About Us
Dan R Dalton, Inc is a small but far-reaching, family-owned company specializing in the heat straightening and flame straightening of damaged steel members.
We take pride in our bridge repair and flame re-fabrication work, providing our customers with quality workmanship without the hassles of change-orders or back-charging for items found while doing the job. We believe in doing more than what is expected!
Dan Dalton has performed, supervised, and given seminars on flame bending, flame straightening and/or heat straightening throughout his almost 30-year career in the field. This method of steel repair is highly satisfactory and presents no hazard to the steel when it is performed by an experienced flame straightening person. Heat straightening is the most cost effective way to straighten damaged steel members when compared to total replacement costs.
Our Process
The use of heat straightening applied to small areas to change the shape of structural steel is a reliable and most satisfactory method of repair. This process is known as flame bending, flame straightening, beam bending, heat bending or heat straightening. The American Welding Society’s STRUCTURAL WELDING CODE ANSI/AWS 01.1 in section 3.7 allows the use of flame bending, flame straightening or heat straightening and mechanical force to align structural steel members.
Paragraph 3.7.3 of this code states:
Members distorted by welding shall be straightened by mechanical means or by carefully supervised application of a limited amount of localized heat. The temperature of heated areas as measured by approved methods shall not exceed 1100 degrees F (590 degrees C) for quenched and tempered steel nor 1200 degrees F (650 degrees C) (a dull red color) for other steels. The part to be heated for straightening shall be substantially free of stress and from external forces, except those stresses resulting from the mechanical straightening method.
Few, if any, steel structures are produced without the use of considerable flame bending, heat straightening or flame straightening to ensure proper fit up.
The 600 ft. high Space Needle in Seattle, Washington could not have been constructed without the use of flame bending, heat straightening or flame straightening. In fact, there is not a single member in this structure that did not have considerable application of confined heated zones to fit up the flange edges to permit longitudinal welds to be placed.
All of our heat straightening methods consist of the use of 4 types of heats which are used to straighten damaged steel members.
1
V heat is used to help give a direction to a damaged steel member that is out of line (usually on the flange).
2
Line heat is used on flanges to help bring a dipped flange back to plane with the rest of the flange. Also the line heat can be used on webs, but this should be applied very carefully or you will have buckling problems, especially with webs under compression. Web heats should be limited to (700 degrees F) maximum.
3
Spot heat is the most effective way to flatten a damaged web. These heats also need to be applied carefully.
4
Edge heat is used to straighten minor or gentle bends in girders. These heats do not pull very much and are usually only used on light materials or very gentle sweeps in girders.
The Flame straightening technique that we use is performed with the utmost care and is supervised at all times to ensure that all heats are put on properly. Temperatures of heat vary with types and grades of steel, such as low-alloy steels with yield strengths of 45,000 to 75,000 psi (1100 to 1200 degrees F) also quenched and tempered steels such as A-514 and A-517 shall not exceed (1000 degrees F).
Dan R Dalton, Inc. provides experienced personnel, honest workmanship, and fast service. We take pride in our work and our relationships. Contact us today to discuss your needs!
Our Team
Our team has over 95 years of combined experience in heat straightening services. We have the knowledge and the expertise to handle your job.
Dan R Dalton, Owner
Daniel R Dalton, Supervisor
Mike VanderMey, Foreman
Dewayne Dalton
James Campbell,
Assistant Foreman
You don’t have to suffer from days or weeks of downtime from a damaged steel bridge or crane.
Steel flame straightening repairs your damaged steel to pre-damaged condition or better, at a fraction
of the cost of replacement, so you can get back to what’s important.