Bolting Iron
There are basically two ways to connect steel (fine, two ways that Ironworkers connect steel; artists might be out there getting creative but we’re building structures that have to bear loads): welding and bolting. When Ironworkers are assembling the structural steel that is the skeleton of any large building or project, they do it in two crews: the Raising Gang and the Bolt-up Gang. These crews are followed by other crews of Ironworkers such as the Plumb Gang, the Decking Gang, and the Detail Gang.
The Raising Gang
The Raising Gang is a five-person crew: a foreman, two hook-on people, and two connectors. They literally raise the structural steel, while keeping the goal of working safely and efficiently to “hang” the long steel beams that are the structure’s frame. A really great day would be to hang 100 pieces of steel. The way the Raising Gang works is the hook-on duo is in charge of rigging the steel to be hoisted by the crane (hooking it up). The crane operator (click here for more on crane safety) lifts the steel into position, and then the two connectors bolt each end of the steel in place. While the connectors do install bolts, they are not part of the bolting (or “bolt-up”) process. OSHA regulations say that at least two bolts (or 10% of the bolt holes) must be installed at each end of the steel before it can be cut loose from the crane. The Raising Gang gets those pieces hung with as few bolts as possible while still keeping themselves and the jobsite safe, and then moves on to hang the next piece. This process is referred to as “hangin’ and bangin’” by Ironworkers.
The Bolt-up Gang
When the Raising Gang has moved out of one area, the Bolt-up Gang moves in. The size of this crew varies. It’s based on the size and complexity of the project, as well as the size (which is to say, depth) of the steel being bolted. The Bolt-up Gang doesn’t have a cool phrase for their work like hangin’ and bangin’. The plainest way to describe what they do is “one bolt in each hole,” securing each piece of steel to the next, filling the holes with bolts. It sounds simple, but it’s vital. The integrity of the structure depends on using bolts that are the right length, diameter, and grade, tightened to the correct tension. They also have to be in good condition—not rusty or lost their lubrication because they were exposed to the elements. A step that is sometimes overlooked is the pre-installation verification of those bolts. This process proves that the supplied bolts can reach the specified tension in the jobsite conditions. The erector is required to test 3 bolts from every lot of each diameter and length bolt that will be used. This test has to be done on the jobsite, checking the actual bolts being used for the job.
Tools
There are a number of tools necessary for bolting, some of them common, some of them unique to Ironworkers, and at least one is usually homemade. This isn’t a complete list, and lots of Ironworkers have their own preferences and quirks, but this is typical.
· Beater: this is a type of hammer. It comes in a wide range of weights; the Ironworkers 512 crew typically uses one in the range of four pounds to ten pounds, depending on personal preference and the type of work.
· Spud wrench: probably an Ironworker’s most important tool. It has a wrench end for tightening bolts, and the handle tapers to a narrow end used to align the holes in beams and columns.
· Sleever bar: this is a long steel bar Ironworkers use to pry beams into place. They are generally 2-3 feet long, 3/4 or 7/8 of an inch thick, round or hexagonal.
· Bull pin: this is used to align bolt holes and has a broad head, so it can be pounded into place.
· Barrel pin: also known as a drift pin, this tool is tapered at both ends, and is widest in the center. These are used to align holes made up of multiple plates.
· Vice grip and tape measure are two more common tools. For bolt-up, Ironworkers are typically assembling steel that is already the right size, so they don’t have to measure things to cut. However, the hook-on crew needs to know where to attach the rigging slings for the crane, and the tape measure is key for that task.
· Monkey nuts: don’t anyone get too excited. This is a homemade tool, two nuts welded together side-by-side. It’s used to extend a spud wrench and gain leverage to tighten or loosen a nut. One nut slides over the end of the spud wrench, and the sleever bar goes through the other nut from the opposite direction. It’s sometimes called a cheater, double-nut, snipe, dog nuts, and lots of other things, but they are extremely handy. With one of these, you can move the world.
Belts and Harnesses
That’s too many tools for one pair of hands, so Ironworkers doing bolting wear a structural belt. This belt is part of the safety harness. What’s on the belt depends on the type of work, but typically it would hold 2-3 bolt bags. One bag is for things like a tape measure, a striker, marker or soap stone, monkey nuts, vice grip, etc. The other 1 or 2 bags are for bolts. There’s also a scabbard, which holds 2 spud wrenches and a sleever bar. The beater typically hangs off the belt, connected by a carabiner. Bolt-up Ironworkers put the bolts they are using in a bucket called a bolt bucket, that itself is sometimes fabricated on the jobsite. The buckets make it easier to haul the bolts from floor to floor and lightens the load on the Ironworker compared to lugging the bolts in their bolt bags. But even with no bolts, that’s probably 35-40 pounds of tools being hauled around the jobsite.
Other PPE
Obviously, the safety harness is there to… well, it can’t prevent an Ironworker from falling, but it prevents them from landing. Some of the other basics for bolting PPE include hard hat, safety glasses, gloves, and ear plugs. Fragments of steel from the end of pins can break off while driving them in or removing them and end up in your eyes. Not good! All that banging from the beater and the pins is loud, too. We’ve talked before about the potential for hearing damage. Ear plugs are often forgotten until it’s too late. Along with the usual risks of a jobsite, bolting sometimes includes straining muscles you didn’t know you had from working in awkward positions. Trying to drive pins in cramped spots or from tough angles is a traditional way to smash your fingers. All of this sounds bad, but the PPE and the training are there to keep you safe and healthy. “Stay safe” or “Work safe” or “Be safe” are phrases you’ll hear and say a lot as an Ironworker—it’s not just words. It’s a reminder and a benediction.
Like most of the work Ironworkers do, bolting can be a difficult task. But it’s the kind of work you can be proud of, to know that it’s going to be there for a long, long time, being useful for a whole community of people.
