The purpose of the Research Council on Structural Connections (RCSC) is:
(1) To stimulate and support such investigation as may be deemed necessary and valuable to determine the suitability, strength and behavior of various types of structural connections;
(2) To promote the knowledge of economical and efficient practices relating to such structural connections; and,
(3) To prepare and publish related standards and such other documents as necessary to achieving its purpose.
The Council membership consists of qualified structural engineers from academic and research institutions, practicing design engineers, suppliers and manufacturers of fastener components, fabricators, erectors and code-writing authorities.
The first Specification approved by the Council, called the Specification for Assembly of Structural Joints Using High Tensile Steel Bolts, was published in January 1951. Since that time the Council has published fourteen successive editions. Each was developed through the deliberations and approval of the full Council membership and based upon past successful usage, advances in the state of knowledge and changes in engineering design practice. This edition of the Council’s Specification for Structural
Joints Using ASTM A325 or A490 Bolts is significantly reorganized and revised from earlier editions.
The major changes are:
• The previously separate LRFD and ASD versions of this Specification have been unified, with LRFD as the basis in the main body and ASD as an alternative in Appendix B.
• A Symbols (nomenclature) section has been added.
• A Glossary section has been added.
• An Index section has been added.
• Commentary information has been placed immediately following its corresponding Specification provision to provide convenient reference to background and further explanation.
• A summary of the drawing information and approvals required from the Engineer of Record has been added in Section 1.4.
• Explicit coverage of material and geometric requirements for washer-type indicating devices, twist-off-type tension-control bolt assemblies and alternative design fasteners has been added in Sections 2.6, 2.7 and 2.8, respectively.
• Provisions allowing the thermal cutting of bolt holes with the approval of the Engineer of Record have been added in Section 3.3.
• Requirements for the treatment of burrs have been clarified and expanded in Section 3.4.
• New information has been added in Section 4 to address the applicability and suitability of the various joint types: snug-tightened joints, pretensioned joints and slipcritical joints. The requirements in this Section also serve to identify the applicable design, installation and inspection requirements for each of the joint types.
• Requirements have been added to Section 5.1 to address the design implications of the presence of fillers or shims.
• In Section 5.5, the limitation on prying force for applications that involve tensile fatigue has been reduced from 60 percent of the total applied load to 30 percent.
• Washer requirements have been simplified and clarified in Section 6.
• Provisions for pre-installation verification of fastener assemblies have been clarified in Section 7, as invoked in Section 8.2 for pretensioned joints and slip-critical joints.
• Installation requirements have been simplified and clarified significantly in Section 8.
• Inspection requirements in Section 9 have been significantly expanded to clarify the intent and applicability.
• Arbitration provisions to be used in the case of a dispute have been clarified in Section 10.
