Choosing a stop anchor

The anchor is a metal fastening unit, the task of which is to fix individual structures and their blocks. Anchors are indispensable when carrying out repair and construction work; they can have various sizes, shapes and functional characteristics. The industry of its use depends on the characteristics of each specific anchor.

In our review, we will dwell in more detail on the description of the technical and operational parameters of the expansion anchor.

Expansion (self-expanding) anchors are the same self-supporting expansion bolts. They are made of high-strength, durable metals: galvanized carbon steel or brass. This is how they differ from the dowels, which are mainly made from plastic polymer compounds. The zinc layer creates effective protection of hardware against corrosion, usually the coating has a yellow or whitish tint.

The active part of the self-expanding bolt resembles a sleeve, longitudinal cuts are provided on the sidewalls - they form expanding petals. A spacer is built into the sleeve body part - in the process of hammering the hardware into the hole, it squeezes its "petals" and thereby makes the fixation of the hardware product as reliable and durable as possible. The top of this mount looks like a stud, with a washer and an adjusting nut on the threaded side. The operating principle of the spacer bolt is simple. When a nail, located inside the nut, is driven into the base, the bottom of the bolt expands and it is fixed to this very base. Such an anchor is easy to install and fixes without any problems.

The main advantages of self-expanding anchors are:

• high strength and bond strength;
• resistance to external mechanical damage and adverse environmental factors;
• ease of use;
• high speed of creation of effective fastening.

Self-expanding bolts in accordance with GOST can have different markings, usually due to the presence of a metric thread, it contains the letter "M", as well as the diameter and length of the hardware. For example, widespread expansion bolts M8x100 mm, M16x150 mm, M12x100 mm, M10x100 mm, M8x60 mm, M20.10x100 mm, M12x120, M10x150 mm, M10x120 mm, as well as M12x100 mm.

Some models are marked with a single diameter, for example: M6, M24, M10, M12, M8 and M16. Also on sale you can find products containing markings of three numbers: 8x6x60, 12x10x100, 10x12x110. In this case, the first number indicates the outer diameter of the anchor, the second - the inner size, and the third characterizes the total length of the product.

There are several types of spacer bolts.

• With washer - includes a wide washer, thanks to which the fasteners are pressed as tightly as possible to the wall or some other base.
• With nut - used to secure heavy structures. They are inserted into the hole, and the nut is screwed on, so there is no need to hold the hardware on weight.
• With ring - such fasteners are in demand when tensioning a cable, rope or cable. They are also necessary when you need to fix the chandelier to the ceiling.
• With hook - a bent hook is provided at the end of such hardware. These models are indispensable in the process of hanging water heaters.
• With shock space - used for fixing structures made of natural material by through mounting.
• Double-expansion anchor - has a pair of spacer sleeves, due to which the surface of "implantation" of the hardware into a solid base is noticeably increased. Widely in demand when working with stone and concrete.

The expander anchor is considered one of the most practical and highly durable means for fixing. It allows you to fix a wide variety of surfaces, the anchor creates the most uniform friction with significant force along the entire length, due to this, an increased ability to hold the structure is provided. At the same time, the material of the structure itself should have an increased density and a solid base.

Important! If there are internal cracks on the surfaces of the materials where the bolt will be fixed, then the load that the fastener can withstand is greatly reduced.

An anchor with spacers is often needed when performing facade fasteners.

The self-expanding anchor can be used to fix:

• window frames;
• door structures;
• flights of stairs;
• suspended ceiling structures;
• chandeliers and other lamps;
• air ducts;
• fences;
• balustrade;
• engineering communications;
• consoles;
• banking terminals;
• foundation elements.

The mechanism of action of a self-expanding anchor is fundamentally different from the mechanism of action of a dowel. The outer part of the latter contacts the back of the hole only at some separately located points, while the expansion bolt rests on it along its entire length.

To install the expansion anchor, you will need a hammer drill, a wrench, as well as a drill and a hammer. The fastening process is quite simple, for this you need to follow these steps:

• using a punch, it is necessary to drill a hole of a suitable diameter, where the bolt will be inserted in the future;
• it should be cleaned and blown out to get rid of dust and dirt;
• the self-expanding anchor bolt, together with the part, is inserted into the prepared hole up to the stop, in addition, you can knock out the hardware with a hammer;
• a groove is provided in the upper part of the bobbin; it must be held with a screwdriver and the nut tightly tightened for several turns;
• the expansion anchor must be mounted together with the object, the location of which you will fix.

You can watch a video overview of the new generation Hilti HST3 pressure anchor below.