ICC-ES AC469
Full Name
ICC-ES AC469 – Acceptance Criteria for Girder Clamp Assemblies in Structural Steel Connections
Scope
ICC-ES AC469 establishes the acceptance criteria for evaluating girder clamp assemblies used as an alternative to high-strength bolt assemblies in structural steel connections. These clamps are designed to resist axial tension loads and slip (lateral) loads due to wind and/or seismic loading.
The scope of AC469 includes:
- Material requirements: specifies the materials and their properties for the girder clamp assemblies, including steel, bolts, nuts, washers, and any additional components.
- Design and construction: outlines the design principles and construction requirements for girder clamp assemblies, ensuring proper configuration, installation, and connection details.
- Performance requirements: establishes minimum performance criteria for the assemblies to resist tension and slip loads under various conditions, including wind and seismic events.
- Testing procedures: details the specific tests required to verify compliance with the performance criteria, such as tensile tests, slip resistance tests, and fatigue tests.
- Installation instructions: provides guidelines for the proper installation and inspection of girder clamp assemblies to ensure their intended performance and safety.
Limitations of AC469:
- Non-structural applications: the criteria are specifically for structural steel connections and do not cover non-structural applications.
- Other connection types: AC469 focuses on girder clamp assemblies and does not address other types of connections, such as bolted or welded connections.
- Fatigue resistance: while AC469 covers fatigue resistance for tension-only loading, it may not be applicable for other loading scenarios.
By adhering to AC469, manufacturers and engineers can ensure that girder clamp assemblies meet the necessary performance and safety requirements, providing a reliable alternative to traditional bolted connections in structural steel applications.
Resources
Keywords
acceptance criteria; girder clamp assemblies; structural steel connections; tension load; slip load; wind load; seismic load; steel; bolts; nuts; washers; tensile test; slip resistance test; fatigue test