An anchor bolt comes in various shapes and sizes, and is used primarily to fasten an object to concrete. Anchor bolts for concrete applications are typically a wedge style, but many variations are available, often depending on manufacturer. Anchor bolts are used all around the world, in a potpourri of applications, from bridges, to buildings, to the basketball court down the street.
When selecting a type, it is important to know which is suitable to fit your needs. A wedge style concrete anchor bolt consists of a bolt, partially threaded, fully threaded, or full-bodied. In any case, the bolt has a wedged end, which as the bolt is tightened, drives up against a metal sleeve. As this happens, the sleeve bows in the middle, gripping the inside of the hole drilled into the concrete.
In the fully threaded variety of anchor bolts for concrete, the bolt is threaded for a majority of the length. The reason for this is that it allows for leeway when the object being secured is leveled. The major fault in this style is that it is extremely easy to misread how deep you are setting the bolt, thus endangering the integrity of the anchor. This being said, particular attention should be given to depth when installing this variant.
On the other end of the spectrum is our full-bodied style. In this application, the bolt is actually only partially threaded, so that it is impossible to not set it in the correct depth. The full-bodied anchor bolt is the same thickness in the un-threaded portion as it is the threaded portion, meaning that the entire thing sits snug in the hole. This style virtually eliminates depth errors, and results in a stronger anchor.
There is also the partially threaded anchor bolt. With these, the bolt is only threaded a third or half of its length, and the un-threaded length is thinner than the threaded portion. Thus, this anchor cannot be installed in a hole that is not deep enough. However, it is not completely foolproof. Yet again, it is extremely important to make sure the bolt is installed at the proper depth.
In sum, be sure to choose the right anchor style for the application its intended for. Manufacturers often provide insight into different uses, and different sizes are available. Remember to make certain that the anchor is embedded completely to the depth it should be before finishing installation. With millions of successful applications ranging from everyday buildings to bridges to power plants, when you need to fasten anything to the floor, anchor bolts for concrete are the solution.