Bolted or Welded: Choosing the Right Site Connection

90%+ of export projects are fully bolted. When does the remaining 10% actually need hot work?

Export projects are almost entirely bolted on site, for simple reasons: local crews may lack certified welders, hot work needs permits, and welds are hard to re-inspect.

Bolting has classes: ordinary bolts for secondary connections; high-strength friction-grip bolts for primary nodes — crane girder splices, column bases, rafter joints. Friction surfaces must not be painted, so the factory masks them and applies protective film.

When is welding unavoidable? Fatigue-sensitive joints such as crane girder top flanges to brake plates, and some high-rise nodes. Where site welding is required, we provide welder training and a weld inspection plan.

For owners, all-bolted means controllable schedules, no hot-work permits, and future disassembly — the foundation of steel's relocatability.