If you need to fasten something to a concrete substrate, standard screws and bolts may not be strong enough – and it will then be necessary to use an appropriate fastening type. What to choose and what to pay attention to. We shall try to allay the most common doubts regarding this issue.
How to choose a fastening system for concrete?
Depending on what kind of substrate you have to deal with, the application of different types of dowels, screws or bolts may be necessary. What is good for plasterboard panels will not prove effective as a fastening in concrete, and vice versa. It is important for the strength and load bearing capacity of the final structure. Screws and bolts for concrete, and the instructions for their assembly are described in detail at rawlplug.com. There you can find the most important information, including the installation data, mechanical properties, and the anchorage distance from the edge. For our part, we shall present the most common fastening elements for concrete.
Screws for concrete
Common screws for concrete differ among one another in the shape of the head and length. They are universal, enabling the connection of various elements with concrete. It should be remembered to use a washer for each fastening element. Usually, a power screwdriver is used to fasten a screw. The most common ones are self-tapping screws for concrete, with either tapered or hexagonal heads. They can be used for both cracked and uncracked concrete.
It is important that they enable their total disassembly. Thus time can be saved if it turns out that something has gone wrong during assembly works. When buying screws for concrete you should find out if they are provided with an anticorrosive coating, and what the technique of their assembly looks like. It is most often enough to drill a hole and screw an anchor into it, but the procedure is not always that simple. Moreover, if it turns out that a given fastening system has to be achieved at a reduced depth, a special screw will have to be used, properly tailored to such an application.
Bolts for concrete
During building or repair works, bolts for concrete are often used, mainly for their fast assembly. Bolts enable the assembly of railings, ceiling linings or even facades. Bolts for concrete may have a hexagonal or lenticular head. There may also be bolts with a female or male thread. In addition, the assembly work is usually facilitated with self-cutting bolts for concrete.
Anchors for concrete
If high load bearing capacity and strength are required, the use of anchors for concrete is recommended. These are usually sleeve anchors for high loads which, besides the fact that they can be used in cracked and uncracked concrete, they are also applied for reinforced and non-reinforced concrete types. What is important is that the anchors can be intended for applications with required flame resistance and for applications in specific seismic zones. While expansion anchors are sufficient for light fastening systems. As you can see, the selection of optimal fastening elements is not so simple. It is therefore important to compare the various technical parameters of screws and bolts for concrete with one another so as to purchase those which fulfill all the most important requirements.
