1. Too close to end of flange (AASHTO S 10.24.7.1). Minimal stresses in flange at splice locations. Planing end of flange to reduce “damage” from fabrication processes for small errors. If the offset is too large to correct with planing, do not consider in capacity. Add additional bolts and lengthen splice plate if necessary.
2. Too close to edge of flange. This presents the worst-case scenario and must be considered case-by-case only. Planing edge to remove minor defects may satisfy AASHTO code requirements.
If there is less than one bolt diameter between edge of hole and edge of flange, install bolts but lengthen splice to add adequate number of extra bolts. If hole breaks edge or edge is under contact area of washer, it may be necessary to add enough bolts to fully develop the splice before it reaches the errant bolt location. It may also be necessary to use wider splice plates to allow bolts in errant locations while satisfying criteria for high strength installation (distribution of clamping force).