The splitting tolerance was +/-1/8in; the rolling tolerance was +/-1/8in on the rise over 10ft. (Tighter than the 1/8 over 5ft AISC tolerance for straighness.) Beyond these tolerances, what was critical to the application was consistency of the outside radius measured at the tip of the stem and that the tees be as equal as possible.
Measuring the radius of a stem-out steel tee at the tip of the stem precluded using a chord and rise measurement. (The inside radius, of course, could be measured that way.) A special checking fixture was manufactured with an inside radius to match the specifications. The stem-out tee could then be set against the checking fixture to verify the dimensions. This fixture in fact mimicked the application of the curved tees: they are to be welded to the inside radius of curved plate. If the tees did not match up to the plate, the welders would have serious problems.
Other measures were taken to ensure accuracy and consistency. Special arrangements were made with the steel supplier to improve consistency in the height of the beams. The beams were checked before they were split into tees for any variation in height.
Great care was taken to guarantee that the beams were split right down the center.
And then the rolling was done to the precise specifications and checked on the fixture.
Inspectors from the equipment manufacturer who will use these tees checked the first four rolled tees and approved proceeding with production. As production proceeded, continuous checking was done to guarantee the required quality.
