What is anchoring?
What anchoring is, how an anchor holds in concrete and masonry, and why a fastening's capacity depends on more than the anchor itself.
Fundamentals
Anchor families, load transfer and essential terminology.
8 guides
Types of concrete anchors
Cast-in and post-installed anchors for concrete, classified by how they transfer load, with the practical consequences of each system.
Tension, shear and combined loading explained
How loads on a fixture become tension and shear forces on each anchor, how moments and stand-off gaps arise, and how combined tension and shear are verified.
How anchors transfer loads into concrete
How friction, bearing and bond transfer anchor forces into concrete, why concrete tensile strength limits resistance, and how shear and the supporting member enter the load path.
Cracked vs uncracked concrete
Why concrete at an anchor must normally be assumed cracked, how uncracked concrete is verified to EN 1992-4, and how cracks reduce anchor resistance.
Anchor dimensions and notation explained
Read anchor dimensions correctly, including diameter, drill-hole size, effective embedment, hole depth and fixture thickness.
How concrete strength and geometry affect anchor resistance
How concrete strength, effective embedment, edge distance, spacing and member thickness change the resistance of an anchor and its governing failure mode.
Characteristic, design and recommended loads explained
The difference between action effects and anchor resistance, how partial factors convert characteristic values into design values, and what a manufacturer's recommended (safe working) load represents.