American Made Wedge Anchors
Published by Robert Carlisle on Feb 18th 2013
American-Made Certification for Wedge Anchors
Concrete Fastening Systems, Inc. can provide the certification required for any particular application if requested at the time of order. The certification can be sent with the shipment or it can be faxed once the order is placed and shipped from our factory. Certification can be provided for American-made wedge anchors as well as for the U.S. steel melted for use in the wedge anchors.
Applications
American made wedge anchors should only be used in solid concrete and should not be used in other base materials such as brick or CMU.
Diameters
The American made Thunderstud is available in nine diameters: 1/4”, 5/16”, 3/8”, 1/2”, 5/8”, 3/4”, 7/8”, 1” and 1-1/4”. The diameter of wedge anchor to choose depends on the weight of the item being fastened, the diameter of the hole in the item and/or if specified by an engineer, manufacturer or the product being attached.
Lengths
Each diameter comes in a number of different lengths ranging from 1-3/4” long for the 1/4” diameter to 12” long for most diameters over 1/2." Each diameter comes in more than one length and can be manufactured in special lengths as needed for specific job application requirements. Adding the thickness of the material being fastened, plus the minimum embedment of the diameter of wedge anchor being used, plus the thickness of the nut and washer determines the minimum length of wedge anchor.
Types
The Thunderstud American made wedge anchors are manufactured in a number of different types of materials and coatings. Carbon steel wedge anchors are available in either zinc plated or hot-dipped galvanized. The stainless steel wedge anchor comes in 303/304 or 316 stainless steel. The zinc plated wedge anchors should be used in dry indoor applications where moisture is not present. The hot-dipped galvanized wedge anchors can be used in environments in outdoor applications where moisture is present. The 303/304 stainless is used in wet applications. The 316 stainless steel is used in submerged liquid environments that are caustic in nature, such as chlorine.
Embedment Depth
Each diameter of American made wedge anchors has a minimum embedment for installation in concrete in order to obtain minimum holding values.
A chart can be found at /wedge-anchor-technical-specifications.
Depth of Hole
The hole should be drilled into the concrete a minimum of 1/2” deeper than the wedge anchor will penetrate the concrete. This allows space for any dust that is created during the installation process to fall, allowing the wedge anchor to be set without bottoming out in the hole.
Hole Diameter
American made wedge anchors require the hole that is drilled in the concrete to be equal to the diameter of the wedge anchor being installed. If a 5/8” wedge anchor is being used in a specific application, then the diameter of the hole to be drilled in the concrete should be 5/8”. The hole must be drilled by a hammer drill set in the hammer mode and using a carbide tipped bit that meets ANSI standards. Hole tolerance is critical when installing wedge anchors. Therefore, it is important to use a bit that meets ANSI standards for the diameter of wedge anchor being used.
Information on Installing American-Made Wedge Anchors
- Drill a hole in the concrete using a hammer drill switched to the hammer mode, with ANSI standard carbide tipped bit matching the same diameter as the wedge anchor being installed.
- Drill the hole in the concrete to a minimum depth of 1/2” deeper than the minimum embedment depth of the diameter of wedge anchor being used.
- With a wire brush, vacuum or compressed air clean out the hole of all concrete dust.
- Thread the nut onto the threaded end of the wedge anchor until the top of the nut is flush with the top of the wedge anchor.
- Place the clipped end of the wedge anchor into the hole, and, with a hammer, strike the nut end of the wedge anchor until tight against either the surface of the concrete or the surface of the item being installed. Make sure that a minimum of 3 to 5 threads is below the surface of the concrete or the item being fastened.
- Using fingers, tighten the nut.
- Using a wrench, turn the nut another 2 to 3 full turns or until the torque value for the diameter of wedge anchor is obtained. See torque values