Anchor bolts connect objects and structural elements to concrete, with different styles available for different applications. Cast-in-place bolts are driven into wet concrete, while others require a hole and can be secured with epoxy or a wedge. Local building codes dictate their size and placement. Once in place, they cannot be easily removed.
Anchor bolts are cylindrical fasteners used to connect objects and structural elements to concrete. They can be used for everything from grounding a home to its foundation to hooking up heavy industrial machinery to a factory floor. Many manufacturers make these bolts and there are different styles available for different applications. When installed correctly, they form a very tight and solid connection that will last for decades. Anchor bolts can be purchased at some hardware stores and through construction supply companies and manufacturers.
The classic version is a cast-in-place anchor bolt. These bolts are driven into the still wet concrete, with the threaded portion protruding. When the concrete hardens, the bolt is fixed in place and the objects can be bolted together with the use of a nut which connects to the threaded section. These bolts are often used in new construction projects, where the location of walls and other elements that need to be connected to the foundation is well known.
The other type is a bolt that is driven into the concrete after it sets. These bolts require a hole and can be secured in place with epoxy or a wedge that expands to trap the bolt when tightened. For retrofitting and similar tasks, these bolts can be very useful, although it’s important to install them correctly or they could fail, sometimes catastrophically.
When anchor bolts are used in construction, the builder must usually comply with local building codes, which dictate the size of the bolts and the distance needed between them. The goal is to distribute the load of the building over multiple points, reducing the amount of stress on a particular bolt or area of concrete. An engineer or architect can calculate the stresses and loads involved to ensure that the bolts are positioned appropriately.
The major disadvantage of these bolts is that once they are in place, they cannot be removed without driving out a section of concrete with a jackhammer. In a situation where bolts are critical construction elements, this is usually not a big deal, but can be a problem when anchor bolts are used to secure heavy machinery. If a factory is reconfigured to produce something different, for example, old fasteners could get in the way.
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