Structural steel preferably should be thermally cut by mechanically guided means. However, mechanically guided cutting may not be feasible in some cases, such as the cutting of copes, blocks, holes for other than bolt holes (see 2.4.1 and 2.4.2), and similar cuts. Accordingly, hand-guided thermal cutting should be allowed as an alternative. Regardless, thermally cut surfaces must meet the appropriate roughness limitations as summarized in 2.2.6

last modified 17 July 2002