Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Concrete and
Masonry
by Brian C. Gerber,
Principal Structural Engineer,
ICBO Evaluation Service, Inc.
nchors are the primary method of fastening other lations in Section 2107.1.5; and Section 2108 contains
A elements to concrete or masonry, such as structural
systems of wood or metal; other concrete and masonry
strength design, using calculations in accordance with
Section 2108.1.5.
systems; nonstructural systems such as partitions, wall
cladding and roof coverings; and non-building compo- Post-Installed Anchors
nents such as equipment. Generally, anchors fall into one Post-installed anchors are installed into a predrilled hole
of two categories: cast-in-place and post-installed or by self-drilling in hardened concrete or masonry.
anchors. Examples include expansion anchors, which transfer loads
by bearing or friction from an expanded portion, set by
Cast-in-Place Anchors torque or displacement; adhesive (bonded) anchors, which
Cast-in-place anchors are those installed before concrete develop strength by bonding to a chemical adhesive
or masonry grout is placed and typically have enlarged placed between the hole and the embedded portion of the
heads or hooks to develop resistance to withdrawal from anchor; undercut anchors, which develop strength by a
the concrete or masonry member. Cast-in-place anchors bearing type interlock with an undercut portion of con-
were the first types to be described by the building codes, crete at the base of the anchor; and predrilled (screw)
with anchorage using headed cast-in-place bolts first
anchors, which develop strength by threads cut into an
appearing in the 1943 edition of the Uniform Building
undersized hole during anchor installation.
CodeTM (UBC). The resulting service load table, Table No.
While the codes describe methods for determining cast-
24-G, reported shear values only and applied to both
in-place anchor load capacities using tables and calcula-
masonry and concrete installations. A separate table for
tions for service loads or calculations only for strength
concrete, with higher shear values, appeared in the 1946
UBC. In the 1970 edition, the concrete provisions were design, no such provisions exist for post-installed anchors.
expanded to include allowable tension values and provide Actually, the only portions of the current codes where
different load values based on compressive strength. post-installed anchors are directly mentioned are Section
Similar provisions for masonry first appeared in the 1988 1632.2 and Table 16-O of the 1997 UBC and Sections
UBC. As strength design developed into the preferred 1621.1.7 and 1621.3.12.2 of the 2000 International
method for concrete design, a corresponding method for Building Code® (IBC®), which describe limitations and
anchorage design was also needed, and was added to the adjustments for determining the seismic loads applied to
1991 UBC. anchors supporting components.
The most current (1997 edition) UBC provisions for Since post-installed anchors usually consist of specific
cast-in-place, headed anchors are as follows: for concrete, designs developed by their manufacturers, no general
Section 1923 contains service load design in Section guidelines for structural design were available until
1923.1, using values in Table 19-D, and strength design in recently. Manufacturers supplied users with data address-
Section 1923.2, using calculations in Section 1923.3; for ing performance, but items such as test methods and
masonry, Section 2107 contains working stress design, installation procedures were not always provided.
using values in Tables 21-E-1, 21-E-2, and 21-F, or calcu- Consequently, code officials found it difficult to determine