 Wire Ropes

All wire ropes should be thoroughly inspected before use and inspection of all ropes must be
made at regular intervals. A rope which has not been used for a long period should be given
a thorough inspection before it is put back into service, after proper lubrication. Wire ropes
shall be inspected for kinks, wear, fatigue, abrasion and corrosion.
Ropes, having six or more randomly distributed broken wires in one rope lay, three or more
broken wires in one strand in one rope lay or having more than one broken wire near an
attached fitting should not be used.
In running ropes if there is any evidence of wire breaks in the valleys between strands in one
rope lay or having wear exceeding 1/3 of the diameter of the individual wires should not be
used.
All ropes having signs of severe stretch, having noticeable corrosion in the vicinity of fittings,
having Crushed, Flattened or Jammed Strands should be replaced. The replacement of rope
for all the above conditions should be made to correct specification.

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APPENDIX - L

Erection Inspection Checklist

(Refer Clause 2.2.4)
Part - 1 (Drawing)
PLAN: To scale plan of work area showing supporting structures, roads, railroads,
waterways, over-head and underground utilities, adjacent structures, etc., and framing plant
with member shipping marks (match those used on shop drawings) & field splice locations if
applicable.
□ Location of temporary supports, falsework, holding cranes
□ Location of crane positions on plan showing pick radii
□ Elevation view of crane & members □ Included □ Not Applicable
Crane Support Method: barrages, mats, □ Included □ Not Applicable
□ Member Delivery Location & Orientation
DETAILS : Details and arrangement of member rigging, show sizes, capacities, and
location of centre of gravity of each pick.
□ Falsework and temporary support details show sizes and capacities.
□ Crane capacity chart indicating crane type, lifting capacity at given radius
and orientation, counter-weight requirements and boom length.
□ Pick weight chart indicating weight of member, plus rigging and any
attachments.
□ Written procedure indicating erection sequence for primary and secondary
members (cross frames, diaphragms, etc.) including the following, method of
tie down of individual pieces, time and method of connections of diaphragms,
lateral bracing, and field splices.
Part - 2 (Calculations)
□ Calculations’ for load capacity and stability of temporary supports for structure
(falsework, tie downs, lifting beams, spread beams etc.).
□ Calculations indicating capacity of temporary crane supports, □ Included
□ Not Applicable.
□ Calculations to substantiate structural integrity and stability of members prior
to completion of bridge assembly.
□ Calculations indicating structural integrity of any partially bolted primary
splice after release of external support system.
□ Calculations to substantiate structural integrity of abutments and retaining
walls affected by surcharge from crane.

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Erection Inspection Checklist

Part - 1 (Pre-Erection)

□ Erection Procedure - Approved

□ Site Preparation - access road, crane pads, bearing pedestals, finish and
elevation, anchor bolts survey, falsework foundation pads, all obstacles
noted.
□ Personnel
Foreman – Competent Person
Crane Operators – Qualified, Licensed, Trained, Medical
Welders – Certification current, Qualified for positions
Any required training and instruction complete
□ Lifting Equipment
Crane Inspection – current, schedule during project
Lifting devices and rigging certification inspection
□ Bolted Connections
Check bolt quality, size & lengths, certifications
Installation procedure, method of tensioning
Impact Wrenches – conditions, proper size and capacity
Torque Wrenches – calibration
□ Welded Connections
Weld Procedure Specifications (WPS) Approved
Welding Equipment – Sufficient capacity, grounding
Welding Consumables – proper storage, drying ovens
□ Safety/Fall Protection – Nets, lifeline lanyards, platforms, scaffolds, man lifts,
floats, emergency boat
□ Co-ordination Items – Rail Roads Local Agencies, Emergency service etc.
Erection Inspection Checklist
Part - 1 (Inspector Responsibility)
□ Check all Personnel Certifications – Crane Operator, Welders etc.,
□ Check all Equipment Certifications – Crane etc.,
□ Check all Protection Requirements, Installation
□ Check Crane Radii
□ Check Temporary Supports Installed as per Erection Procedure
□ Check Assembly Marks – Proper Location and Orientation
□ Check Minimum Number of Bolts and Pins Installed before release of Crane/
Temporary Supports

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□ Monitor Bolt Installation Procedure

□ Check field weld size/geometry, consumables, and variables per WPS and
NDT results
□ Check Bearing alignment/adjustment
Part - 2 (Erector Responsibility)
□ Provide for Inspector – Prior to Erection
Framing Plan, Erection Procedure
Crane Operators Qualifications
Welder Certifications
Crane Inspection Certifications
Bolt manufacture certifications
Weld Procedure Specifications
□ Provide for Inspector – During Erection
Access to work – Ladders, Man Lift, Scaffold, or Platform
Torque Wrench
Temperature Indication Crayons
Part - 3 (Associate Data)
□ Manufacturer’s cut sheets for rigging devices (beam clamps, slings, wire rope,
shackles, turnbuckles, chains, straps, etc.,) and pre-engineered flasework, if
applicable.
□ Statement as to status of co-ordination with parallel entities requiring review
Railways, Irrigation, State PWD, Electricity Board, Public Health Services
etc.

Acknowledgements
1) RDSO IRS B1-2001, Indian Railway Standard Specification
for Fabrication and Erection of Steel Girder Bridges
Locomotive Turn Table.
2) RDSO RDSO Report No.BS-III (Guideline for use of HSFG
Bolts on Bridges).
3) INSDAG Guide Book for Fabrication and Erection of Steel
Structure.
4) AASHTO/NSBA Steel Bridge Erection Guide Specification.
Steel Bridge Collaboration
5) AASHTO/NSBA Steel Bridge Erection Guide Specification.
Steel Bridge Collaboration
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