Types of Anchors: PROS & CONS

There&#;s nothing more frustrating than anchor issues when it&#;s time to install a wall and begin constructing a wood frame building. More than ever anchor issues are on the rise and slab loads are steadily increasing with the rise in floor levels. With developers looking to get more out of available property, many engineers and general contractors are challenged with slab design requirements and anchoring solutions. The increased demand is putting more attention and investment into the slab anchoring solutions.

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Here are a few types of anchors and their pros and cons:

Drill and Epoxy

Epoxy Anchoring has become increasingly popular with general contractors and installers because of its lower cost and ease of installation. Epoxy anchors are drilled and installed post pour of the concrete slab, so the margin of error for placement is drastically reduced. The problem with drill and epoxy is the potential for improper hole preparation before installation of the epoxy. Many variables can quickly become an engineer&#;s and general contractor&#;s worst nightmare. If epoxy is not installed and cured properly, then the epoxy will no longer maintain the required load value to ensure structural integrity of the anchor. Read &#;Top 5 Epoxy Anchoring Mistakes&#; for further information.

Cast-in-Place

Cast-in-place anchor bolts are the simplest and most common type of fastener. With newer multi-residential wood frame structure being built on podium slabs and using post tension concrete, drill and epoxy is not a favorable option because of the potential of drilling into a tension cable. Cast-in-place anchors are the best solution for most projects. However, placing anchors can be difficult to accurately position before the casting of concrete. The margin of error is small, so post pour issues can cause many headaches. It&#;s not uncommon to miss wall locations which cause project delays by two to three days. If missed, engineers and general contractors have to design an alternative solution that meets the required load values.

Embed Plates

Embed plates are a prominent anchor that can provide some tolerance when installing. However, the prep work to fabricate, plan, and the cost of labor to layout embed plates is unfavorable. For this reason, general contractors tend to shy away from using embed plates if possible. The embed plates will be placed during the casting of concrete. Then, a coupling nut or threaded rod are welded to the plate. It is the placement of welding the threaded rod that gives some tolerance because the plate provides a larger surface area. But, it is possible embed plate locations are missed or don&#;t even make it into the forms prior to the concrete being poured. These field fixes are not easily dealt with, and can delay construction two to three days, again waiting for redesigned anchors and fabrication.

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Wet Set Anchors

In wet set anchoring, the anchor bolts are sunk into the wet concrete by hand immediately after the concrete slab is poured. The bolt is left sticking out of the slab as needed and can be straightened or plumbed as the concrete hardens. The level of tolerance is minimal and the timeframe to install is under a crunch. So, due to the time crunch it&#;s very common to miss a location or incorrectly install wet set anchors.

Anchorage to Steel Beam

Anchoring to steel beams is common among buildings with large lobbies or interior club houses. A misplaced steel anchor on a steel frame can be more easily moved or replaced, by means of grinding off welds, removing bolts, etc, and relocating the anchor to the correct location.  This is an advantage of welding anchors to steel beams. However, the welding still has to be completed before the wall sill plate to reduce the risk of a fire.

The bottom line is anchors are vital to the success of your project timeline and structural integrity of buildings. Start off on the right path with anchor design and the entire job will go smoother.

At CLP Systems, we understand anchoring can cause delays and add cost. That&#;s why our engineers customize solutions per project by offering multiple anchoring options and solutions. To learn more about CLP Systems visit www.clp-systems.com and see how we can help with your wood frame tie-down solutions.

they have screwed over.
Take more pictures, write everything down while it's still fresh in your mind. Ask the licensing board what your options are. You may or may not need to lawyer up depending on how things go.
On the other hand if this guy isn't licensed your options are rather more limited.

Oh, one more thing you might do. Get a reputable contractor to come out and examine the work and write a short letter about the deficiencies of the work. This will come in handy if you end up needing to seize this guys bond. Also whatever else you do, do not let this jerk come back and try to fix what he fxxxd up in the first place.

All that said, you as a home owner have a responsibility to do your due diligence on anybody you hire to do work for you. I don't mean this unkindly, but this was an entirely avoidable situation. Always check references, always see if there are complaints against their license (if they're are licensed). This takes time and effort (which is why people skip doing it) but it largely avoids the kind of the kind of crap you now have to wade through to get your project moving again. Best of luck resolving the situation and do keep us posted as to what happens.

You need to call your state contractor's licensing board first thing Tuesday morning. Send em pictures. Often the threat of action against a contractor's license will motivate them. In Cal. contractors have a performance bond that can be seized by the state licensing board to help reimburse a customer thatthey have screwed over.Take more pictures, write everything down while it's still fresh in your mind. Ask the licensing board what your options are. You may or may not need to lawyer up depending on how things go.On the other hand if this guy isn't licensed your options are rather more limited.Oh, one more thing you might do. Get a reputable contractor to come out and examine the work and write a short letter about the deficiencies of the work. This will come in handy if you end up needing to seize this guys bond. Also whatever else you do, do not let this jerk come back and try to fix what he fxxxd up in the first place.All that said, you as a home owner have a responsibility to do your due diligence on anybody you hire to do work for you. I don't mean this unkindly, but this was an entirely avoidable situation. Always check references, always see if there are complaints against their license (if they're are licensed). This takes time and effort (which is why people skip doing it) but it largely avoids the kind of the kind of crap you now have to wade through to get your project moving again. Best of luck resolving the situation and do keep us posted as to what happens.

If you want to learn more, please visit our website Anchor Bolt.