PART TWO...
Types of Anchors for
Designers and installers of anchors
for fastening attachments and structural
components to concrete face a seeming-
ly unlimited variety of anchoring prod-
ucts. How is one supposed to know
which is the right anchor for a given
application? This article gives a brief
overview of the types of anchors avail-
able, how they develop the capacity to
resist loads, and some general comments
about appropriateness of these anchors
for different applications.
Anchors can be separated into two
major categories, those that are placed
before the concrete is cast, known as
cast-in-place anchors, and those that are
installed into hardened concrete, known
as post-installed or drilled-in anchors.
Each of these two categories is composed
of a variety of different anchors, all of
which transfer loads from the attach-
ment to the concrete in a variety of ways
depending on their individual designs.
LOADS AND LOAD-TRANSFER
MECHANISMS
Before reviewing the various types of
anchors, it is appropriate to present the
types of loads that anchors must resist
and mechanisms for load-transfer from
anchor to concrete.
The primar y types of loads to be
resisted in normal construction are static
and dynamic. Load factors are spelled
Friction
FIGURE 1. Load-Transfer Mechanisms
Anchoring to Concrete
Everything you wanted to know about types of anchors
for use in concrete (well almost everything)
by Richard E. Wollmershauser, P.E., FACI
out in the applicable building codes. Sta-
tic loads can be tension, shear, or combi-
nations of both. Dynamic loads can be
seismic, fatigue, wind, and shock. The
many types of anchors available have
characteristics that make them suitable
for or unsuitable for use under these var-
ious types of loads. Two state-of-the-art
documents, references 1 and 2, give
much more detailed information. Espe-
cially good are approval agency evalua-
tion reports such as ICBO ES, BOCA,
and SBCCI or product listings for specif-
ic use as issued by listing agencies (e.g.
UL and FM). Manufacturers literature
may specify the applications for which
anchors are qualified and if test reports
are available to document capacities.
The primar y load-transfer mecha-
nisms under tension loading are (in no
particular order of importance): keying
or bearing, friction, and bonding as well
as combinations. For shear loading, it is
keying or direct bearing.
Keying is the direct transfer of load
from the anchor into the concrete by
bearing forces in the same direction of
loading of the anchor. Friction is the
transfer of load through friction between
expansion sleeves of the anchor and the
wall of the drilled hole in the concrete.
Bonding takes place when resins or
grouts are used around the anchor, usu-
ally with post-installed anchors. Local
Keying
crushing occurs when the expansion
forces at the sleeve are great enough to
locally crush the concrete. In this case,
the load-transfer mechanism becomes a
combination of friction and localized
keying. With many bonding systems, key-
ing is also part of the load-transfer as the
resin or grout fills the local pores in the
wall of the hole. See Figure 1 for illustra-
tions of the basic mechanisms.
CAST-IN-PLACE SYSTEMS
Traditionally, design engineers specify
cast-in-place anchors if they know before-
hand where anchors are to be installed.
Table 1 provides a brief overview of the
major types of cast-in-place anchors avail-
able, all of which use keying as a load
transfer means, in tension, shear, or
both.
Table 1. Cast-in-place Anchors
Standard fasteners Headed bolts
J and L bolts
Stud-welded plates
Proprietary shapes Threaded inserts
Proprietary anchors
and shapes
Through bolts Usually sleeved
Special shapes Shear lugs
Channel bars
Bonding

1.5
Headed Bolt L-Bolt
FIGURE 2. Cast-in-place Anchors
Many of these types of anchors have
special uses. Shear lugs and stud-welded
plates provide large shear resistance,
while channel bars give specific attach-
ment capability. J and L bolts are typical-
ly used for anchoring sill plates to
foundations, but have a tendency to
straighten and pull out under high ten-
sion loading. Headed bolts under
ASTM A 490 and F 1554 specifications
are veritable workhorses for structural
engineers.
But what if the cast-in-place anchor is
mislocated, or if the location of the
anchor is not known before construc-
tion, or additional anchorages need to
be made after the concrete is cast? The
post-installed anchor industry has devel-
oped a wide variety of products for these
situations.
POST-INSTALLED ANCHORS
With the development and improve-
ments of rotary hammer drills and car-
bide-tipped bits, the user has the
capability to install many different kinds
of post-installed anchors in hardened
concrete virtually anywhere that is acces-
sible to the drills.
Post-installed anchors can be divided
into two major types, depending on the
method of transferring load into the
concrete. They are mechanical systems
and bonded or adhesive systems.
Anchors can also be cross-classified
according to their load carrying capabili-
ty; heavy-duty, medium-duty and light-
duty. Table 2 provides an overview of the
major types of post-installed anchors cur-
rently available as well as a generalized
load categorization.
Traditionally, design
engineers specify
cast-in-place anchors if
they know beforehand
where anchors are to
be installed.
J-Bolt Stud-welded Plate
Table 2. Post-Installed Anchors
MECHANICAL SYSTEMS HEAVY- MEDIUM- LIGHT-
DUTY DUTY DUTY
Undercut Anchors
Torque-controlled expansion anchors
Heavy duty sleeve anchor
Wedge anchors x
Coil anchors x
Screw anchors
Sleeve anchors
Light duty metal anchors
Plastic anchors
Displacement-controlled expansion anchors
Drop-in x x
Self-drilling x x
BONDED OR ADHESIVE SYSTEMS
Using threaded rods or reinforcing bars
Capsule systems x
Cartridge systems x
Bulk-injection systems x
Cemetitious or epoxy grouted systems x
Indicates normal category
x Indicates possible but not primary category
MECHANICAL UNDERCUT ANCHORS
ANCHORING SYSTEMS These anchors have been on the mar-
While mechanical anchors have been ket for about 20 years. They are excel-
available for several decades, there have lent for use under both static and
been significant advances in the types dynamic loads. They obtain their hold-
and capabilities of these systems. They ing capacity through keying, that is,
cover the range from heavy duty to light direct bearing on the concrete, and,
duty capacities. The major concern is to under proper installation, can withstand
select the appropriate anchors that will very high loads without slipping out of
resist the expected loads for the given the drilled hole. They are the preferred
application. Is the anchor expected to anchors for use where cracks in tension
experience seismic or fatigue loads, or zones of the concrete can be expected to
merely static loads? While some anchors occur.
will withstand all of these types of loads,
others may fail abruptly under dynamic
loading at a load level less than the static
capacity.
 EXPANSION ANCHORS
Expansion anchors have been avail-
able for at least 30 years. There are two
basic types that are distinguished by their
operating principles. The first, torque-
controlled expansion anchors, are
installed by inserting the anchor into the
drilled hole, and applying the prescribed
setting torque to the head or nut. A cone
at the bottom of the anchor is pulled up
into an expansion sleeve that expands
into the concrete with local crushing,
and providing both friction and local-
ized keying as load-transfer mechanisms.
Most have a beneficial follow-up expan-
sion characteristic that under tension Sleeve Anchor Torque-controlled Heavy-duty Undercut
Expansion Anchor Sleeve Anchor Anchor
loading, the more the anchor bolt dis-
places upward out of the hole, the
greater the expansion forces. FIGURE 3. Mechanical Anchors
There are several types available that
vary significantly in their ability to resist
static and dynamic loads. The heavy-duty
sleeve anchor (not to be confused with
the light duty sleeve anchor composed of
a sheet metal sleeve around a cone) can
resist dynamic loads as well as function
well in expected cracks in concrete.
Wedge anchors are the most common
type of torque-controlled expansion
anchor. Many have been tested for resist-
ing seismic loads and have received
ICBO ES Evaluation Report listings for
such service.
Sleeve anchors are generally consid-
ered light duty, and rely more on friction Drop-in Anchor Self-drilling Anchor Stud Anchor
and less on local crushing and keying of
the concrete. They can be used in hol-
low masonry. FIGURE 4. Displacement-controlled Expansion Anchors
The second major type of expansion
anchor is the displacement-controlled sufficiently set, the anchor may experi- load range. A coil anchor is composed of
expansion anchor. Two primary exam- ence reduced capacity. a coil near the end of a specially
ples are the drop-in and the self-driller. designed lag bolt. As the bolt is torqued,
OTHER TYPES OF
Drop-in anchors are installed in the the screw advances through the coil,
MECHANICAL ANCHORS
predrilled hole by use of a setting tool which expands into the concrete. High
Screw anchors of smaller diameters
that drives a plug into the expansion load capacities can be developed.
and used for light duty applications have
portion of the anchor. The lower section
been available for many years. They are LIGHT DUTY ANCHORS
of the anchor is expanded into the con-
installed into holes drilled with matched- There are many light duty anchors
crete, which experiences local crushing.
tolerance bits. Recently, manufacturers available, made of metals and plastics.
The second type has cutting teeth on the
have been introducing larger diameter They function in a variety of base materi-
lower end and drills its own hole. The
screw anchors in the heavy-duty range, als, concrete, masonry, wood, drywall,
anchor is driven onto an expansion plug
either installed into holes drilled with etc. Manufacturers publish test data to
that expands the lower portion of the
matched-tolerance bits or using bits document their capacities in these base
anchor into the concrete. These anchors
meeting the requirements of ANSI materials.
derive their holding capacity from fric-
B212.15. They distribute the load into
tion and keying. The drawback is that
the concrete through load transfer from BONDED ANCHOR SYSTEMS
they do not have any follow-up expan-
the threads to the concrete (keying). Bonded resin or adhesive anchors
sion. Once set, they do not expand fur-
Coil anchors have also been intro- were generally introduced into the con-
ther under loading. If the plug is not
duced into the market in the heavy-duty struction market about twenty years ago.
Bonded systems use a combination of
adhesive bond and micro keying into the
pores of the concrete. Early systems used
polyester resin, epoxies, and later, vinyl
ester resins. In recent years, a larger vari-
ety of resins have been developed that
have individual advantages, such as use
in high temperatures, low temperatures,
damp and wet holes, etc. For two compo-
nent epoxy systems, the ratio of harden-
er to resin is critical. Prepackaged
cartridge systems assure that the proper
mixing is obtained. While a variety of
installation methods are used, most are
two component resin systems that
anchor threaded rod into predrilled
holes. Most will resist dynamic loads,
both seismic and fatigue, but documen-
tation in the form of test reports should
be obtained. Bonded or adhesive
anchoring systems are not well suited for
cracked tensile zones of concrete since
about 1/2 the bonding is lost, unless one
uses special anchoring systems devel-
oped for use in cracked concrete. One
should also use the recommended drill
bit size, since many of the adhesives are
sensitive to the size of the gap between
the anchor rod and the concrete.
CAPSULE SYSTEMS
The original capsules were made of
glass, with an internal glass capsule that
contained the hardener. Recent versions
use plastic foil instead of the glass cap-
Adhesive Capsule Adhesive Cartridge
Anchor System
FIGURE 5. Adhesive Bonded Anchor Systems
sules. The capsule is inserted into the
hole. The threaded rod or reinforcing
bar is then rotary-hammered into the
glass capsule, breaking the glass and mix-
ing the resin and hardener. Capsule
anchors provide very good bonding as
the rotar y mixing action wipes and
cleans the surface of the hole, allowing
the adhesive to bond well.
CARTRIDGE SYSTEMS
Introduced also about 20 years ago,
cartridge systems are the most popular
delivery method since they are also the
most versatile. The resin and hardener
are packaged in separate but connected
side-by-side plastic or foil tubes. A mixing
nozzle is placed on the end of the tubes
and the resin and hardener dispensed by
a hand operated or a pneumatic dis-
penser. Also used for heavy-duty applica-
tions, hole cleaning is very critical since
dust on the concrete hole surface limits
the bond and micro keying.
BULK INJECTION SYSTEMS
For high volume applications such as
highway contracts or large building
where repetitive installation of anchors is
required, bulk mechanical and hydraulic
dispensing systems are available. Atten-
tion to the proper mixing ratio for epoxy
resins is critical since bulk equipment
can go off ratio.
GROUTED SYSTEMS
Predating resin systems are cemeti-
tious grouts. There are a variety of pro-
prietary systems available. Non-shrink or
slightly expansive grouts are preferred to
prevent shrinkage and lack of bonding
to the existing concrete.
IN SUMMARY
A wide variety of anchoring systems
are available. The correct selection
depends on several factors, including
types of loads to be resisted, magnitude
of the load, type of base material (con-
crete or masonr y), and environment
conditions (damp, wet, dry), among oth-
ers. The manufacturers literature pro-
vides a good starting place, but also look
for evaluation reports and product list-
ings, since they may be required under
many building codes.
REFERENCES
1. State-of-the-Art Report on Anchorage to
Concrete ACI 355.1R-91, American
Concrete Institute, Detroit, 1991.
2. Fastenings to Concrete and Masonr y
Str uctures; State of the Ar t Repor t,
Comit Euro-Intrnational du Bton,
Thomas Telford Services Ltd., Lon-
don, 1994.
3. ANSI B212.15-1994, American National
Standard for Cutting ToolsCarbide-
Tipped Masonry Drills and Blanks for
Carbide-Tipped Masonry Drills, Ameri-
can National Standards Institute, New
York, N. Y., 10 pp.
Richard Wollmershauser is Director Tech-
nical Ser vices for Hilti, Inc. of Tulsa,
Oklahoma. He has been active in the con-
crete anchor industry for the past 20 years.
He is a registered PE in Ohio and
Oklahoma and a Fellow of the American
Concrete Institute. He currently serves as
Vice-President of CAMA, The Concrete
Anchor Manufactures Association, Chair-
man of ASTM Subcommittee E06.13,
Performance of Connections in Building
Construction, and just completed 7 years as
Chairman of the American Concrete
Institute Committee 355, Anchorage to
Concrete. He was editor of the ACI State-of-
the-Report on Anchorage to Concrete (ACI
355R1-93). He also serves on the Federa-
tion International du Beton Task Group
SAG 4 Fastening to Concrete and Masonry.
He served on three committees of the recent
NEHRP 2000 Seismic Provisions Update
program where he was concerned with the
introduction of anchoring design methods.