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Best way to straighten anchor bolts for steel framing

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rufusjack

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
I have a few anchor bolts that are not lined up right. 3/4" anchor bolts should be 3" o.c.. One spot is 2 1/2" o.c. and with both bolts aligned wrong. One is out of alignment twice as much as the other. This one and a couple of spots on the project looks like they could be straightened.

Best way to straighten them? Or ???

Thanks for your help.
 
#3 ·
rufusjack said:
I have a few anchor bolts that are not lined up right. 3/4" anchor bolts should be 3" o.c.. One spot is 2 1/2" o.c. and with both bolts aligned wrong. One is out of alignment twice as much as the other. This one and a couple of spots on the project looks like they could be straightened.

Best way to straighten them? Or ???

Thanks for your help.
Click to expand...
Uhhh, what?
 
Discussion starter · #6 ·
Let me try again.

The concrete contractor screwed up when they set the anchor bolts for a steel building. They claimed they knew what they were doing as they have done this many times.

They are to be 3" on center. A couple were bent pretty bad and probably need to be re set. A few others are too close to each other by 1/2" or less. At one particular spot, one bolt is approximately 5/16" off while a second bolt is 3/16" off (of a 4 bolt pattern)

Am I screwed and have to get them out and re set them?

Can they be bent some to get them to work? If so what is the best way? Should I heat the bolt up to straighten it?

Surely I can not be the first person who has tried to erect a steel building and the anchor bolts were not put in right.
 
#9 ·
ScipioAfricanus said:
See if you can have your engineer certify a change in the bolt pattern and cut new holes in the receiving plates to fit the locations of the bunged up bolt locations.

Andy.
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I agree. I think this may be the only way to do this without liability. Bending or heating the anchor bolts may not be such a good idea. If it was residential it probably wouldn't be too bad.

Of course if it was residential, 3" OC anchor bolts, I would be wondering what the hell?
 
#10 ·
I would have a hard time believing that turning a nut on it and bending it over isn't standard practice. Wether it's kosher or not, I won't argue. I do know that many a bolt as been nudged a little around our place with just the nut turned on and then hit the nut. You can get a little but a half inch:no: maybe if they both happened to need to move a 1/4.
 
#11 ·
donerightwyo said:
I would have a hard time believing that turning a nut on it and bending it over isn't standard practice. Wether it's kosher or not, I won't argue. I do know that many a bolt as been nudged a little around our place with just the nut turned on and then hit the nut. You can get a little but a half inch:no: maybe if they both happened to need to move a 1/4.
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For residential, holding a sill plate is one thing.

For commercial, holding the base of a structural steel frame is another.

I would think that the attention to details in the inspection would be much more discerning than a residential inspection. It may in fact mean absolutely nothing to bend the bolt. I don't think I would chance it though. A simple call to the engineer would alleviate any questions.
 
#12 ·
Kent Whitten said:
For residential, holding a sill plate is one thing.

For commercial, holding the base of a structural steel frame is another.

I would think that the attention to details in the inspection would be much more discerning than a residential inspection. It may in fact mean absolutely nothing to bend the bolt. I don't think I would chance it though. A simple call to the engineer would alleviate any questions.
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I hear ya. I doubt that an engineer would say it was kosher, he probably wouldn't stick his neck out. Maybe Joasis could enlighten us? I would think any modification of the plate would require a stamp from the building engineer. I don't know that epoxy is gonna fly either. Getting them right the first time is probably the safest bet.
 
#13 ·
I can tell you heating anchor bolts is a huge no no... I imagine the fix will either be new base plates, or drill and reset the anchor bolts using an epoxy. I have seen both. Resetting can be a trick depending on what rebar is in the concrete.

I just had an issue where many of the bolts were set too low, and we had to have an engineer stamp a solution.
 
#14 ·
Epoxy is a viable fix. Cut them off, drill, epoxy...then.....

Pull test.....it is done quite often..:thumbsup:

Having structural steel shop reposition holes is another fix...:thumbsup:

Bending bolts is not a realistic option....:no:

Original bolts not set with templates? :censored:
 
#15 ·
Maybe I misunderstood, I thought he was just trying to straighten them;) It takes a big hole to get a plate to go on a crooked bolt. If it is misplaced, making it crooked won't solve your problem.
 
Discussion starter · #17 ·
The concrete crew did use a template. There was at least two different planning stages before the anchor bolts were placed. I checked them as soon as they poured the walls and piers and they were good. Half of those that are bent occurred when the dirt and rock was added to fill in the foundation. The rest became off when the floor was poured and I did not check after that. Certainly my mistake.

So far we have been able to apply pressure with a 3/4" steel pipe and that has worked to my satisfaction. Been able to keep almost of all the threads of the bolts from getting damaged.

The most bent damaged bolts are 1/2" and are located where the garage door opening is. Those got run over by a bobcat operator.
 
#19 ·
So the bolts are in the right spot but are bent and damaged?

I would bend back with a pipe and use a thread restoring die to clean the threads up.

If bolts are in the wrong place you are going to get a engineer to come up with a fix. Maybe drill new holes in the steel, or epoxy in threaded rod, or maybe start over.
 
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rufusjack
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