Concrete Drop In Anchors

Internally Threaded Concrete Anchors

Concrete drop-in anchors are medium-duty anchors that are internally threaded. These kinds of female anchors are comprised of an internally threaded shell with an expansion cone insert. They are used in high strength applications by fastening a bolt into the anchor's internal threading and are used for flush-mount applications in solid base materials, typically concrete, and often installed overhead.

These anchors are often used to support handrails, lighting fixtures, piping, and more. Drop-in anchors are frequently installed in overhead applications. The most notable use for drop-in anchors is for inserting threaded rod to suspend electrical cable trays, HVAC ductwork, and fire sprinkler pipes and heads.

Drop In Anchors are used in flush-mount applications in solid base materials where a bolt needs to be inserted and removed. The size of a drop-in anchor is the internal thread diameter of the anchor. Bolts and screws that match this diameter are compatible with that anchor. The actual outer diameter is equal to the hole diameter required to be drilled into the concrete.

These anchors are installed by dropping the drop-in anchor into a pre-drilled hole, inserting the setting tool into the anchor, and tapping it with a hammer to set the anchor's wedge. This will secure the anchor in the concrete. When installing these anchors, the minimum embedment in concrete needed for a given drop-in anchor is the same as the anchor's length. They require a setting tool for installation, and for the setting tool to work, the anchor must be at the bottom of the pre-drilled hole. They cannot be removed once installed.

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FAQs

Can you drop in anchors overhead?

Yes. Drop-In Anchors can be used for overhead applications. That's a frequent application these anchors find use in.

How do drop in concrete anchors work?

Drop-In Anchors use an expansion mechanism to secure themselves to solid base materials such as concrete. After drilling the hole for the anchor and dropping it into the hole, you insert a special setting tool into the anchor. At the bottom of the anchor, on the split end, is a metal wedge. When the setting tool is tapped with a hammer, the wedge is forced through the end of the anchor, splitting the metal on the anchor's end, expanding it into the concrete walls. This expansion is how drop-in anchors get set and secured. That is how drop-in anchors work.

Can you reuse anchor holes?

Depends on the anchor. Many concrete anchors cannot be removed, so the hole cannot be reused, but the anchor can be. Drop-In Anchors, for example, can easily be reused again and again. While the anchor itself cannot be removed, the anchor accepts machine screws and bolts of a given size. You may easily remove and reinsert the screw or bolt to fasten new objects to the anchor.

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