Expansion and bonded anchors in (shallow) fixings in concrete substrate reinforced with steel and polypropylene fibres

Instytut Techniki Budowlanej / Building Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland

^* Corresponding author: d.dudek@itb.pl

Abstract

Along with the development of engineering construction techniques, the interest in the issue of fastenings increases. In the construction of new facilities as well as in renovation works, a wide range of fasteners is currently used, enabling quick connections and safe fastening of various types of structural and installation elements. This progress is particularly visible in fixings made in concrete substrates. During assembly and during operation, the fasteners are subject to the influence of many external factors that may significantly affect their load capacity. Such factors include the type and nature of the load to be transferred, the strength and condition of the substrate, the temperature at which the fasteners will be installed and used. The technical parameters of fasteners determined by means of theoretical calculations still do not provide adequate accuracy, so that this method can be used to determine their impact on the behaviour of fasteners during their long-term operation. Therefore, their experimental verification is still required. In the countries of the European Union, the development of the rules for the use and assessment of expansion and bonded fasteners has been entrusted to the European Organization for Technical Assessment - EOTA. This organization groups bodies authorized by EU Member States to provide European technical assessments on the terms set out in Regulation No. 305/2011 (CPR) 2013. The current list of EOTA guidelines for expansion and bonded anchors used in the construction industry, specifying the basis for their use as well as standards for the design of fasteners. The scope and methods of fastener testing are presented in the EOTA guidelines. The purpose of these tests is to determine whether the behavior of the fasteners during their use will be safe and effective, taking into account the unfavourable conditions that can be encountered both during its installation and use. The publication will present the basic structural properties of fasteners made in drilled holes in concrete substrates reinforced with steel and polypropylene fibres.