There has been a lot of information and some confusion about the new requirements for mechanical and adhesive anchors as it relates to the 2006 IBC Building Code. At the Stafda show last November in Atlanta, Mark Johnson President of ICC-ES answered questions on this subject.
2006-building-code (Word doc)
Two new products have caught my eye recently, both 300 series stainless products with unique features. If your job requires fastening and anchoring in exposed, wet areas, coastal, aggressive environments these products are for you.
Bi-Flex™ Bi-Metal Self-Drilling Fasteners combine 300 series stainless steel corrosion resistance with the convenience of self-drilling.
Aggre-Gator™ 300 Series Stainless Steel Bi-Metal Concrete Anchors feature bi-metal technology: a 300 (18-8) stainless steel head and shank fused to hardened steel tapping threads and gimlet point.
Bi-flex-Aggre-Gator (PDF)
In life, success often depends on paying attention to details and making the right connections. When fastening metals together, it is no different. The wrong connection can cause significant failure. In common construction applications fasteners can spontaneously fail for no apparent reason. These failures may occur shortly after installation or even months or years later leaving the contractor, building owner and other responsible parties puzzled over the cause of failure and cost of remedy.
The following presentation by Gregg Melvin with Elco Construction Products identifies the risks and offers solutions so that the right fasteners are used on your job.
Making the Right Connections: Avoiding Metal Fastener Failures (PDF)
Tanner recently added a new line to our product offerings: Metacaulk® Firestopping Products.
Since firestopping products are new to some of our customers, I’m linking to a presentation that gives a crash course on firestopping.
Here’s what the Firestopping 101 presentation covers:
Firestopping 101 Presentation (PDF)
If you have any questions or want to know more about firestopping, just let us know.
Architects and building owners want broader guarantees and longer
warranties from contractors and design professionals. I’m seeing this
applied to fasteners more and more.
The industry’s application of higher-grade stainless fasteners is on
the rise because high-grade stainless fasteners, such as the
Crete-Flex® SS4, offer aesthetic benefits, structural integrity,
and long-life performance.
Crete-Flex in particular is becoming increasingly popular because of
its corrosion resistance, enhanced ductility, high pull-out and shear
values, and installation consistency to ensure reliable performance.
Corrosion resistance salt spray tests per ASTM B117 show Crete-Flex
beats a Buildex 410 Stainless Tapcon by 50% (2400 vs. 1600 hours).
Detention security hollow metal doors and frames have been successfully used in detention and correctional facilities throughout the world. Architects, specifiers and end users understand the advantages of using Detention Security Hollow Metal in these applications.
HARDWARE INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE
To understand the advantages of hollow metal construction, consider first the hardware installation for the swinging door of a typical bar-grille cell front. The security hinges and lock encasement are actually accessible to the inmate since he is able to reach through the bars. Therefore, in many cases, the lock encasement must be continuously welded assemblies with cover plates welded in place to prevent inmate tampering. This situation makes repairs and maintenance both difficult and expensive.
For example, to repair a lock it is necessary to cut the cover plate loose with a torch, repair or replace the lock, then weld a new cover plate back in place. In the hollow metal assembly, the lock is mounted in a reinforced pocket, inside the door or frame and is protected by a heavy gauge cover plate fastened with security screws.
The flush type detention hollow metal door, severely limits the inmate’s access and visibility in any attempts to tamper with the cover plate and lock. Since inmate tampering is limited by the flush hollow metal design, cover plates and access panels can be mounted with tamper resistant screws in most cases rather than welding, thereby reducing the cost of installation, repair and maintenance.
At Tanner Bolt & Not, we field a lot of calls from customers trying to find the right bit or screw type.
To help, we prepared this guide to screw head types and drives.
More on Screw Head Types - A Guide to What Type of Screw is This?
Just recently, a customer contacted us from the field looking for a 12” wall anchor to install a metal door frame into a hollow block wall. No local supply house carried such an item. Tanner stocks a sleeve anchor extender that allows for a standard 5″ or 6″ sleeve anchor to be extended in 1-1/4″ increments.
The customer used 5 extenders per anchor hole to reach his required minimum anchor length. And he was able to finish the job quickly and easily – without what he thought would be additional masonry or metal work. Smart suppliers will work with you and customize a solution to your needs. There is no reason to feel locked into standard products, which will deliver disappointing results.
Philosophically speaking, in any modern industry, problems are to be expected. That is simply a reflection of our fast-changing world. What is more important are the solutions we come up with — not just flimsy “band-aid fixes,” but solutions of substance like the one described above. They translate into significant savings in time, money and materials.
Match the Correct Tooth Size to the Work.
As with all other toothed linear edge cutting tools, it is very important to match the correct tooth size with the material being cut in order to get the maximum blade life and efficiency from your reciprocating saw blades.
The rule of thumb is that at least three teeth should be engaged in the work at all times. Six to twelve teeth engaged in the work is optimum.
If the tooth being used is too large, for instance cutting thin walled electrical conduit with a 10 tooth per inch blade, the teeth tend to straddle the thin section and it is relatively easy to strip teeth.
If the teeth are too small for the work, there is not enough room in the tooth gullets to pull out the chips. This can cause premature dulling and tooth stripping.
The new SNAKE(TM)+ overhead anchor from Powers Fasteners, Inc. speeds installation of threaded rods…and is one of the industry’s first mechanical anchors to meet the new more stringent International Building Code (IBC) for strength design (Cracked Concrete).
The patented proprietary anchor eliminates the time consuming steps of banging in a drop-in and then using a special tool to set the expansion mechanism. It is simply set into a drilled hole and then tightened with a ½” impact wrench until flush with the ceiling and ready for the insertion of threaded rod. There is no need to swing a heavy hammer overhead while on a ladder or lift.
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