Documenting Your Shop Standards
The first step is providing your detailer with written shop standards — not verbal descriptions. A shop standard document should include: preferred simple shear connection types (shear tab vs. clip angle), minimum plate thicknesses by beam size, preferred bolt size and grade, edge distance standards by bolt diameter, weld size minimums by plate thickness, and CNC compatibility parameters (minimum hole spacing, minimum edge distance from the CNC perspective). Written standards can be built into the detailer's Tekla connection templates.
EOR Review of Fabricator Standards
Fabricator standard connections must be reviewed and accepted by the EOR before they are used in the detailing. Standard connections that satisfy the governing loads are typically accepted without modification. Non-standard configurations — undersized connections for certain load cases, or connection types not covered by AISC Design Guide — require the EOR's explicit acknowledgment. Submit your shop standard connection detail sheets with the first shop drawing submittal and request confirmation that they are acceptable for the project.
Building Standards into Tekla Connection Templates
Once shop standards are established and EOR-accepted, they can be built into Tekla parametric connection component settings — edge distances, plate thicknesses, bolt grades, and weld sizes are set as defaults for each connection type. This means every beam of a given size range uses the same connection geometry unless a specific override is required by the loads. Consistent connection geometry reduces drawing production time, CNC setup time, and shop floor questions.
CNC Compatibility and Shop Standard Connections
Shop standard connections must be compatible with the shop's CNC equipment. Edge distances that are geometrically acceptable per AISC Table J3.4 may still be outside the CNC drill line's minimum-edge-distance parameter — a constraint that varies by machine type and tooling. If the shop standard specifies 1-1/4" edge distance on a 3/4" bolt but the CNC machine requires 1-1/2" minimum from the workpiece edge, every connection using that standard will require either a machine parameter adjustment or a manual override. Resolve CNC compatibility before publishing shop standards, not after the first production run.
- Minimum edge distance from CNC equipment perspective — verify against machine specs, not just AISC J3.4
- Minimum hole spacing — CNC tool head spacing constraints govern on some multi-spindle machines
- Maximum plate thickness for each drill station — affects which connection plates can be automated
- Coping geometry — minimum cope length and depth for each coping station or saw program
- Section library entries — confirm section names in Tekla match the machine's section database exactly
Managing Exceptions to Shop Standards
Not every connection will fit the shop standard — high-load connections, seismic moment connections, and transfer-beam connections almost always require custom geometry. The preferred practice is to use the shop standard as the default and apply overrides only where the load or geometry requires it. Each override should be flagged in the model with a note explaining the basis, so the shop floor and the QA inspector can distinguish a deliberate departure from a modeling error. In Tekla, user-defined attributes (UDAs) on connection components can carry this documentation directly in the model.
When Standard Connections Change During a Project
Occasionally a shop discovers mid-project that a standard connection must be revised — a bolt grade issue arises, a plate thickness causes fit-up problems, or the CNC equipment is upgraded with different parameters. When the standard changes, all connections using the old standard must be reviewed: those already fabricated must be assessed for compliance under the new standard, and those not yet released must be updated in the model before release. This is a significant model maintenance task and should trigger a formal change-order notice if the change was driven by an external factor rather than a detailing error.