Responsibilities and Quality Assurance

ADVANCED STEEL COURSE

COMPOSITE BUILDINGS

AMANUEL GEBREMESKEL

UNIVERSITY OF WITWATERSRAND

RESPONSIBILITIES

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Responsibilities and Quality Assurance

THE PLAYERS

• Architect and Engineers

• Project manager and general contractor
• Sub-contractors:
– Civil works
– Steel
– concrete
– Mechanical, electrical and plumbing
– Interior finish

CONNECTION RESPONSIBILITIES

• Connections very important

• But often not properly designed
• Various people involved:
– Structural steel designer
– Detailer/connection designer
– Fabricator
– Erector
– Inspector

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Responsibilities and Quality Assurance

STANDARDS
• Design: SANS 10162-1
– Can use other standards, research, procedures not in conflict
– Assume structure will be constructed to a certain standard:
• Quality of process and product: SANS 2001-CS1 (SABS
1200H)
– Materials
– Drawings/information
– Fabrication
– Erection
– Tolerances

STANDARDS

• Responsibilities of parties: SANS 1921-3 (or in

SABS 1200H)
– Defines who does what
– Have to choose responsibility strategy
A. Employer supplies fabrication drawings
B. Contractor supplies fabrication drawings
C. Design and construct
– Defines Steelwork Structural Engineer (ultimately
responsible for integrity of structure, including
connections designed by a detailer)

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Responsibilities and Quality Assurance

Gusseted tubular brace connections

• Actual failure

NATIONAL BUILDING REGULATIONS

• National Building Regulations: responsible

person signs also for construction. Implies
inspection: “to enable (him) to be satisfied that
the design assumptions are valid, the design is
being correctly interpreted and the work is being
executed generally in accordance with the
designs, appropriate construction techniques
and good practice but excludes detailed
supervision and day-to-day inspection”

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Responsibilities and Quality Assurance

SANS 1921-3: Information to be supplied to the

contractor – Strategy B
• Statement: design concept
• Design drawings
• Relevant environmental conditions
• Standard for connection design
• Dynamic or vibrating forces
• Forces and their combinations required to be
transmitted by each connection

INFORMATION TO BE SUPPLIED

• Loads factored or unfactored?

• Where stiffeners must be provided
• Holding down bolt/interface drawings
• Notched beams that require additional restraints
to compression flange
• Details of connections designed by the
steelwork designer
• Special things for structural, aesthetic or other
considerations

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Responsibilities and Quality Assurance

INFORMATION FROM CONTRACTOR

• A quality plan covering, among other aspects,
fabrication and welding, including welding
procedure specifications and welder
qualifications as well as inspection and testing
• Safety plan and risk assessment
• Erection method statement
• Calculations for all connections designed by the
steelwork contractor
• Fabrication drawings
• Marked-up holding down bolt drawings

SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS
• Responsible person is responsible
• But fabricator knows own capabilities and preferences
• Engineer pulls all together by:
– Arranging meeting to get clarity
– Designing complex connections
– Providing connection forces
– Providing all other info
– Checking fabrication drawings and 3D model
– Checking welder qualifications, weld procedures,
safe erection method statement
– Doing inspections

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Responsibilities and Quality Assurance

CONNECTION DESIGN GOALS

• Minimise labour
• Constructability
• Simplicity and clear load paths

STANDARDIZATION

• Standard connections
• Same theme throughout project
• Same connection, even if forces different
• Bolt class, diameter, length
• Spacing, end and edge distances

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Responsibilities and Quality Assurance

Quality control for composite construction

• The basics
– Have we had sight of and made adjustments to
the contractors QCP?
• Has it covered all aspects we are concerned with
(these are what we are going to discuss now)
• Have you made any changes, additions, hold points
and the like

Quality control for composite construction

• The basics
– Have we got the correct material?
• Grade
• Thickness- can be measured
• Zinc coating
• There should be material certificates confirming the
mechanical properties of the material
– Have we checked the drawings?
• Correct material description
• Centres of beams
• Shear stud layout
• Fixing to beam details
• Edge shutter details
• Closer details

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Responsibilities and Quality Assurance

Quality control for composite construction

• The basics
– Have we erected the material correctly (Hold point on
QCP)
• Starting point (SOP)
• Clean and dry interface between deck and steel
• Check sheets have not been flattened
• Nailing to steel
• Correct installation and tie back of edge shutters
• Have all closers been inserted e.g. webs of columns, ends
of deck etc
• Visual inspection for serious local damage
• Is the shutter system suitable for retaining the wet concrete
with out spills and leaks

Quality control for composite construction

• The basics
– Shear studs
• Positioning to drawing
• Correct size
• Visual inspection for 360° all round weld
• Repair if necessary
• 15° bend test
– Placing of weldmesh and final clearance for
concreting
• Supported correctly at the right dimension from top of
concrete
• Other reinforcement if required
• All cast in items (conduits, pipes etc)

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Responsibilities and Quality Assurance

Quality control for passive fire protection

• Basics
– QCP to cover all the relevant aspects
– Correct material
• Check packaging
• Water content when mixing
• Test cubes if applicable
– Correct thickness
• Sprayed or plastered is more difficult
• Agree the number of readings per square or lineal
metre contractor to record
• Boards before erection

Quality control for passive fire protection

• Basics
– Adhesion tests
• To manufacturers recommendations
• Mandovaal for cementitious vermiculites
– Cleaning up after sprayed and plastered
applications
• Make sure this is a QCP item

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