Document No.

HP/01/CS
Construction Service
Issue No. 01
Holing Procedure Date 01-03-2020

Procedure for Holing

1.0 PURPOSE

This procedure has been prepared to define holing criteria in accordance with EN 1090-2.

2.0 SCOPE

Holing process of Steel Structures.

3.0 RESPONSIBILITY

The Welding Coordinator checks whether the procedure has been applied. It is the responsibility of the
Welding Coordinator that the material is not damaged physically and mechanically as a result of holing.

4.0 TEMINOLOGY

This clause applies to the making of holes for connections with mechanical fasteners and pins.
The definition of the nominal hole diameter combined with the nominal diameter of the bolt to be used
in the hole determines whether the hole is “normal” or “oversize”. The terms “short” and “long” applied to
slotted holes refer to two types of holes used for the structural design of preloaded bolting assemblies.
These terms may be used also to designate clearances for non-preloaded bolting assemblies.
The execution specification shall specify special dimensions for movement joints.
The nominal clearances for bolts and for pins not intended to act in fitted conditions shall be as specified
in EN1090-2 Table 11. The nominal clearance is:

 the difference between the nominal hole diameter and the nominal bolt diameter for
round holes;
 the difference between respectively the length or the width of the hole and the nominal
bolt diameter for slotted holes.

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 Document No. HP/01/CS
Construction Service
Issue No. 01
Holing Procedure Date 01-03-2020

5.0 DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY

27
Nominal Bolt or Pin Diameter - d (mm) 12a 14 16 18 20 22 24 to
36b
Normal round holes c 1d, e 2 3
Oversize round holes 3 4 6 8
Short slotted holes
4 6 8 10
(on the overall length) f
Long slotted holes
1.5 d
(on the overall length) f
a. Also applicable to diameters less than 12 mm, unless otherwise specified.
b. Also applicable to diameters more than 36 mm, unless otherwise specified.
c. For applications such as towers and masts the nominal clearance for normal round holes shall be
reduced by 0,5 mm unless otherwise specified.
d. For coated fasteners, 1 mm nominal clearance can be increased by the coating thickness of the fastener.
e. Bolts with nominal diameter 12 mm and 14 mm, or countersunk bolts may also be used in 2 mm
clearance holes if specified.
f. For bolts in slotted holes the nominal clearances across the width shall be the same as the clearances
on diameter specified for normal round holes.
For fit bolts the nominal hole diameter shall be equal to the shank diameter of the bolt.

NOTE 1: For fit bolts to EN 14399–8, the nominal diameter of the shank is 1 mm larger than nominal diameter of the
threaded portion.
For solid rivets for hot riveting, the nominal hole diameter shall be specified.
For countersunk bolts or solid rivets for hot riveting, nominal dimensions of the countersinking and tolerances on those
shall be such that after installation the bolt or rivet shall be flush with the outer face of the outer ply. The dimensions
of the countersinking shall be specified accordingly. If countersinking through more than one ply, the plies shall be
held firmly together during countersinking.
If countersunk bolts are identified as being for use in tension or preloaded applications, the nominal depth of
countersinking shall be at least 2 mm less than the nominal thickness of the outer ply.

NOTE 2: The 2 mm is to allow for adverse tolerances.

Tolerances on hole diameter for bolts and pins

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 Document No. HP/01/CS
Construction Service
Issue No. 01
Holing Procedure Date 01-03-2020

Unless otherwise specified, hole diameters shall comply with the following:

 holes for fit bolts and fitted pins: class H11 according to EN ISO 286-2;
 thermally cut and other holes: –0,5/+0,5 mm.

the hole diameter being taken as the average of the maximum and minimum diameters (see Figure 1).

Execution of holing
Holes for fasteners or pins may be formed by any process (e.g. drilling, punching, laser, plasma or other
thermal cutting) provided that this leaves a finished hole such that:

 cutting requirements relating to local hardness and quality of cut surface, according to 6.4 are fulfilled;
 all matching holes for fasteners or pins register with each other so that fasteners can be inserted freely through
the assembled members in a direction at right angles to the faces in contact.

Punching is permitted provided that the nominal thickness of the component is not greater than 1,4 times the nominal
diameter of the hole, or for a non-circular hole, its minimum dimension. Outside of these dimensional limitations,
holes may be formed by punching unless otherwise specified.

Where untreated punched holes are not permitted, holes may be punched at least 2 mm less than full size and then
reamed or drilled until all trace of the original punched surface has been removed.

NOTE: Generally, punching without subsequent reaming or drilling would not be suitable in bolted joints where
any of the following conditions applies:

 the joint is subject to cyclic or seismic loading, or;

 it is a lap joint where the fasteners are above Grade 8.8, or;
 the joint is designed to be slip resistant;

The process capability of punching used for holing shall be checked annually as follows:

 a representative number of samples shall be produced from procedure tests on constituent product
encompassing the range of hole diameters, constituent product thickness and grades processed;
 hole sizes shall be checked at both ends of each hole using go/no go gauges or other appropriate
methods. Holes shall comply with the appropriate tolerances specified in 6.6.2.

If the process does not conform, it shall not be used until corrected. It may be used on a restricted range

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 Document No. HP/01/CS
Construction Service
Issue No. 01
Holing Procedure Date 01-03-2020

of constituent products and hole sizes that do produce conforming results.

Holes formed by punching or thermal cutting shall also conform to the following:

 the taper angle (α) shall not exceed that shown in Figure 1;
 the burrs (Δ) shall not exceed that shown in Figure 1;
 at splices, the holes in mating surfaces shall be punched in one direction in all components;

Figure-1: Permitted distortions of punched or thermally cut holes

All data shall be written to table given below (Figure-2)

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 Document No. HP/01/CS
Construction Service
Issue No. 01
Holing Procedure Date 01-03-2020

Hole
Sample No Sketch Pos Definition Grades Thickness
Diameter
- - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
- - - - - - -
- - - - - - -

Figure-2: Test Samples

Sketch-1 Sketch-2

 First 8 Holes shall be checked for every manufacturing process

Hole Sizes shall be checked in accordance with EN 1090-2 / Table B.8 (Manufacturing tolerances - Fastener holes,
notches and cut edges)

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 Document No. HP/01/CS
Construction Service
Issue No. 01
Holing Procedure Date 01-03-2020

Essential
tolerances
Functional tolerances
Permitted
No Criterion Parameter Permitted deviation Δ
deviation Δ
Class 1 and 2
Class 1 and 2 Class 1 Class 2

No
6 ∆ = L1 - L2 ∆ = ± 1 mm ∆ = ± 0,5 mm
requirement

6.0 REFERENCE

6.1 EN 1090-2: 2006, Execution of steel structures and aluminum structures

Part 2: Technical requirements for steel structures

7.0 FORMATS/EXHIBITS

7.1

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