What are Anchor Bolts?
Definition: What Does the Term Anchor Bolts Mean?
Fasteners that secure the framing of a structure to the foundation, or anchors other structural components, posts or supports to the surface that they rest upon.
Normally anchor bolts are designated on the structural plans with a size, embedment length, and spacing. Anchor bolts can be common steel, galvanized steel or stainless steel. Anchor bolts are commonly inserted in the wet concrete, at the top of a foundation wall, in residential construction.
In commercial work, where the anchor bolts are designated to secure steel columns, the bolts are secured by plywood templates that hold the bolts in place, prior to the actual placement of the surrounding concrete. This template procedure will assure that the bolts are secured in an accurate pattern and position.
Anchor bolts are also important for items such as light pole bases and sign bases. In some cases, for example, along a roadway, the anchor bolts can be ” break away ‘ bolts that will snap upon an impact. These type of bolts have been developed as a safety design to allow the absorption of any impact, to be taken, by the ” breakaway ” ability of the bolts.
The placement and accurate location of anchor bolts are normally laid out by the project surveyor on the site. The accuracy of the placement of the anchor bolts is especially important to the structural steel erector, who will rely on the accuracy of the bolt placement to ensure proper installation of the structural steel.
In many instances a licensed surveyor is hired to verify the proper location of anchor bolts prior to the scheduling of the steel erector. What is not desired on a busy construction project is the steel contractor arriving at the site with loads of structural steel and the realization that the anchor bolts are not accurately placed per the structural documents.