Masonry Magazine December 2000 Page. 33
BENT-BAR ANCHORS
When asked why bent-bar anchors have been so popular, Jim Painter (Vice-President, Painter Masonry Inc. Gainesville, Florida) and Larry Breeding (Serior Laboratory Technician, National Concrete Masonry Association, Herndon, Virginia), noted that they are traditional in masonry construction, and that contractors have not had a good reason to switch to other types of anchors. Both respondents noted that to the casual user, bent-bar anchors have probably looked stronger because of the large leg embedded in the grout. Both respondents, however, could also see how these anchors would be weakened by the bending process, and enthusiastically supported recommending the use of headed anchors if they were stronger. They saw no strong reason why masons would not embrace headed anchors, since stronger anchors could mean fewer bolts in the wall in many applications. Painter's only concern was how to hold headed anchors in the correct location and at the correct embedment depth in the tops of masonry walls; he felt fairly sure that a clip could easily be made that would do this, and he expected that new products would quickly be created to help masons place anchors quickly and easily.
INSTALLING ANCHOR BOLTS
Anchor bolts should be secured in place before placing grout so that they stay in the proper position and grout bonds properly to them. They should never be "stabbed," or inserted into position after the grout has been placed. Such improperly placed anchors are easy to spot because of the lack of concrete or grout over the of the bent leg of bent-bar anchors; they can often be pulled out of the wall, even though the concrete or grout was placed several days beforehand! How can we expect such poorly bonded anchors to secure our houses against strong winds and earthquakes? Certainly, it is often more difficult to secure anchors in place prior to grouting, but the resulting improvement in performance from the increased bond between the grout and the anchor is dramatic and essential. Section 2.1.2.2 of the MSJC Code provides minimum requirements for the embedment, edge distance and Continued on next page
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MASONRY-NOVEMBER/DECEMBER, 2000 33