Joining different pieces of steel is an integral part of any building or construction process, and there is simply no way around it. However, when it comes to joining steel, there are countless options available to builders, ranging from welding and riveting to mechanical fastening with bolts and screws. When it comes to the latter option, it is important to take proper care to choose the right bolts and to use them in the right way. In this post, we examine how using the wrong bolts can actually damage your steel and compromise the integrity of your steel structure.
How the Wrong Bolt Can Cause Damage
There are several ways in which the wrong type of bolt can cause damage to your steel structure. These include:
Material Incompatibility
Using bolts of different materials that are incompatible with the rest of the steel can lead to corrosion in the long term. For example, if you have a galvanised steel structure that you attempt to join with stainless steel bolts, this can result in galvanic corrosion. The more reactive metal will corrode at an accelerated rate and this can lead to weakening of the joint over time, compromising any protective coatings and potentially causing rust formation.
Incorrect Bolt Grade
Just like steel itself, bolts can also come in different grades which indicate their various characteristics, including their strength, hardness and load-bearing capacity. These grades are typically marked on the bolt head and follow standardised classifications. Using the wrong bolt grade can lead to bolt deformation and even failure under stress, potentially causing damage to the steel components that are being joined by the bolts.
Wrong Size or Thread Type
Just as with the grade of the bolt, using bolts of the wrong size or thread type can also lead to damage. Bolts that are too large can deform or crack the steel around the connection point, while bolts that are too small may not provide sufficient clamping force, causing joints to loosen over time. At the same time, mismatched thread types can lead to stripped threads or poor engagement, and this can weaken the overall connection and increase the risk of failure under load.
Improper Coating or Finish
One other important thing to remember when choosing bolts is to use bolts with the appropriate coating or finish. Uncoated or improperly coated bolts can rust very quickly and this corrosion can easily spread to the rest of the steel components that are being fastened by the bolts.
Choose the Right Steel with RW Steel
Apart from choosing the right bolts, choosing the right steel can also help you ensure that you get an outcome that is up to your standards. RW Steel is the leading supplier of steel in Melbourne, and we offer a wide range of steel components suitable for all kinds of building and construction projects, ranging from galvanised steel posts to 100PFC and other parallel flange channels. Contact us today for more information!