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SynC · Editorial revision

Miscellaneous Metals

Revision10
EditedOct 12, 2026
StatusCurrent
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Current revision. This is editorial revision 10, the current text of this standard. Read it on the standard's page.

SynC Standards Team — Specifier (Platform Standards) ✓ OfficialDiscloses employment SynC (SynC Platform Team)
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1 Scope

NOTE This standard governs the utility steel that completes a building and is drawn by no single trade: the ladder to the roof, the lintel over a masonry opening, the angle at a slab edge, the plate cast into a wall to receive a bracket, the frame around a trench, the stand under a piece of equipment, and the pipe post that keeps a forklift off a column. (1.1)
1.2 The furnished work shall comprise every item of this standard shown or scheduled in the contract documents, with its anchors, fasteners, embedded items, setting templates, shop finish, and installation.
NOTE Each item here is small and the category is where coordination fails, because every item meets another trade: the lintel is built into masonry, the embed is cast into concrete, the dunnage is flashed by the roofer, the trench frame receives a grating panel sized by someone else, and the ladder is fixed to a wall built by a fourth party. A lintel cut to the wrong length stops a masonry crew, an embed left out of a pour is recovered by coring hardened concrete, and a dunnage frame set too low cannot be roofed under. The requirements here exist to make each item buildable and to settle who hands what to whom. (1.3)
NOTE The following are governed elsewhere and are outside this standard: (1.4)
  • Stairs, stair stringers, landings, and the handrails and guards at the open edges of stairs and walking surfaces are governed by Metal Stairs And RailingsMetal Stairs and RailingsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/metal-stairs-and-railings. The ladders, ship's ladders, alternating tread devices, lintels, embeds, frames, supports, and guard posts of this standard are not stairs or railings, and the handrails that belong to a ship's ladder or an alternating tread device are furnished with the device here.
  • Bar grating and floor plate, including every grating or plate lid that seats on a seat furnished here, are governed by Metal Gratings And Floor PlatesMetal Gratings and Floor PlatesResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/metal-gratings-and-floor-plates. The angle seat the lid rests on, cast into the trench or pit edge, is governed here.
  • The hot-rolled frame the structural engineer details, with the lintels, shelf angles, column base plates, and equipment framing detailed as part of it, is governed by Structural Steel FramingStructural Steel FramingResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/structural-steel-framing, and the connections of that frame by Structural Steel ConnectionsStructural Steel ConnectionsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/structural-steel-connections. An item of the same section that the structural engineer does not detail as part of the frame is governed here.
  • Anchor rods, and the embedded plates detailed on the structural drawings for column bases and equipment foundations, are governed by Structural Steel Anchor BoltsAnchor Rods and Embedded SteelResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/structural-steel-anchor-bolts. The embedded plates, seat angles, and anchor channels that serve the items of this standard and the custom architectural metal work are furnished here.
  • The setting of embedded items in the forms, their holding through the pour, and the concrete cast around them are governed by Concrete AccessoriesConcrete Accessories and EmbedsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/concrete-accessories and Cast In Place ConcreteCast-in-Place ConcreteResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/cast-in-place-concrete.
  • Architecturally exposed custom metal with specified finishes, including canopies, screens, hatches and covers with architectural frames, escutcheons, and corner guards with architectural finishes, is governed by Metal FabricationsMetal FabricationsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/metal-fabrications; factory-made impact-resistant wall and corner protection products are governed by Wall And Corner ProtectionWall and Corner ProtectionResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/wall-and-corner-protection. The column and door-jamb guards of this standard are unfinished structural angle and pipe placed for impact.
  • Site bollards of every class, decorative, ASTM F3016 and ASTM F2656 rated, removable, and retractable, and any post placed to protect pedestrians, control vehicles, or secure a perimeter, are governed by Site Furnishings And BollardsSite Furnishings and BollardsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/site-furnishings-and-bollards. This standard keeps the unrated steel pipe guard post placed to protect a building element or a piece of equipment from a vehicle or material-handling impact.
  • Hangers, trapezes, and supports for mechanical piping and equipment within the mechanical scope are governed by Hangers And SupportsHangers and Supports for Mechanical Piping and EquipmentResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/hangers-and-supports, and vibration isolators and seismic restraints by Vibration Isolation And Seismic RestraintVibration Isolation and Seismic RestraintResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/vibration-isolation-and-seismic-restraint. The loose stands, supports, and rooftop dunnage of this standard are those no trade furnishes with its equipment and no structural drawing shows.
  • The process requirements of shop priming and hot-dip galvanizing are governed by Shop Painting And GalvanizingShop Painting and Galvanizing of SteelResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/shop-painting-and-galvanizing; this standard selects the corrosion protection for each item and reads the process from that standard. Field paint over primed or galvanized items is governed by Interior PaintingInterior PaintingResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/interior-painting and Exterior PaintingExterior Painting and CoatingsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/exterior-painting, and washdown and chemical-resistant coating systems by High Performance CoatingsHigh-Performance CoatingsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/high-performance-coatings.
  • The project welding program of procedure and welder qualification, consumables, preheat, weld acceptance, and examination is governed by Welding RequirementsWelding RequirementsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/welding-requirements.
  • Post-installed anchors into hardened concrete and masonry are governed by Post Installed AnchorsPost-Installed Concrete and Masonry AnchorsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/post-installed-anchors; the grout bed beneath bearing surfaces by Grouted Base PlatesGrouted Column Base Plates and Bearing PlatesResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/grouted-base-plates and Non Shrink GroutNon-Shrink GroutResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/non-shrink-grout; permanent fall protection tie-off points and lifeline systems on roofs and facades by Fall Protection AnchorageRoof and Facade Fall Protection AnchorageResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/fall-protection-anchorage; and cold-formed light-gauge framing by Cold Formed Metal FramingCold-Formed Metal FramingResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/cold-formed-metal-framing.
1.5 Where an item of this standard is built into or cast into the work of another trade, the Contractor shall deliver the item, its setting template, and its layout to that trade on the schedule that trade's work requires, and no pour, masonry course, or roofing membrane shall proceed over the location of an item not yet set.

2 Referenced Standards

2.1 Materials, fabrication, and installation shall comply with the latest adopted edition of each of the following unless a specific edition is cited.
2.2 Where referenced standards conflict, the more stringent requirement shall govern unless the Engineer of Record directs otherwise in writing.
2.3 The provisions for ship's ladders as a component of the means of egress, for vehicle barrier systems, and for guards at elevated surfaces shall be taken from Adopted Building CodeAdopted Building CodeParameterEach project supplies its own value.adopted-building-code, whose numbering of those provisions differs between editions.
Standard Title
29 CFR 1910.23 OSHA Walking-Working Surfaces: Ladders
29 CFR 1910.25 OSHA Walking-Working Surfaces: Stairways (ship stairs)
29 CFR 1910.28 OSHA Walking-Working Surfaces: Duty to Have Fall Protection and Falling Object Protection
29 CFR 1910.29 OSHA Walking-Working Surfaces: Fall Protection Systems and Falling Object Protection Criteria and Practices
ANSI/ASSP A14.3 Safety Requirements for Fixed Ladders
ASTM A36/A36M Carbon Structural Steel
ASTM A572/A572M High-Strength Low-Alloy Columbium-Vanadium Structural Steel
ASTM A992/A992M Structural Steel Shapes
ASTM A500/A500M Cold-Formed Welded and Seamless Carbon Steel Structural Tubing in Rounds and Shapes
ASTM A1085/A1085M Cold-Formed Welded Carbon Steel Hollow Structural Sections (HSS)
ASTM A53/A53M Pipe, Steel, Black and Hot-Dipped, Zinc-Coated, Welded and Seamless
ASTM A1011/A1011M Steel, Sheet and Strip, Hot-Rolled, Carbon, Structural, High-Strength Low-Alloy
ASTM A108 Steel Bar, Carbon and Alloy, Cold-Finished (headed stud anchors)
ASTM A240/A240M Chromium and Chromium-Nickel Stainless Steel Plate, Sheet, and Strip
ASTM A276/A276M Stainless Steel Bars and Shapes
ASTM A312/A312M Seamless, Welded, and Heavily Cold Worked Austenitic Stainless Steel Pipes
ASTM A554 Welded Stainless Steel Mechanical Tubing
ASTM B221 Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Extruded Bars, Rods, Wire, Profiles, and Tubes
ASTM B209/B209M Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Sheet and Plate
ASTM B241/B241M Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Seamless Pipe and Seamless Extruded Tube
ASTM A307 Carbon Steel Bolts, Studs, and Threaded Rod 60 000 PSI Tensile Strength
ASTM F3125/F3125M High Strength Structural Bolts and Assemblies
ASTM F1554 Anchor Bolts, Steel, 36, 55, and 105-ksi Yield Strength
ASTM F593 Stainless Steel Bolts, Hex Cap Screws, and Studs
ASTM A123/A123M Zinc (Hot-Dip Galvanized) Coatings on Iron and Steel Products
ASTM A153/A153M Zinc Coating (Hot-Dip) on Iron and Steel Hardware
ASTM A780/A780M Repair of Damaged and Uncoated Areas of Hot-Dip Galvanized Coatings
AWS D1.1/D1.1M Structural Welding Code — Steel
AWS D1.2/D1.2M Structural Welding Code — Aluminum
AWS D1.6/D1.6M Structural Welding Code — Stainless Steel
TMS 402/602 Building Code Requirements and Specification for Masonry Structures
ACI 318 Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete (Chapter 17, anchoring to concrete)
ASCE/SEI 7 Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures

3 Submittals

3.1 Action Submittals

3.1.1 The Contractor shall submit the following for review before any item is released for fabrication:
  • Shop drawings for every item, showing the member sizes and material grade, the overall and component dimensions, the weld sizes and types, the fastener and anchor type and grade, the shop corrosion protection, the field anchorage condition, and the item mark
  • Setting drawings and templates for every embedded item, lintel, seat angle, trench frame, and guard post sleeve, giving the layout dimensions, elevations, and orientation the receiving trade needs to set the item
  • Product data for ladder safety systems, climbing sleeves, anchor channels, headed stud anchors, cover sleeves for guard posts, and every manufactured component incorporated into an item
  • Calculations sealed by a professional engineer licensed in the state of the project for every item whose design is delegated under this standard
  • Shop drawings for each fixed ladder, identifying the fall protection method, the climbing height, the clearances on the climbing side and behind the rungs, the rest platforms, and the top access treatment
Action Submittals Requiredcheckbox
☑ Shop drawings
☑ Setting drawings and templates
☑ Product data
☑ Delegated design calculations
☑ Fixed ladder shop drawings with fall protection method
3.1.2 Setting drawings for embedded items shall be issued to the concrete and masonry trades before the formwork or the course that receives the item is built, and the Contractor shall record the date each setting drawing was issued.
NOTE An embed drawing reviewed after the pour it served is a drawing of a hole that will be cored. The date of issue is recorded so that a missed embed can be traced to the drawing that was late or the crew that did not read it, rather than argued over at the first connection that cannot be made. (3.1.3)

3.2 Informational Submittals

3.2.1 The Contractor shall submit the following for record before the corresponding work begins:
  • Mill certificates or certificates of conformance for plate, shapes, bars, tubing, pipe, stainless steel, and aluminum, stating the specification and grade
  • Galvanizing certificate for each lot, stating the ASTM A123 coating grade achieved and the ASTM A153 class for hardware, as Shop Painting And GalvanizingShop Painting and Galvanizing of SteelResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/shop-painting-and-galvanizing requires
  • Welding procedure specifications and welder qualification records, as the project welding program under Welding RequirementsWelding RequirementsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/welding-requirements requires
  • Fabricator qualification statement
  • For ladder safety systems, the manufacturer's statement that the carrier, sleeve, and ladder attachment were tested together as a system under ANSI/ASSP A14.3
Informational Submittals Requiredcheckbox
☑ Mill certificates
☑ Galvanizing certificates
☑ Welding procedures and welder qualifications
☑ Fabricator qualification statement
☑ Ladder safety system test statement

3.3 Closeout Submittals

3.3.1 The Contractor shall submit the following before the work is accepted:
  • Operation and maintenance data for each ladder safety system, with the manufacturer's inspection schedule, the inspection record form, and the user instructions for the climbing sleeve
  • A record of every embedded item, lintel, and trench frame set, noting any field-authorized change to its location, elevation, or size
  • A coating repair record listing every field cut, field weld, and damaged area on galvanized items and the repair applied under ASTM A780
  • Manufacturer warranties for ladder safety systems and anchor channels, assigned to the Owner
Closeout Submittals Requiredcheckbox
☑ Ladder safety system operation and maintenance data
☑ Record of embedded items, lintels, and frames as set
☑ Coating repair record
☑ Manufacturer warranties

4 Quality Assurance

4.1 Fabricator Qualifications

4.1.1 Items under this standard shall be fabricated by a firm that produces structural and miscellaneous steel as a regular part of its business and that has done so for not less than the period indicated in the datasheet.
Fabricator Experiencerange
Not less than
years
010
Default: 5 years
4.1.2 Welding shall be performed under the project welding program of Welding RequirementsWelding RequirementsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/welding-requirements, to AWS D1.1 for carbon steel, AWS D1.6 for stainless steel, and AWS D1.2 for aluminum.
NOTE Fabricator certification under a recognized program is not required for the work of this standard, because the items carry no primary gravity or lateral load path of the building, and a certification requirement priced into a lintel order buys nothing the mill certificate and the shop drawing review do not already give. (4.1.3)

4.2 Design Responsibility for Load-Rated Items

NOTE Fixed ladders, ship's ladders, equipment supports, stands, and rooftop dunnage carry a load someone has to calculate, and whether that someone is the Engineer of Record or an engineer the fabricator retains is settled per project, because a stock ladder to a roof hatch is a catalog item while a dunnage frame under a 6,000 lb air handler on a seismic site is a structure. (4.2.1)
4.2.2 The design responsibility for fixed ladders, ship's ladders, equipment supports, stands, and rooftop dunnage shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Design Responsibility for Ladders, Supports, and Dunnageradio
○ Complete design by the Engineer of Record
○ Design delegated to a licensed engineer retained by the fabricator
4.2.3 Where the design is delegated, the calculations shall be sealed by a professional engineer licensed in the state of the project and shall be submitted with the shop drawings for the item.
NOTE Where the design is delegated, the Engineer of Record's review of the delegated submittal confirms that the item satisfies the stated loads and does not transfer responsibility for the detailed design back to the Engineer of Record. (4.2.4)
4.2.5 Where an item that carries a calculated load is neither designed on the contract documents nor assigned a load, the Contractor shall request the load from the Engineer of Record before the item is designed or fabricated.
4.2.6 Lintels, shelf angles, edge angles, embedded items, trench frames, and guard posts shall be furnished in the sizes the contract documents show, and the Contractor shall not substitute a size on the basis of the fabricator's own calculation without the Engineer of Record's written acceptance.

4.3 Field Verification of Dimensions

4.3.1 Before any item that fits an opening, a frame, a pit, a wall, or a slab is released for fabrication, the Contractor shall measure the governing field dimension and shall reconcile any difference from the contract documents with the Engineer of Record in writing.
4.3.2 An item fabricated to the nominal dimension without field measurement and found not to fit shall be corrected or replaced at the Contractor's cost.
NOTE A lintel is 8 in. shorter than its opening because the mason laid the jamb a course wide; a trench frame is 1/2 in. narrower than the trench the formwork made; a ladder is 2 in. too long for the wall it stands against. Each is found at installation and each was measurable a month earlier. (4.3.3)

4.4 Coordination of Cast-In and Built-In Items

4.4.1 Every item of this standard that is cast into concrete or built into masonry shall be delivered to the trade that sets it, with its setting template and layout, before that trade needs it, and the Contractor shall hold a schedule listing each such item, its location, and the pour or course it belongs to.
4.4.2 An item furnished after the pour or course it belongs to has been placed shall be installed by a method the Engineer of Record approves in writing, and the cost of that method, including any coring, post-installed anchorage, and repair, shall be borne by the Contractor.
4.4.3 The seat depth and seat width of every trench and pit frame shall be coordinated with the panel depth, bearing length, and fastening selected under Metal Gratings And Floor PlatesMetal Gratings and Floor PlatesResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/metal-gratings-and-floor-plates before either is fabricated.

5 Steel, Stainless Steel, and Aluminum Materials

5.1 Plates, Shapes, and Bars

5.1.1 Steel plate, angles, channels, and bars shall be furnished in the grade indicated in the datasheet.
Plate, Shape, and Bar Steel Gradeselect
ASTM A36
ASTM A572 Grade 50
ASTM A992
NOTE A36 is stocked in every plate thickness and angle size, welds with any carbon steel process, and yields at the strain a lintel or a seat angle is designed to; it is the material of nearly every item here. A572 Grade 50 adds yield strength at the same section where a shelf angle or a dunnage beam is governed by strength rather than by the stock size that fits, and it costs more per pound and is stocked in fewer angle sizes. A992 is the grade rolled wide-flange shapes come in, and it is selected where a support frame or dunnage is built from wide-flange beams rather than from angles and channels. (5.1.2)
5.1.3 Wide-flange shapes used in equipment supports and dunnage shall be ASTM A992 regardless of the plate and bar grade selected.
5.1.4 Hot-rolled sheet and strip for bent plate items, closures, and sleeves shall conform to ASTM A1011, Commercial Steel Type B or Structural Steel Grade 33 or higher.

5.2 Hollow Structural Sections

5.2.1 Square, rectangular, and round hollow structural sections shall be furnished in the grade indicated in the datasheet.
Hollow Structural Section Gradeselect
ASTM A500 Grade B
ASTM A500 Grade C
ASTM A1085
NOTE A500 Grade C is the grade current mills produce and dual-certify with Grade B, carries a higher specified yield, and is the grade the AISC design tables for HSS are published to, so a section ordered to Grade C arrives from stock at no premium. Grade B is the grade older contract documents name and is furnished from the same dual-certified stock where a project's calculations were run to it. A1085 holds the wall thickness to a tighter tolerance and sets a maximum yield, so the full nominal section counts in design and a seismically detailed frame is not over-strength; it is a mill order rather than a stock item and is reached for where a ladder rail or a dunnage column is designed to its full section under a delegated design. (5.2.2)
5.2.3 Steel pipe for ladder rails, guard posts, and pipe supports shall conform to ASTM A53, Type E or Type S, Grade B, in the schedule the item's article of this standard requires.

5.3 Stainless Steel

5.3.1 Where stainless steel is selected for an item under the corrosion protection of this standard, the stainless steel type shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Stainless Steel Typeradio
○ Type 304 or 304L
○ Type 316 or 316L
NOTE Type 304 resists atmospheric and most process exposures without a coating and is the stock stainless of every product form; Type 316 adds molybdenum for chloride service, which is coastal air, deicing salt, brine, chlorinated water, and a washdown floor, at a higher cost per pound. The low-carbon L grades are selected where the item is welded, because the welded zone of the standard grade loses corrosion resistance at the weld in some exposures. (5.3.2)
5.3.3 Stainless plate, sheet, and strip shall conform to ASTM A240, bars and shapes to ASTM A276, pipe to ASTM A312, and tubing to ASTM A554, in the type selected.
5.3.4 Stainless items shall be fabricated with tooling, abrasives, and handling surfaces that have not been used on carbon steel, and shall be cleaned of embedded iron after fabrication.

5.4 Aluminum

5.4.1 Where aluminum is selected for a fixed ladder, extrusions shall conform to ASTM B221 in alloy 6061-T6 or 6063-T6, plate to ASTM B209, and pipe and tube to ASTM B241 or ASTM B221 in alloy 6061-T6 or 6063-T6.
5.4.2 Aluminum items shall be isolated from concrete, mortar, and carbon steel or galvanized surfaces by a bituminous coating on the contact surface, a neoprene isolator, or a non-metallic washer at every bearing and every fastener.
NOTE Bare aluminum against fresh concrete is etched by the alkalinity of the cement, and bare aluminum against steel in the presence of moisture forms a galvanic couple in which the aluminum is consumed at the contact line. The isolation breaks both at every point the metals meet. (5.4.3)

6 Fasteners and Anchors

6.1 Bolts, studs, and threaded rod shall conform to ASTM A307, and bolts designated high-strength in the contract documents shall conform to ASTM F3125.
6.2 Cast-in anchor rods furnished with the items of this standard shall conform to ASTM F1554 in the grade shown in the contract documents, and anchor rods for column bases and equipment foundations detailed on the structural drawings are furnished under Structural Steel Anchor BoltsAnchor Rods and Embedded SteelResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/structural-steel-anchor-bolts.
6.3 Stainless bolts shall conform to ASTM F593 in the type matching the item they fasten.
6.4 The material and finish of fasteners for each item shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Fastener Material and Finishselect
Plain carbon steel
Hot-dip galvanized carbon steel
Stainless steel Type 304
Stainless steel Type 316
Derived — the shop corrosion protection selected for the item the fastener secures and the corrosion exposure of its location (by default)
6.5 Fasteners shall be plain carbon steel on shop-primed items at interior dry locations, hot-dip galvanized to ASTM A153 on galvanized items and on every item at an exterior, wet, or masonry-embedded location, stainless steel of the same type on stainless items, stainless steel Type 304 on aluminum items, and stainless steel Type 316 on any item in a chloride or chemical exposure.
NOTE A fastener of a different metal from the item it holds corrodes one or the other at the contact, a plain bolt in a galvanized angle rusts first and stains the wall below it, and a galvanized bolt in a stainless plate corrodes the zinc off in a season; the fastener is matched to the item by rule rather than by selection. (6.6)
6.7 Headed stud anchors shall conform to ASTM A108 and shall be welded under the stud welding provisions of AWS D1.1.
6.8 Deformed bar anchors shall be deformed wire or bar of the grade the fabricator's engineering is based on, welded under the stud welding provisions of AWS D1.1.
6.9 Post-installed anchors used to attach any item of this standard to hardened concrete or masonry shall conform to Post Installed AnchorsPost-Installed Concrete and Masonry AnchorsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/post-installed-anchors and shall be the type and embedment the item's anchorage detail requires.
6.10 A post-installed anchor shall not be substituted for a cast-in embedded item shown in the contract documents without the Engineer of Record's written acceptance.

7 Shop Corrosion Protection

7.1 Corrosion Protection at Interior Dry Locations

7.1.1 The shop corrosion protection for items at interior dry locations shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Shop Corrosion Protection at Interior Dry Locationsselect
Shop primer
Hot-dip galvanized after fabrication
Hot-dip galvanized and shop primed for a field topcoat
Stainless steel
Uncoated
NOTE A shop primer protects an item to installation and under a dry roof and takes the field finish the painting standards apply where the item is seen; it is the finish of a lintel in an interior partition, a ladder in a mechanical room, and a support in a ceiling space. Galvanizing after fabrication coats every cut edge, weld, and interior surface of a tube, and it is selected indoors where the item will be wet, where it cannot be repainted once installed, or where a plant floor is washed down. The galvanized and primed system carries a galvanized base under a field topcoat where a color is scheduled on an item that must also last, at the cost of the surface preparation the primer needs to hold on zinc. Stainless steel needs no coating and is selected where washdown, food, or chemical service would consume a coating, at several times the cost of carbon steel. An uncoated item rusts to a stable brown under a dry roof and is selected where the surface will be coated in the field under another standard, where it will be fireproofed, or where the Owner accepts rust on a plant floor. (7.1.2)

7.2 Corrosion Protection at Exterior, Wet, and Masonry-Embedded Locations

7.2.1 The shop corrosion protection for items at exterior locations, at wet and washdown locations, and built into masonry shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Shop Corrosion Protection at Exterior, Wet, and Masonry-Embedded Locationsselect
Hot-dip galvanized after fabrication
Hot-dip galvanized and shop primed for a field topcoat
Shop primer
Stainless steel
NOTE Galvanizing after fabrication is the protection of a lintel or a shelf angle buried in a wall where it cannot be inspected or recoated, of a ladder on a roof, and of a dunnage frame in the weather, because the zinc protects the cut ends and welds that a primer leaves thin and the interior of a tube that a primer never reaches. The galvanized and primed system is selected where a scheduled color is wanted on an exterior item. A shop primer alone at an exterior location is selected where a full field coating system under the exterior painting standard will be applied over it before the item is exposed, and it is the finish a corroding shelf angle usually turns out to have had. Stainless steel is selected in a coastal, deicing, or chemical exposure where a galvanized coating is consumed within the life of the building, and it is the shelf angle material where the veneer above it is not to be removed to replace the angle. (7.2.2)
7.2.3 A loose lintel or shelf angle in an exterior wall, in a wall exposed to weather, or in a wall with a drained cavity shall receive the corrosion protection selected for exterior, wet, and masonry-embedded locations regardless of whether the exposed face of the wall is interior.
NOTE A shelf angle corrodes from the back, in the cavity, where no one sees it until the veneer cracks along the course above it from the expanding rust; it is classed with the exterior items because the cavity is wet whatever side of the wall it faces. (7.2.4)
7.2.5 Fixed ladders, ship's ladders, dunnage, supports, trench frames, and guard posts at an exterior location, in a washdown area, or in a space with standing water shall receive the corrosion protection selected for exterior, wet, and masonry-embedded locations.

7.3 Surfaces Embedded in Concrete

7.3.1 The embedded faces and anchors of embed plates, seat angles, edge angles, and anchor channels, and any surface of an item that is cast into concrete, shall be furnished uncoated and free of shop primer unless the item is at an exterior, wet, or masonry-embedded location, where the whole item shall receive the corrosion protection selected for those locations.
NOTE Concrete cover protects the embedded steel, and a primer on the embedded face reduces the bond the anchor and the concrete form; where the item is galvanized, the galvanizing is applied to the whole item after the anchors are welded so that the anchor weld is coated. (7.3.2)
7.3.3 Galvanized embedded items with welded stud or bar anchors shall be galvanized after the anchors are welded.

7.4 Coating Process and Field Finish

7.4.1 Surface preparation, the shop primer type and film thickness, the galvanizing process and its coating grade, the venting and draining of closed sections for galvanizing, the handling of reactive steel, the repair of damaged galvanizing under ASTM A780, and the acceptance of the shop coating are governed by Shop Painting And GalvanizingShop Painting and Galvanizing of SteelResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/shop-painting-and-galvanizing, and this standard selects the system only.
7.4.2 Surfaces to be field welded, the faying surfaces of slip-critical connections, and surfaces to receive sprayed fire-resistive material shall not be shop primed.
7.4.3 Field paint over primed or galvanized items is governed by Interior PaintingInterior PaintingResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/interior-painting and Exterior PaintingExterior Painting and CoatingsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/exterior-painting, and washdown and chemical-resistant systems by High Performance CoatingsHigh-Performance CoatingsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/high-performance-coatings; this standard furnishes the shop finish the field coating is applied over, and the Contractor shall report the shop primer's generic type to the painting trade as those standards require.

8 Fixed Ladders

8.1 Ladder Material and Members

8.1.1 The material of fixed ladders shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Fixed Ladder Materialselect
Carbon steel
Aluminum
Stainless steel
NOTE A carbon steel ladder is the stock building ladder, is galvanized or primed under the corrosion protection selected, and is welded by the same shop that makes the lintels. An aluminum ladder weighs a third as much, is set by two people without a crane on a tank or a water plant structure, and never needs recoating, at the cost of isolation at every bearing and the larger sections aluminum needs for the same stiffness. A stainless ladder is selected in a washdown, chemical, or coastal exposure where a galvanized ladder would be consumed, at the highest cost. (8.1.2)
8.1.3 The section of the ladder side rails shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Side Rail Sectionselect
Flat bar
Rectangular or square hollow structural section
Pipe
NOTE A flat bar rail, 2-1/2 in. by 3/8 in. in the stock ladder, is the section every fabricator makes, takes a bolted bracket on its back face without a sleeve, and attaches a ladder safety system carrier through the bar. A hollow section rail is stiffer per pound where a tall ladder spans between widely spaced brackets, and it needs vent and drain holes to galvanize and a closed end to keep water out. A pipe rail gives a round grip to a climber who holds the rails rather than the rungs and is the section of an aluminum ladder, and it takes brackets and carriers only through a saddle or a welded lug. (8.1.4)
8.1.5 The clear width between the inside faces of the side rails shall be as indicated in the datasheet, and not less than 16 in.
Clear Width Between Side Railsrange
in
1624
Default: 18 in
NOTE The 16 in. minimum is the OSHA and A14.3 clear width; 18 in. is the stock ladder and gives a climber in winter clothing room between the rails; a wider ladder is selected where a climber carries a tool bag or wears a self-retracting lifeline on the chest, at the cost of a longer rung that deflects more under the same foot. (8.1.6)
8.1.7 The shape of the rungs shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Rung Shapeselect
Solid round bar
Solid square bar
Pipe
NOTE A solid round bar rung is the stock rung, is welded through a drilled rail or to its face, and is treated for slip by knurling or dimpling. A square bar set on the diagonal gives a foot an edge to stand on and a hand a corner to grip, and it is the rung of a ladder in a wet or icy exposure where a round bar is slick. A pipe rung is the rung of an aluminum ladder and of a heavy steel ladder with a wide rail spacing, where a solid bar of the same stiffness would be too heavy; it is sealed at the rails so it does not fill with water. (8.1.8)
8.1.9 The diameter of a round or pipe rung, or the side of a square rung, shall be as indicated in the datasheet, and not less than 3/4 in.
Rung Diameter or Side Dimensionrange
Not less than
in
0.7511.25
NOTE The 3/4 in. solid rung is the A14.3 minimum and the stock rung of a steel ladder at an 18 in. rail spacing; a 1 in. rung is selected at a wider rail spacing, on a ladder with pipe rungs, and on an aluminum ladder, and a larger rung gives a gloved hand more to hold on an exterior ladder at the cost of weight. (8.1.10)
8.1.11 Rungs shall be spaced uniformly along the ladder at the spacing indicated in the datasheet, measured center to center, and the spacing shall hold from the lowest rung to the landing.
Rung Spacingrange
in
10111214
NOTE The 10 to 14 in. range is the OSHA and A14.3 window; 12 in. is the spacing every stock ladder and every climber expects, and a spacing that differs from it on one ladder in a building is the one a climber misses a rung on. (8.1.12)
8.1.13 Rungs of a fixed metal ladder shall be treated to minimize slipping as 29 CFR 1910.23 requires, by the treatment indicated in the datasheet.
Rung Slip-Resistant Treatmentselect
Knurled
Dimpled
Corrugated or serrated
Abrasive coating
NOTE Knurling rolls a fine diamond pattern into a round bar before it is cut and is the treatment of a stock steel rung; it survives galvanizing. Dimpling presses a pattern of depressions into the bar top and is the treatment of an aluminum rung. A corrugated or serrated rung is a square bar or a formed section with ridges across the foot surface and is selected for a wet or icy exposure where a knurl fills with ice. An abrasive coating is applied over a plain rung after galvanizing, gives the most grip on the day it is applied, and wears off under boots on a ladder climbed daily. (8.1.14)
8.1.15 Rungs shall be welded to the side rails on both sides of the rail where the rung passes through it, or shall be welded to the face of the rail with a weld on both sides of the rung, and no rung shall depend on a single fillet weld.
8.1.16 Fixed ladders shall be designed for the live loads ANSI/ASSP A14.3 requires, applied as that standard directs, and the side rails, rungs, brackets, and anchorage shall carry those loads with the ladder in place.

8.2 Ladder Clearances and Placement

8.2.1 The perpendicular distance from the centerline of the rungs to the nearest permanent object on the climbing side shall be not less than 30 in., and where a hatch cover or an unavoidable obstruction reduces it, the reduced clearance shall be as 29 CFR 1910.23 permits for that condition.
8.2.2 The perpendicular distance from the centerline of the rungs to the nearest permanent object behind the ladder shall be not less than 7 in., and the ladder brackets shall hold the ladder at that distance from the wall along its full height.
NOTE A ladder set too close to the wall puts the climber's toe against the wall at every rung, and a ladder set too far from it puts the climber's weight on the brackets at a lever arm the bracket was not designed for; the 7 in. is a toe clearance and the bracket spacing is engineered to the ladder's loads at that offset. (8.2.3)
8.2.4 The location, climbing height, and landing elevation of each fixed ladder shall be as indicated on the plans and building sections.
8.2.5 Ladders shall be furnished in a single straight run between the lowest rung and the landing unless a rest platform is required, and the lowest rung shall be set at the rung spacing above the floor or grade the ladder stands on.
8.2.6 The anchorage of the side rails to the supporting wall or structure shall be by brackets at a spacing the design of the ladder establishes, and no bracket shall be attached to a masonry veneer, a parapet cap, a metal panel, or a roof membrane.

8.3 Fall Protection on Fixed Ladders

8.3.1 A fixed ladder that extends more than 24 ft above a lower level shall be equipped with the fall protection method indicated in the datasheet, in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.28 and 29 CFR 1910.29.
Fall Protection Method for Climbs Over 24 ftradio
● Ladder safety system
○ Personal fall arrest system anchorage
NOTE Under 29 CFR 1910.28, a fixed ladder erected on or after November 19, 2018 that rises more than 24 ft above a lower level carries a ladder safety system or a personal fall arrest system, and a cage or well is not accepted as the fall protection on that ladder. A ladder safety system keeps the climber attached to a carrier on the ladder by a sleeve, so no one has to rig an anchor before climbing, and it is the method a roof ladder, a tank ladder, and a shaft ladder are furnished with. A personal fall arrest system anchorage is a rated anchor at the top of the ladder to which the climber's own self-retracting lifeline attaches, and it is selected where climbs are rare, where the climbers are a trained crew who carry their own equipment, or where a carrier cannot be mounted; it leaves the climber unprotected until the lifeline is connected. (8.3.2)
8.3.3 A cage or well shall not be furnished as the fall protection for a fixed ladder under this standard, and where a cage is furnished it shall be in addition to the fall protection method selected.
8.3.4 Where a ladder safety system is selected, the carrier type shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Ladder Safety System Carrier Typeradio
○ Rigid rail carrier
○ Flexible cable carrier
NOTE A rigid rail carrier is a notched rail bolted to the rungs or the rail of the ladder, along which a sleeve rolls and locks; it needs no tensioning, holds the climber close to the ladder, and is the carrier of a building ladder that a sleeve can be fitted to at the bottom. A flexible cable carrier is a stainless cable tensioned between a top and a bottom bracket, costs less on a tall ladder, is retrofitted to an existing ladder without drilling every rung, and is the carrier of a tower or a stack; it allows the climber to swing out from the ladder under a fall before it arrests, and it has a tension that is inspected. (8.3.5)
8.3.6 Whether a cage is furnished in addition to the fall protection method shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Ladder Cageradio
○ Not furnished
○ Furnished in addition to the fall protection method
NOTE A cage no longer counts as fall protection on a new ladder, and it adds steel, galvanizing, and wind load to every tall ladder; it is still furnished where an Owner's standard calls for it, where a climber on an exterior ladder wants a hoop to lean into in wind, or where a ladder passes by a hazard the cage keeps the climber away from. On a ladder with a rigid rail carrier the cage hoops are set so the sleeve and the climber's chest connection pass through them. (8.3.7)
8.3.8 A ladder safety system shall be furnished with its carrier, its top and bottom brackets, its intermediate brackets, and the number of climbing sleeves indicated in the datasheet, as one system tested together under ANSI/ASSP A14.3 by one manufacturer.
Climbing Sleeves Furnished per Ladder Safety Systemrange
sleeves
06
NOTE The sleeve is the one component of the system that leaves with the climber, and a system furnished without one is a carrier nobody can use until the Owner buys the sleeve its maintenance staff do not know the part number for. The count follows the number of people who climb at once and whether the Owner's crews carry their own. (8.3.9)
8.3.10 Where a personal fall arrest system anchorage is selected, the anchor at the top of the ladder shall be rated and certified as Fall Protection AnchorageRoof and Facade Fall Protection AnchorageResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/fall-protection-anchorage requires, and the ladder shall be designed for the arrest load that anchor delivers to it.
8.3.11 A fixed ladder shall be furnished with intermediate rest platforms at the intervals 29 CFR 1910.23 requires for the fall protection method furnished, and the ladder sections shall be offset at each platform.

8.4 Top Access Treatment

8.4.1 The treatment of the ladder at the landing it serves shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Top Access Treatmentselect
Side rails extended 42 in. above the landing
Grab bars at the landing where the side rails cannot extend
Walk-through extension with the side rails flared
NOTE Extending the side rails 42 in. above the landing gives the climber a handhold to step off onto the roof or the platform, and it is the treatment of every ladder that lands on an open surface. Grab bars are the treatment where the rails cannot extend, which is a ladder through a roof hatch, where the hatch cover closes over the ladder and a bar is mounted on the hatch curb or the hatch frame instead. A walk-through extension flares the extended rails apart to the width of the opening so the climber steps straight through rather than around the rails, and it is the treatment of a ladder landing on a platform with a guarded opening and a self-closing gate. (8.4.2)
8.4.3 Where a ladder passes through a ladderway opening in a platform or a floor, the opening shall be guarded on its exposed sides and its entrance shall be protected by a self-closing gate or an offset as 29 CFR 1910.28 requires, and the gate or offset shall be furnished with the ladder.
8.4.4 Where a ladder serves a roof hatch, the ladder, its top treatment, and the hatch shall be coordinated so the hatch cover clears the ladder and the climber's hand reaches the grab bar from the top rung, as Roof Hatches And Smoke VentsRoof Hatches and Smoke VentsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/roof-hatches-and-smoke-vents requires of the hatch.

9 Ship's Ladders and Alternating Tread Devices

9.1 Steep Access Device Type

9.1.1 A ship's ladder or an alternating tread device shall be furnished only where the contract documents show one, at the locations indicated on the plans and building sections, and the device type shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Steep Access Device Typeradio
● Ship's ladder
○ Alternating tread device
NOTE Both devices are stairs too steep to be stairs, permitted by OSHA where a stair will not fit and by the building code only to an unoccupied roof or to a small elevated room with a handful of occupants. A ship's ladder is a welded stringer-and-tread assembly any fabricator makes, is descended facing the ladder, and takes the floor space its slope gives it. An alternating tread device is a manufactured product with treads staggered left and right on a center stringer, so each foot lands on a full tread at a slope a ship's ladder would need to be shallower for, and it is descended facing forward; it costs more as a catalog item and fits a shaft or a corner a ship's ladder will not. (9.1.2)

9.2 Ship's Ladder Geometry

9.2.1 A ship's ladder shall conform to 29 CFR 1910.25 and, where it is a component of a means of egress, to the provisions of Adopted Building CodeAdopted Building CodeParameterEach project supplies its own value.adopted-building-code for ship's ladders.
NOTE The geometry of a ship's ladder is a compromise and every dimension is near a limit, so none of them is left to the shop. (9.2.2)
9.2.3 The slope of each ship's ladder shall be as indicated in the datasheet, and not less than 50° nor more than 70° from horizontal.
Ship's Ladder Sloperange
°
505560656870
Per drawings — the building sections and the ship's ladder details (deferred by default)
NOTE The slope is set by the rise and the floor space the sections give it; a shallower ladder is easier to descend facing forward and takes more floor, a steeper one fits a mechanical room corner and is descended facing the ladder. (9.2.4)
9.2.5 Treads shall be open-riser, flat, and level, with a vertical rise between treads of not less than 6-1/2 in. and not more than 12 in., and not more than 9-1/2 in. where the ladder is a component of a means of egress under the adopted building code.
9.2.6 Tread depth shall be not less than 4 in., and not less than 5 in. where the ladder is a component of a means of egress under the adopted building code.
9.2.7 The clear tread width shall be as indicated in the datasheet, not less than 18 in., and not less than 24 in. where the ladder is a component of a means of egress under the adopted building code.
Ship's Ladder Tread Widthrange
in
1836
Default: 24 in
NOTE The 24 in. width satisfies both the OSHA minimum and the building code minimum, so it is the width a ship's ladder in a building is furnished at; a wider ladder is selected where equipment is carried up it. (9.2.8)
9.2.9 The tread surface shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Ship's Ladder Tread Surfaceselect
Serrated bar grating
Raised-pattern floor plate
Plate with an abrasive nosing
NOTE A serrated bar grating tread drains, sheds mud and ice, and holds a boot wet or dry, and it is the tread of a ladder in a plant or on a roof. A raised-pattern plate tread is solid, carries nothing down onto the floor below, and is the tread of a ladder in a finished mechanical room; it holds a boot dry and not wet. A plate tread with an abrasive nosing puts the grip where the foot lands first and leaves the tread field smooth to sweep, and it is selected where a grating tread would drop debris on equipment below. (9.2.10)
9.2.11 Handrails shall be furnished on both sides of each ship's ladder, continuous for its full length, at the height and graspable section 29 CFR 1910.25 requires, and these handrails are furnished with the ladder under this standard.
9.2.12 Stringers shall be flat bar, channel, or hollow section designed for the stair live load of the adopted building code, and the ladder shall be anchored at its head to the landing framing and at its foot to the floor.

9.3 Alternating Tread Devices

9.3.1 An alternating tread device shall be a manufactured product conforming to 29 CFR 1910.25 and, where it is a component of a means of egress, to the provisions of Adopted Building CodeAdopted Building CodeParameterEach project supplies its own value.adopted-building-code for alternating tread devices, furnished with the slope, tread dimensions, rise, and handrails those provisions require for its use.
9.3.2 The device shall be furnished with its handrails on both sides, its top and bottom anchorage brackets, and its tread surface treatment as one product from one manufacturer, and the manufacturer's installation instructions shall be submitted with the product data.
NOTE The device is engineered and tested by its manufacturer to the tread geometry the code sets for it, and a device assembled from a fabricator's own stringer and treads is a ship's ladder that does not meet either standard; the whole device, rails included, comes from the catalog. (9.3.3)
9.3.4 The device shall be anchored at its head to the landing framing and at its foot to the floor as the manufacturer's instructions direct, and the device and its handrails shall receive the corrosion protection this standard selects for the device's location.

10 Loose Lintels and Shelf Angles

10.1 Loose Lintels

10.1.1 Loose steel lintels shown outside the structural drawings shall be furnished in the sections and lengths indicated on the lintel schedule.
NOTE Loose lintels and shelf angles that appear on the structural drawings are furnished under Structural Steel FramingStructural Steel FramingResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/structural-steel-framing; every lintel is built into the wall under Unit MasonryUnit MasonryResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/unit-masonry, and the shelf angle's attachment, its expansion joint, and the flashing on it are governed by Masonry Anchorage And VeneerMasonry Anchorage and VeneerResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/masonry-anchorage-and-veneer. This standard furnishes the angle. (10.1.2)
10.1.3 Each lintel shall bear on the masonry at each end for not less than the length indicated in the datasheet, and not less than the minimum bearing TMS 402 requires.
Lintel End Bearing Lengthrange
Not less than
in
4681012
NOTE The 4 in. is the code minimum and is reached for at a narrow pier where a longer lintel would not fit; 8 in. is the bearing nearly every schedule calls for, because it spreads the reaction over a full unit length and is forgiving of a jamb laid a half inch off; a longer bearing is selected under a heavy lintel at a wide opening. The bearing is where a lintel fails: too short and the reaction crushes the edge of the course below, and a lintel delivered to length without the bearing added is a lintel that holds a crew. (10.1.4)
10.1.5 Lintel lengths shall be the clear opening plus the bearing at each end, and the fabricator shall not shorten a lintel to a stock length.
10.1.6 Where a lintel is built up of two or more angles or of angles and a plate, the components shall be welded together in the shop into one piece, and a lintel over an opening wider than 6 ft shall be furnished as a single welded assembly.
10.1.7 Loose lintels shall be furnished with the corrosion protection this standard selects for their location, and a lintel in an exterior wall or a wall exposed to weather receives the protection for exterior, wet, and masonry-embedded locations whatever its exposed face.
10.1.8 Where a lintel is scheduled for an opening and no section is given, the Contractor shall request the section from the Engineer of Record before fabrication and shall not size it from a lintel table.

10.2 Shelf Angles

10.2.1 Masonry shelf angles shown outside the structural drawings shall be furnished in the sections indicated on the wall sections and the shelf angle details.
10.2.2 Shelf angles shall be furnished in segments not longer than the length indicated in the datasheet, with a gap between segments sized by the fabricator's engineering for the thermal movement of the segment and not less than 1/4 in., and with a gap at every expansion joint in the veneer and every movement joint in the structure.
Shelf Angle Segment Lengthrange
Not more than
ft
10203040
NOTE A 20 ft segment is the stock angle length, is handled by two people on a scaffold, and moves about 1/8 in. between a winter night and a summer day in most of the country; a shorter segment is furnished where the expansion joints in the veneer fall closer, and a longer one where a long elevation has no joint and the angle is spliced with a slip connection rather than gapped. A continuous angle with no gap binds against the structure as it warms, bows the veneer out at the floor line, and opens the joint above it, which is why the segmentation is a requirement and not a detail. (10.2.3)
10.2.4 Shelf angle segments shall be furnished with the slotted holes or the adjustable attachment that Masonry Anchorage And VeneerMasonry Anchorage and VeneerResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/masonry-anchorage-and-veneer requires for attachment to the structure, in the hole pattern the attachment detail shows, and the slots shall be cut in the shop.
10.2.5 Shelf angles shall be galvanized or stainless under the corrosion protection selected for exterior, wet, and masonry-embedded locations, and a shelf angle shall not be shop primed as its sole protection.
10.2.6 Where a shelf angle is attached to a structural frame member by welding, the welding shall be performed under Welding RequirementsWelding RequirementsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/welding-requirements and the galvanizing restored at the weld under ASTM A780 as Shop Painting And GalvanizingShop Painting and Galvanizing of SteelResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/shop-painting-and-galvanizing directs.

11 Edge Angles and Nosings

11.1 Steel angles at slab edges, curb edges, pit edges, dock edges, and equipment pad edges, and nosings at the top of a concrete step or ramp edge, shall be furnished in the sections and at the locations indicated on the slab and curb edge details.
11.2 Edge angles shall be anchored into the concrete by the anchor type indicated in the datasheet, welded to the back of the angle in the shop.
Edge Angle Anchor Typeselect
Welded headed studs
Bent strap anchors
Deformed bar anchors
NOTE A headed stud is welded by a stud gun in seconds, develops its load by bearing on the head, and is the anchor of an angle that carries a concentrated load at the edge; it needs a stud welding machine and a thickness of angle leg the stud can be welded to. A bent strap anchor is a flat bar bent to a hook and fillet welded to the angle, needs no special equipment, is the anchor of a nosing and of a light edge angle, and develops its load by the hook. A deformed bar anchor is welded like a stud and develops its load along its deformed length, so it is selected where the concrete behind the angle is thin and a headed stud would break out. (11.3)
11.4 Anchors shall be spaced along the angle at not more than the spacing indicated in the datasheet, with an anchor within 6 in. of each end of each angle.
Edge Angle Anchor Spacingrange
Not more than
in
1236
Default: 24 in
NOTE An anchor at 24 in. holds a stock edge angle to the slab against the rocking a cart wheel puts on it, and is the spacing every fabricator cuts to; a closer spacing is furnished at a dock edge under a forklift and a wider one on a nosing that carries nothing but a shoe. (11.5)
11.6 Edge angles shall be furnished in lengths not shorter than 10 ft except where the edge is shorter, with the ends square and the corners mitered and welded where two angles meet at a corner.
11.7 The exposed face of an edge angle at a walking surface shall be set flush with the adjacent finished surface, and the top of a nosing shall be flush with the tread or ramp surface it protects.

12 Loose Embedded Steel

12.1 Embed Plates and Weld Plates

12.1.1 Embedded plates, weld plates, and seat angles furnished for casting into concrete shall be of the sizes and at the locations indicated on the embed layout and the details of the items they receive.
NOTE The embedded plates this standard furnishes are the ones that receive its own items and the custom work of Metal FabricationsMetal FabricationsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/metal-fabrications, whose fabricator furnishes the embed drawings for its work; the embedded plates detailed on the structural drawings for column bases and equipment foundations are furnished under Structural Steel Anchor BoltsAnchor Rods and Embedded SteelResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/structural-steel-anchor-bolts, and the setting of every embed in the forms is the work of Concrete AccessoriesConcrete Accessories and EmbedsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/concrete-accessories. (12.1.2)
12.1.3 Embedded plates shall be anchored into the concrete by the anchor type indicated in the datasheet, welded to the back of the plate in the shop.
Embed Plate Anchorageselect
Welded headed studs
Deformed bar anchors
Bent strap anchors
NOTE A headed stud develops the design force by bearing on its head in the concrete, is sized by the anchorage provisions of ACI 318 Chapter 17 to a known capacity, and is the anchor of nearly every embed plate because it is fast to weld and its capacity is tabulated. A deformed bar anchor develops the force along its length rather than at a head, so it is selected where the plate is near an edge or in a thin wall and a stud's breakout cone would not fit, and where the bar is bent to pass reinforcing. A bent strap anchor is a bar hook fillet welded to the plate, develops a smaller and less predictable capacity, and is selected on a plate that carries a light load and is welded in a shop without a stud machine. (12.1.4)
12.1.5 Embedded plates shall be fabricated from steel plate of the grade selected under this standard, with the plate thickness, the stud or anchor size and length, and the anchor pattern the embed detail shows, and no anchor shall be shortened to clear reinforcing without the Engineer of Record's written acceptance.
12.1.6 Every embedded plate shall be furnished with its setting template, its mark, and the layout dimensions and orientation the concrete trade needs to set it, and the exposed face shall be marked with the mark and an orientation arrow.
NOTE An embed set 2 in. off or rotated a quarter turn receives nothing that was designed for it, and the fix is a post-installed anchor group the Engineer of Record has to check against breakout in concrete that is already cracked from the coring. The template and the mark are what let a concrete crew set a plate they did not design. (12.1.7)

12.2 Anchor Channels

12.2.1 Continuous slotted anchor channels cast into concrete to receive bolted attachments shall be a manufactured product with a current evaluation report for the design load in cracked concrete, furnished with its foam or plastic filler in the slot and its channel bolts, and cast at the locations indicated on the embed layout.
12.2.2 Anchor channels shall be furnished in the channel size, length, and anchor spacing the manufacturer's evaluation report assigns to the design load, and the Contractor shall submit the evaluation report with the product data.
NOTE A slot that fills with concrete is a channel that receives nothing; the filler stays in the slot through the pour and is stripped with the forms. (12.2.3)

13 Trench and Pit Frames

13.1 Trench and pit frames shall be furnished at the trenches, pits, sumps, and equipment wells indicated on the plans and the trench and pit details, as the seat the cover panels furnished under Metal Gratings And Floor PlatesMetal Gratings and Floor PlatesResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/metal-gratings-and-floor-plates bear on.
13.2 The frame material shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Trench and Pit Frame Materialselect
Carbon steel
Stainless steel Type 304
Stainless steel Type 316
NOTE A carbon steel frame, galvanized under the corrosion protection selected for wet locations, is the frame of a trench in a mechanical room, a loading dock, and a plant floor. A stainless Type 304 frame is selected where the floor is washed down with water and detergent, in a kitchen, a food plant, or a laboratory, where a galvanized frame is consumed at the floor line within a few years. Type 316 is selected where the washdown carries chlorides or chemicals, in a pool plant, a chemical feed room, or a brine area. (13.3)
13.4 The frame section shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Trench and Pit Frame Sectionradio
● Angle seat frame
○ Channel frame with a recessed seat
NOTE An angle frame is a steel angle set with one leg flush with the floor and the other leg down into the concrete, so the panel bears on the horizontal leg; it is the stock trench frame and suits a grating or a plate cover of any depth, because the seat depth is the angle leg. A channel frame turns the seat into a recess with a lip that keeps the panel from sliding, carries a wheel load across the frame rather than onto the panel edge, and is selected at a forklift crossing and where the panel is lifted often. (13.5)
13.6 Frames shall be anchored into the concrete by welded headed studs or bent strap anchors at not more than 24 in. on center along each side, with an anchor within 6 in. of each corner, and the corners shall be mitered and welded.
13.7 The seat depth of every frame shall equal the depth of the cover panel it receives, so that the top of the panel is flush with the finished floor within the flush and gap limits of Metal Gratings And Floor PlatesMetal Gratings and Floor PlatesResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/metal-gratings-and-floor-plates, and the seat width shall provide the bearing length that standard requires for the panel.
NOTE A seat angle cast at the depth of the grating that was priced, and then a deeper grating ordered to carry the wheel load, leaves a cover standing proud of the floor at every edge of the trench; the seat is set here and the panel is sized there, and the two are reconciled before either is fabricated. (13.8)
13.9 Frames in a wheel path shall be designed for the wheel load and impact that Metal Gratings And Floor PlatesMetal Gratings and Floor PlatesResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/metal-gratings-and-floor-plates applies to the cover panel, carried from the panel seat into the concrete, and the frame shall be furnished with anchors at not more than 12 in. on center in that path.
13.10 Frames shall be furnished in lengths the installer can set straight and level, with splice plates at every joint, and the installer shall set the frame on its anchors to line and elevation before the concrete is placed around it.

14 Equipment Supports and Rooftop Dunnage

14.1 Loose steel supports, stands, and rooftop dunnage shall be furnished for the equipment indicated on the mechanical and electrical equipment schedules and the roof framing plan, where the equipment is not furnished with its own support and no structural drawing shows the support.
NOTE A support that appears on the structural drawings is furnished under Structural Steel FramingStructural Steel FramingResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/structural-steel-framing; a hanger, trapeze, or support for piping and a floor-mounted support within the mechanical scope is furnished under Hangers And SupportsHangers and Supports for Mechanical Piping and EquipmentResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/hangers-and-supports; a vibration isolator or seismic restraint between the equipment and the support is furnished under Vibration Isolation And Seismic RestraintVibration Isolation and Seismic RestraintResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/vibration-isolation-and-seismic-restraint; and the concrete pad an equipment support bears on is furnished under Concrete PadsConcrete Equipment PadsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/concrete-pads. What remains is the loose frame, stand, or dunnage no trade furnishes with its equipment. (14.2)
14.3 Each support and each dunnage frame shall be designed for the operating weight of the equipment, the loads the equipment applies in operation, and the lateral force Seismic Design CategorySeismic Design CategoryParameterEach project supplies its own value.seismic-design-category assigns to the equipment under ASCE/SEI 7, and the operating weight and the load points of each piece of equipment shall be as indicated on the equipment schedules.
NOTE The equipment weight on the schedule is the shipping weight more often than the operating weight, and the operating weight of a chiller or an air handler with its coils full is the one the support carries; the Contractor confirms the weight with the equipment submittal before the support is designed. (14.4)
14.5 Rooftop dunnage shall bear on the roof structure through the roof curbs, posts, or framing the roof framing plan shows, and no dunnage shall bear on the roof deck, the insulation, or the membrane.
14.6 The clear height from the finished roof surface to the underside of equipment and of the lowest horizontal dunnage member shall be not less than the height indicated in the datasheet.
Clear Height From Roof Surface to Underside of Dunnage-Supported Equipmentrange
Not less than
in
1436
NOTE A 14 in. clear height is the least a roofing crew can flash a post or a curb under and is the height under light equipment on a low roof; 18 to 24 in. lets the membrane be installed and later replaced under the equipment without lifting it, which is why many roofing warranties ask for it; a greater height is selected where snow drifts against the equipment, where the roof is sloped and the low side would otherwise be buried, or where ductwork passes under the dunnage. (14.7)
14.8 Dunnage posts shall be furnished with base plates for bolting to the roof curb or the structural framing, and the post base and the flashing at it shall be coordinated with Membrane RoofingMembrane RoofingResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/membrane-roofing before the post is set.
14.9 Supports and dunnage shall be furnished with bearing plates or leveling provisions where the equipment base is to be grouted, and the grout beneath them is placed under Grouted Base PlatesGrouted Column Base Plates and Bearing PlatesResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/grouted-base-plates and Non Shrink GroutNon-Shrink GroutResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/non-shrink-grout.
14.10 Rooftop dunnage, exterior supports, and supports in a washdown or wet area shall receive the corrosion protection selected for exterior, wet, and masonry-embedded locations.

15 Guard Posts and Column Guards

15.1 Pipe Guard Posts

15.1.1 Steel pipe guard posts shall be furnished at the overhead door jambs, columns, equipment, electrical gear, utility entries, and racking ends indicated on the plans and the guard post details, to protect the building element or the equipment from a vehicle or material-handling impact.
NOTE A guard post under this standard carries no rated impact capacity; a post required to serve as a vehicle barrier system under the adopted building code, a post rated to ASTM F3016 or ASTM F2656, and any post in the site package are furnished under Site Furnishings And BollardsSite Furnishings and BollardsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/site-furnishings-and-bollards. (15.1.2)
15.1.3 The nominal pipe size of guard posts shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Guard Post Nominal Pipe Sizerange
in. NPS
468
NOTE A 4 in. post keeps a pallet jack and a hand cart off a panelboard or a column in a corridor and fits where a larger post would block the aisle; a 6 in. post, concrete filled and embedded, stops a forklift at walking speed and is the post at an overhead door jamb and a dock; an 8 in. post is set where a truck backs toward a gas meter or a transformer and where the impact is from a loaded forklift at speed. The size and the embedment are chosen together, because a larger pipe in a shallow footing rotates out of the slab before it bends. (15.1.4)
15.1.5 The pipe wall of guard posts shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Guard Post Pipe Wallradio
● Schedule 40
○ Schedule 80
NOTE Schedule 40 is the stock pipe and, concrete filled, is the wall of nearly every guard post; Schedule 80 is selected where the post is left hollow or where a heavier impact is expected and the post is to be dented rather than bent through. (15.1.6)
15.1.7 The core fill of guard posts shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Guard Post Core Fillradio
● Concrete filled
○ Hollow with a sealed cap
NOTE A concrete-filled post adds mass and keeps the wall from buckling locally under an impact, and it is filled on site after the post is set, with the fill crowned or capped to shed water; a hollow post is lighter, is selected indoors where the impact is a cart, and is capped and sealed so it does not fill with water and split in a freeze. (15.1.8)
15.1.9 The cap of guard posts shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Guard Post Capselect
Domed concrete crown
Welded steel plate cap
Formed steel dome cap
NOTE A domed concrete crown is troweled on the fill after the post is set, costs nothing, sheds water, and chips at the edge over the years; a welded steel plate cap is flat, is galvanized with the post, and holds water on its top unless it is set with a slight crown; a formed steel dome cap is a pressed or spun cap welded on in the shop, sheds water, and gives the post a finished top where it is seen. The crown and the plate are the caps of a loading dock, and the dome is the cap of a post at a building entry. (15.1.10)
15.1.11 The visibility treatment of guard posts shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Guard Post Visibility Treatmentselect
None
Field-painted safety color
Polyethylene cover sleeve
NOTE An untreated post is galvanized gray and is the post in a plant where the posts are expected; a field-painted safety yellow post is painted under Interior PaintingInterior PaintingResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/interior-painting or Exterior PaintingExterior Painting and CoatingsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/exterior-painting over the galvanized or primed surface, is seen from a forklift seat, and is repainted every few years where it is hit; a polyethylene cover sleeve slips over the post, needs no paint, is replaced after an impact instead of repainted, and is selected at a dock or a parking area where the posts are hit regularly and the Owner does not want to repaint. (15.1.12)
15.1.13 The anchorage of guard posts shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Guard Post Anchorageradio
○ Embedded in a concrete footing
○ Base plate anchored to the slab
NOTE An embedded post is set in a footing cast around it or in a cored hole grouted after setting, develops its resistance by the embedment, and is the post at a dock door and anywhere a forklift is the hazard; a base-plated post is bolted to the slab with post-installed anchors, is set after the slab is finished without coring, is moved when the racking is rearranged, and resists a fraction of the impact an embedded post does, which is why it is the post indoors against carts and pallet jacks. (15.1.14)
15.1.15 Where guard posts are embedded, the embedment depth shall be as indicated in the datasheet, and the footing shall be as indicated on the guard post footing details.
Guard Post Embedment Depthrange
Not less than
in
1860
Per drawings — the guard post footing details (deferred by default)
15.1.16 Where guard posts are base-plated, the base plate, its anchor pattern, and the post-installed anchors shall be as the guard post details show, with the anchors furnished and installed under Post Installed AnchorsPost-Installed Concrete and Masonry AnchorsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/post-installed-anchors.
15.1.17 Embedded guard posts shall extend above the finished surface to the height the guard post details show, and the post shall be set plumb within 1/4 in. over its exposed height.

15.2 Column and Door-Jamb Guards

15.2.1 Steel angle or plate guards at building columns and at the jambs of overhead and sliding doors shall be furnished in the sections and heights indicated on the column and door-jamb guard details, anchored to the column or the jamb framing or embedded in the slab as the detail shows.
15.2.2 Angle guards at a column shall be furnished as a single bent or welded assembly wrapping the exposed corners of the column, with the top edge beveled or capped so that it presents no sharp edge at the height of a hand.
NOTE A column guard is a structural angle wrapped around the column at the height a forklift fork or a pallet corner strikes, and it is not the surface-applied protector a healthcare corridor carries, which is a factory product with a finish and belongs to Wall And Corner ProtectionWall and Corner ProtectionResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/wall-and-corner-protection; where a column guard is to carry an architectural finish it is furnished under Metal FabricationsMetal FabricationsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/metal-fabrications. (15.2.3)
15.2.4 Column and door-jamb guards shall receive the corrosion protection this standard selects for their location and shall be furnished with the visibility treatment selected for guard posts.

16 Welding and Fabrication

16.1 Welding of every item under this standard shall be performed under the project welding program of Welding RequirementsWelding RequirementsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/welding-requirements, and the fabricator shall hold the welding procedure specifications and welder qualifications that program requires for the processes and positions used.
16.2 Welds shall be of the size and type the shop drawings show, continuous on every item at an exterior, wet, or galvanized location, and sealed at every joint of a closed section that is to be galvanized or that is exposed to weather.
NOTE An intermittent weld on an exterior item leaves a crevice between welds where water sits and rust starts, and a closed section with an unsealed joint fills with pickling acid in the galvanizing tank and bleeds it out for years; continuous welds are a corrosion requirement here rather than a strength one. (16.3)
16.4 The treatment of welds exposed to view or to hand contact shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
Exposed Weld Treatmentradio
● Dressed of spatter and sharp edges, weld profile left as welded
○ Ground smooth and flush with the adjacent surface
NOTE The items of this standard are utility work, and a weld left as welded with its spatter removed and its edges eased is the finish of a lintel, a frame, and a dunnage post; grinding a weld flush costs shop hours and thins the galvanizing over the ground area, and it is selected where a ladder rail or a guard post is in a finished space and handled, or where a field topcoat is to be applied and the weld would show through it. (16.5)
16.6 Fabricated items shall be straight and square, with cut edges deburred and corners eased on every surface a hand or a foot touches, and with no sharp edge on a ladder rung, a rail, or a guard post cap.
16.7 Items shall be fabricated in the shop as complete assemblies to the extent the shipping size and the installation permit, and field welding shall be limited to the connections the shop drawings mark as field welded.
16.8 Closed sections to be galvanized shall be vented and drained as Shop Painting And GalvanizingShop Painting and Galvanizing of SteelResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/shop-painting-and-galvanizing requires, and the vent and drain holes shall be shown on the shop drawings and located where they are concealed or drain in service.

17 Installation

17.1 Setting and Anchorage

17.1.1 Each item shall be set at the location, elevation, and orientation the shop drawings and the setting drawings show, plumb, level, and in line, and anchored by the cast-in or post-installed anchorage the item's detail shows.
17.1.2 Before any post-installed anchor is drilled for an item of this standard, the installer shall verify that the slab thickness, the edge distance, and the base material match the anchorage detail, and shall report any difference to the Engineer of Record before drilling.
17.1.3 An item that does not fit shall be reported to the Engineer of Record before it is modified, and no item shall be forced, bent, cut, or shimmed into place by a method that reduces its anchorage, its finish, or its function.
17.1.4 Erected items shall be plumb and level within 1/4 in. in 10 ft, and items in a continuous run, including edge angles, shelf angles, and trench frames, shall align at their joints with no offset greater than 1/16 in. at a walking surface.

17.2 Ladder Installation

17.2.1 Fixed ladders shall be installed plumb, with the clearances of this standard verified at every rung before the brackets are made fast, and the ladder safety system installed by or under the instructions of its manufacturer with the carrier aligned along the full climbing height.
17.2.2 After installation and before the ladder is turned over for use, the Contractor shall verify and record that every rung is tight, that the clearances on the climbing side and behind the rungs are as this standard requires, that the top access treatment is as selected, that the ladder safety system engages a sleeve along its full length, and that any ladderway gate closes on its own.

17.3 Lintels, Frames, and Embedded Items

17.3.1 Lintels shall be delivered by mark to the masonry trade for building in under Unit MasonryUnit MasonryResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/unit-masonry, and shelf angles shall be delivered by mark for attachment under Masonry Anchorage And VeneerMasonry Anchorage and VeneerResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/masonry-anchorage-and-veneer.
17.3.2 Embedded plates, seat angles, edge angles, trench frames, and anchor channels shall be delivered by mark with their templates to the concrete trade, set and held in the forms under Concrete AccessoriesConcrete Accessories and EmbedsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/concrete-accessories, and the Contractor shall verify the position of every embedded item against the setting drawing before the pour and shall record the verification.
17.3.3 After the forms are stripped, the Contractor shall verify the position and orientation of every embedded item against the setting drawing, and an embed out of position by more than the tolerance its receiving item requires shall be reported to the Engineer of Record before any item is attached to it.
17.3.4 Trench frames shall be set to line and elevation on their anchors, held by the forms or by temporary bracing through the pour, and checked for flush and level after the pour against the limits of Metal Gratings And Floor PlatesMetal Gratings and Floor PlatesResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/metal-gratings-and-floor-plates.

17.4 Field Welding, Cutting, and Coating Repair

17.4.1 Field welding shall be limited to the connections the shop drawings mark as field welded and shall be performed under Welding RequirementsWelding RequirementsResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/welding-requirements.
17.4.2 Field cutting and drilling of galvanized or primed items shall be held to the openings the shop drawings mark as field cut, and the zinc shall be removed from the weld zone before any field weld on a galvanized item.
17.4.3 Every field cut, field weld, drilled hole, and damaged area on a galvanized item shall be repaired under ASTM A780 as Shop Painting And GalvanizingShop Painting and Galvanizing of SteelResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/shop-painting-and-galvanizing directs before the item is turned over, and damaged shop primer shall be touched up with the primer the fabricator used.
17.4.4 Stainless and aluminum items shall not be cut, drilled, or ground with a tool or an abrasive that has been used on carbon steel.

17.5 Protection

17.5.1 Installed items shall be protected from damage by following trades until Substantial Completion, and an item damaged after installation shall be repaired or replaced by the Contractor to the condition this standard requires.
17.5.2 Ladder rungs, ship's ladder treads, and edge angles at walking surfaces shall be kept free of concrete, mortar, welding spatter, and coating overspray that would reduce their slip resistance.

18 Delivery, Storage, and Handling

18.1 Items shall be delivered marked to match the approved shop drawings, with the lintels, embedded items, and frames bundled by the pour or the wall they belong to, and the ladder safety system components in the manufacturer's labeled containers.
18.2 Items shall be stored off the ground on dunnage, sloped to drain, with spacers between galvanized surfaces, protected from standing water, mud, and construction debris, and stainless and aluminum items stored apart from carbon steel.
NOTE Galvanized items stacked flat and wet grow a white zinc hydroxide bloom at every contact that stains the coating and, left long enough, consumes it; sloped stacking with spacers lets the stack dry. (18.3)
18.4 Ladder safety system carriers shall be stored straight and supported along their length, and a carrier or a cable that has been bent, kinked, or dragged shall not be installed.

19 Warranty

19.1 The Contractor shall warrant the items of this standard, their shop finish, and their installation against defects in material and workmanship for the period indicated in the datasheet, beginning at Substantial Completion.
Warranty Periodrange
Not less than
years
125
NOTE The one-year correction period is the term the construction contract applies to fabricated metal work, and a longer term is bought where the galvanizing carries a coating warranty under Shop Painting And GalvanizingShop Painting and Galvanizing of SteelResolves to the current adopted revision.sync/shop-painting-and-galvanizing or the Owner wants the ladders and their safety systems covered through a first full year of use. (19.2)
19.3 For the purpose of the warranty, a defect includes a coating failure or premature corrosion beyond the first season's zinc bloom, a weld failure, an anchorage that loosens under its design load, a ladder safety system that fails to engage a sleeve, a lintel or shelf angle that deflects visibly under the masonry it carries, and an embedded item set outside the tolerance its receiving item requires.
19.4 An item repaired or replaced under the warranty shall be warranted for the remainder of the original term or for one year from the date of the repair, whichever is longer, and the Contractor shall bear the cost of removing and restoring any finish, masonry, roofing, or concrete the repair disturbs.
19.5 Manufacturer warranties for ladder safety systems and anchor channels shall be assigned to the Owner and delivered with the closeout submittals, and they do not reduce the Contractor's warranty under this standard.

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