WEDGE ANCHOR INSTALLATION
How Wedge Anchor works?
Wedge Anchors are called “expansion anchors” – as it literally expands while installing. The wedge end of the anchor is inserted into the pre-drilled hole (The size of the hole should be same as the size of the wedge anchor) in the concrete and the open end is hammered. The force by the hammer causes the wedge end of the anchor to expand in the hole. This expansion forces the slip which is permanently fixed on the anchor to grip the sides of the hole and become permanently settled in place.
Wedge Anchor Installation Tools
For wedge anchor installation, power drills are used to make holes in the concrete. Hammers or mallets can be used to place anchors into the hole, however mallets should be preferred over hammers as they are soft-headed and are less likely to deform the anchor’s tip. For wedge anchors’ nuts and washers standard wrenches like box wrenches, adjustable wrenches or socket wrenches can be used.
Wedge Anchor Installation
The installation of wedge anchor is done by following:
- Determine the appropriate length of the anchor. The length of the anchor should be same as the length of the hole. Check whether the anchor fit through the hole. The size of the washer should the larger than the hole.
- Drill the holes using a hammer drill. The drill bit diameter should be the same as the anchor diameter. The hole should be cleared of all the dust and debris which was caused while making the hole.
- Now after placing the washer and the nut on the anchor, turn the nut a couple times. Don’t thread the nut completely on the anchor as it protects the threads of the anchor when it is hammered into the hole
- Insert the anchor through the fixture hole.
- Now start hammering the wedge anchor carefully such that the threads go inside the concrete hole and the minimum embedment is met.
- Now once the anchor is fixed inside the hole, tighten the nut- finger tight.
