Anchorage in concrete construction

Fasteners are usually invisible when you enter a building or civil engineering structure. Yet they're everywhere. From the fixing of railings to the largest structural equipment, it is often necessary to resort to anchoring solutions. As unfamiliarity with the operating principles of anchors can present high risks, both economically and in terms of personal safety, it's vital to master them as well as possible.

There are many different building materials, such as concrete, steel and wood. As each has its own advantages and disadvantages, it's rare for a building to be made of just one material. This is why, to guarantee the integrity of structures, it is essential to ensure that the connections between these different materials are sufficiently resistant.

The aim of this article is to present the main criteria and methods for sizing anchors for fastening steel elements to a reinforced concrete structure. Concrete-to-concrete, steel-to-steel fastenings or fastenings to other support materials (e.g. masonry) will not be dealt with in depth.

First, we look at the theoretical principles of dowelling, before studying dowel sizing.