Must the supports on which the tower is installed on the steel structure be fastened with bolts?
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There are several small tower units currently in use; during installation, the installer welded the equipment supports directly to the steel structure, without using bolts. Is this acceptable? Are there clear provisions in the relevant standards?
It’s generally difficult to calculate the structure of welded joints; usually, only the cross-sectional area of the bolts is taken into account. Personally, I think it’s difficult to assess the quality of welded structures. For skirt bases without covers, it should be fine if the cross-sectional area of the weld metal in such structures is twice the required cross-sectional area of the bolts. If it is a skirt with a cover plate, it’s hard to say; it can also be converted to a skirt without a cover plate for verification, but it shouldn’t be easy to calculate.
It’s still better to follow the standards...
The equipment that has been completed cannot have any welding work done on it, and the painting is already finished. I don’t understand whether the people in the company are aware of this rule.
Based on the owner’s description, the height of these small towers is likely to be low, so wind load-induced bending moments need not be considered; they can also be welded to the steel framework. However, it is necessary to ensure that the beams of the steel framework are welded and fixed around the entire perimeter of the tower foundation ring.
The tower equipment underwent heat treatment before leaving the factory; welding was carried out on-site, and no bolts were used, which is inappropriate – it’s hard to explain why.
What to do if it needs to be removed after welding? The installation company shouldn’t just seek convenience – it should also consider the needs of the user!
They are all ear-type supports; the height of the containers is around 5 meters. The base plates of these supports are connected to the steel beams not by bolts but by welding. Are there any relevant standards that specify that welding must not be used?