QA

How Does A Concrete Wedge Anchor Work

How does a wedge concrete anchor work?

Wedge anchors are designed to go into a concrete hole permanently. Once inserted into the hole in the concrete, the nut is turned clockwise. This action pulls the anchor body up, which slides the expansion clip down the cone-shaped working end of the wedge anchor.

How deep do wedge anchors need to be in concrete?

A 5/8” concrete wedge anchor requires a 5/8” hole to be drilled into the concrete. The hole in the concrete needs to be drilled a minimum of 1/2” deeper than the concrete wedge anchor will penetrate into the concrete.

What makes a concrete anchor work?

The anchor is set by hammering the steel pin into the anchor body. As the nail pushes through the anchor body, the split part expands to push against the interior wall of the hole in the base material. The hole diameter to be drilled for the hammer drive anchor is equal to the diameter of the anchor being used.

How strong are concrete wedge anchors?

Wedge Anchor Holding Values The holding power of the wedge anchor, as with any anchor, is always dependent on the quality of the concrete. As a rule of thumb, a safety factor of 4:1 or 25%, is generally accepted as a safe working load.

Which is better wedge anchor or sleeve anchor?

Because of the surface area available in the design , the sleeve anchors hold better and may even work best where the material is not very stable or drilled well . On the other hand the wedge anchor will work very well in precision drills and will provide strong and reliable locks.

Are concrete wedge anchors removable?

To be removed, wedge anchors can be sawed off with a hacksaw or cutoff wheel at the surface of the base material. Tapcon® Concrete Screws: Tapcons are removable because they are threaded screws that tap threads into the concrete, brick or block. Remove the nut and washer and the round or flat head of the sleeve anchor.

How far apart are wedge anchors?

A rule-of-thumb in the concrete-fastener industry is that the minimum spacing should be 10 diameters from each anchor, and measured center to center. The spacing from an unsupported edge should be at least five-anchor diameters. Wedge anchors provide the widest range of concrete fasteners, from 1/4 to 1-1/4-in.

How long should my wedge anchor be?

As a rule of thumb, the space for the nut and washer is equal to the diameter of the wedge anchor being used. For example, if a 2×4 is being fastened to concrete with a 1/2” wedge anchor then the minimum length of wedge anchor would be 1-1/2”(2×4) + 2-1/4”(minimum embedment) + 1/2”(space for nut and washer) = 4-1/4”.

How far apart should wedge anchors be?

For best performance, minimum anchor spacing should be 10 hole diameters and minimum edge distance be 5 hole diameters.

What is a wedge anchor?

Wedge anchors are a unique type of concrete anchors, designed to anchor objects into concrete applications. Once installed, wedge anchors are not removable after the anchor has expanded. Wedge Anchors are also called by other names such as stud anchors, concrete stud anchors, concrete bolts and wedge bolts.

How much weight can a 1/2 wedge anchor hold?

Technical Specifications for Wedge Anchors Size Minimum Embedment Shear (lbs.) 3/8” 1-1/2” 3238 1/2” 2-1/4” 5564 5/8” 2-3/4” 6198 3/4” 3-1/4” 9378.

Where do you use a wedge anchor?

The wedge anchor is designed to fasten static loads only. A static load is a load that does not move. Wedge anchors should not be used for applications where the load will vibrate or be subjected to shock loads.

Are wedge anchors and expansion anchors the same?

Wedge anchors are designed not to be used in other masonry materials such as brick or hollow block. The expansion clip on the wedge anchor is placed on the anchor body in a manner and location that makes the expansion tolerance location critical.

What grade are wedge anchors?

Wedge anchors are available in many types of finishes and material grades. The four most common types are: zinc plated low grade carbon steel, hot dipped galvanized, 304 stainless steel, and 316 stainless steel.

Are Tapcons better than wedge anchors?

Tapcon and wedge anchors are pre-installed mechanical anchors that attach structural objects to concrete structures. However, the wedge anchor suits heavier-duty applications, vs the Tapcon anchor that typically serve lighter deployments.

What is the strongest type of concrete anchor?

Wedge Anchors are extremely popular and are one of the strongest anchors for hold strength. Wedge anchors look and function like a sleeve anchor but have a much smaller sleeve near the bottom of the anchor.

What is stronger wedge anchor or drop in anchor?

Drop-in anchors are sometimes confused with wedge anchors. While they both work the same way — they expand and fill the inside of a hole in concrete — the wedge anchor features a conical-shaped hollow bottom. Wedge anchors are usually the better option for applications involving heavy bearing loads.

Can you remove an anchor bolt from concrete?

Usually, a screwdriver, pipe wrench, or vise grips can unthread the protruding bolt, leaving the female anchor flush with the concrete. If needed, a hammer can be used to knock the anchoring tube below the floor, and in some cases these tubes can simply be pulled out of the hole entirely.

How do you remove Dynabolts from concrete?

How to remove a dynabolt or sleeve anchor Remove the nut and try to pound the bolt into the concrete or cement. Try knocking a tight fitting wall plug next to the dynabolt. Try to grab the edge of the bolt with a pair of gripping pliers or long nose pliers and twist it out.

What is sleeve anchor?

Considered by many in the construction trade and other industries to be one of the most versatile masonry expansion anchors available, sleeve anchors can be used in a variety of base materials, including block, brick, and concrete. The anchor consists of a threaded stud that has an outwardly flared, cone-shaped end.