Frequently Asked Questions
Tie rod assemblies can be very complicated and confusing to someone who does not deal with them on a routine basis. If you are not experienced in dealing with tie rod assemblies, you may not understand all of the necessary information that is required to ensure that you receive the proper components for the tie... Read more
Have you ever gone to order bolts and haven’t known what information you needed to provide to ensure you receive the correct fasteners? Relax, because you’re not alone. If you don’t deal with fasteners daily, you may not understand all of the necessary information you need to provide to ensure that you receive the correct... Read more
The short answer is that in most cases, welding high strength bolts is not allowed. In the fastener industry, the term “high strength” typically refers to any medium carbon or alloy steel which undergoes a heat-treating process to develop the strength properties necessary to meet the requirements of a given specification. These ASTM specifications include... Read more
Some high strength bolts can be galvanized while others cannot. In the construction fastener industry, typically the phrase “high strength” refers to bolts that have been quenched and tempered (heat treated) to develop the proper strength requirements of a given specification. In many cases, low alloy steels like ASTM A572g50 or F1554g55 are called “high... Read more
In the fastener industry, there are two different types of fastener companies… distributors and manufacturers. The following FAQ will address the differences between fastener distributors and bolt manufacturers and provide some insight as to when to consider utilizing each type of company for your fastener purchases. What is a fastener distributor? Fastener distributors serve a... Read more
Have you ever had a fastener company try to talk you into substituting A193 grade B7 all thread rod for F1554 grade 55 anchor rods, claiming it’s “better”? Have you allowed them to substitute an all thread rod with a nut tack welded in lieu of a headed bolt? These are scenarios that come up... Read more
Anchor bolts which are embedded in concrete and used for structural anchorage purposes can assume several forms. Common forms of anchor bolts include right angle bend anchor bolts, swedged rods, and threaded rods (typically with a nut and/or square plate attached to the bottom of the rod). Another common configuration for an anchor bolt is... Read more
Threads of a mechanical fastener, regardless of whether it is a headed bolt, rod, or bent bolt, can be produced by either cutting or rolling. The differences, misconceptions, advantages, and disadvantages of each method are described below. Rolled Threads Roll threading is a process by which steel is extruded to form the threaded portion of... Read more
When a threaded rod with a nut is substituted for a bolt with a forged head, two issues come into play. When in-house mechanical testing was performed by Portland Bolt on headed bolts versus rods with a nut, both from the identical lots of steel, the rod with a nut developed up to 12% less... Read more
In almost all cases, commercially available all thread rod will not meet F1554 grade 36. First, it is rare that distributors or manufacturers keep lot control on all thread rod. In other words, different heats of all thread rod are commingled so that it is difficult to determine the exact certification document that corresponds to... Read more
