Code of standard practice

AISC 303-05

Code of Standard Practice for Steel Buildings and Bridges
March 18, 2005 Supersedes the March 7, 2000 AISC Code of Standard Practice for Steel Buildings and Bridges and all previous versions. Prepared by the American Institute of Steel Construction, Inc. under the direction of the AISC Committee on the Code of Standard Practice and issued by the AISC Board of Directors.AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION, INC. One East Wacker Drive, Suite 3100, Chicago, Illinois 60601-2000

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Copyright © 2005 by American Institute of Steel Construction, Inc. All rights reserved. This book or any part thereof must not be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher. The information presented in this publication has been prepared in accordancewith recognized engineering principles and is for general information only. While it is believed to be accurate, this information should not be used or relied upon for any specific application without competent professional examination and verification of its accuracy, suitability and applicability by a licensed engineer, architect or other professional. The publication of the material containedherein is not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of the American Institute of Steel Construction, Inc. or of any other person named herein, that this information is suitable for any general or particular use or of freedom from infringement of any patent or patents. Anyone making use of this information assumes all liability arising from such use. Caution must be exercised whenrelying upon other specifications and codes developed by other bodies and incorporated by reference herein since such material may be modified or amended from time to time subsequent to the printing of this edition. The American Institute of Steel Construction, Inc. bears no responsibility for such material other than to refer to it and incorporate it by reference at the time of the initialpublication of this edition. Printed in the United States of America

Code of Standard Practice for Steel Buildings and Bridges, March 18, 2005 AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRUCTION

16.3-iii PREFACE As in any industry, trade practices have developed among those that are involved in the design, purchase, fabrication and erection of structural steel. This Code provides a useful framework for a commonunderstanding of the acceptable standards when contracting for structural steel. As such, it is useful for owners, architects, engineers, general contractors, construction managers, fabricators, steel detailers, erectors and others that are associated with construction in structural steel. Unless specific provisions to the contrary are contained in the contract documents, the existing tradepractices that are contained herein are considered to be the standard custom and usage of the industry and are thereby incorporated into the relationships between the parties to a contract. The Symbols and Glossary are an integral part of this Code. In many sections of this Code, a non-mandatory Commentary has been prepared to provide background and further explanation for the corresponding Codeprovisions. The user is encouraged to consult it. Since the first edition of this Code was published in 1924, AISC has continuously surveyed the structural steel design community and construction industry to determine standard trade practices. Since then, this Code has been periodically updated to reflect new and changing technology and industry practices. The 2000 edition was the fifth completerevision of this Code since it was first published. The 2005 edition is not a complete revision but does add several important changes and updates. It is the result of the deliberations of a fair and balanced Committee, the membership of which included six structural engineers, two architects, one code official, one general contractor, eight fabricators, one steel detailer, three erectors, two...