What is a wedge anchor bolt?

Asked by: Tammy Chase

Wedge anchors are a unique type of concrete anchors, designed to anchor objects into concrete applications. Concrete Wedge Anchors are installed into a pre-drilled hole using the appropriate Concrete Drill Bit, where the wedge is expanded by tightening the nut.

What are wedge anchor bolts used for?

Concrete Wedge Anchors are heavy-duty anchors used to secure materials and equipment to solid concrete masonry surfaces. They are extremely popular and are one of the strongest anchors for hold strength. Wedge anchors look and function like a sleeve anchor but have a much smaller sleeve near the anchor’s bottom.

What is wedge bolt?

Since wedge bolt anchors cut a thread into the base material. Instead of expanding into it like traditional anchors. They can be installed closer to the edge without damaging the material.

What is the difference between a sleeve anchor and a wedge anchor?

The wedge anchor, drop-in anchor and concrete strike anchor can only be used in solid concrete and have the highest & most consistent holding values in concrete. Concrete sleeve anchors can be used in concrete, brick or block but their holding values are less in terms of shear and pullout values.

What is difference between wedge anchor and drop-in anchor?

Drop-in anchors are sometimes confused with wedge anchors. While they both work the same way — they expand and fill the inside of a hole in concrete — the wedge anchor features a conical-shaped hollow bottom. Wedge anchors are usually the better option for applications involving heavy bearing loads.

How do you install a wedge anchor bolt?

Take the wedge anchor. And place the nut on the threaded end so as to protect the threads when hammering it into the hole. Next place the anchor through the fixture. And into the hole tapping.

How much weight can a wedge anchor hold?

Technical Specifications for Wedge Anchors

Are wedge anchors removable?

To be removed, wedge anchors can be sawed off with a hacksaw or cutoff wheel at the surface of the base material. Tapcon® Concrete Screws: Tapcons are removable because they are threaded screws that tap threads into the concrete, brick or block.

Are wedge anchors better than Tapcons?

Tapcon and wedge anchors are pre-installed mechanical anchors that attach structural objects to concrete structures. However, the wedge anchor suits heavier-duty applications, vs the Tapcon anchor that typically serve lighter deployments. Another difference between them is in their fastening method.

What is the strongest anchor for concrete?

Wedge anchors

Wedge anchors are typically the strongest anchors, but not every application requires a heavy-duty anchor. Some will do just fine with a plastic wall anchor or a nail-in version.

How deep should wedge anchor bolts be in concrete?

A 5/8” concrete wedge anchor requires a 5/8” hole to be drilled into the concrete. The hole in the concrete needs to be drilled a minimum of 1/2” deeper than the concrete wedge anchor will penetrate into the concrete.

Are wedge anchors strong?

Wedge Anchors are extremely popular and are one of the strongest anchors for hold strength. Wedge anchors look and function like a sleeve anchor but have a much smaller sleeve near the bottom of the anchor.

How deep should anchor bolts be in concrete?

The hole needs to be drilled 1/4″ deeper than the anchor will penetrate. The hole can’t be drilled while the fixture is in place due to the fact that the hole is larger than the diameter of the bolt being inserted into it.

How many wedge anchors do I need?

As a rule of thumb, the space for the nut and washer is equal to the diameter of the wedge anchor being used. For example, if a 2×4 is being fastened to concrete with a 1/2” wedge anchor then the minimum length of wedge anchor would be 1-1/2”(2×4) + 2-1/4”(minimum embedment) + 1/2”(space for nut and washer) = 4-1/4”.

How do concrete wedge anchor bolts work?

The wedge anchor is inserted into a hole in concrete until the threads are below the surface of the concrete. The nut and washer are placed on the threads and tightened until finger tight. Using a wrench, the nut is then turned, which pulls the anchor up to wedge the clip between the stud and the wall of the concrete.

What diameter wedge anchor do I need?

If it's a half inch hole. You need to use a 3 8 inch anchor. And that seems counter intuitive. But with an anchor if you're going to put the anchor.

How do I choose anchor bolts?

There are many considerations to make when deciding on the size and type of anchor bolt that you will use to fasten something to the concrete of a structure. However, the two most important aspects of the job to consider are the size of the hole for the fixture fasteners and the length of the bolt.

What bolts to use for post anchors?

Metpost Anchor Bolts are the ideal choice when fitting Metpost Wedge Grip Bolt Down Anchors to fix posts to a concrete base, brick wall or other hard flat surface such as decking. These are strong anchor bolts for use on solid brickwork, masonry or concrete.

How many types of anchor bolts are there?

There are four main types of anchor bolts: L-shaped, double end rods with plate, headed, and swedge. Each type has their own uses, sizes, and advantages.

How tight should anchor bolts be?

PULL FIRMLY BY LEANING BACK AND THE BOLT DIAMETER BUT NOT LESS THAN 18 INCHES. APPLY FORCE AS CLOSE FULL EFFORT OF ONE PERSON ON A WRENCH WITH A LENGTH EQUAL TO 14 TIMES LEVELING NUTS TO SNUG TIGHT CONDITION. SNUG TIGHT IS DEFINED AS THE TIGHTEN TOP NUTS SO THEY FULLY CONTACT THE BASE PLATE.

How close to the edge of concrete can you put an anchor?

Don’t Drill too Close to Edges



To avoid these disasters, don’t drill any closer than 4 in. from the edge. If there’s no other option, turn off the hammering action on the drill. Also, avoid wedge-type anchors.

Where do anchor bolts go in concrete?

You will need an anchor bolt within 12 inches 12 inches away from the brake you will need an anchor bolt located. Just a general rule of thumb unless it's noted otherwise on your plans.