SHELF ANGLE (WEDGE) INSERTS

When cast into concrete, Wedge Inserts and Askew Head Bolts provide a secure and adjustable method for fastening shelf angles and other materials to concrete structures. The anchor's wedging action reduces slippage to a minimum. Shelf Angle Inserts allow vertical adjustment so veneers can be properly aligned despite construction tolerances in the building frame.

No. 425 Wedge Insert: These heavy-duty malleable iron inserts have three holes for nailing to forms. Anchor loops are designed to take 3/4" (19 mm) reinforcing bars or anchor rods for increased anchorage in concrete. Available plain or hot dip galvanized.

No. 427 Askew Head Bolts: The wedge-shaped heads of these steel bolts compliment the wedge-shaped inside face of the Wedge Insert. Available plain, electro-galvanized, or hot dip galvanized. Furnished with washers and nuts.

SHIMS

No. 442 Plastic Shims: High impact plastic shims with up to 4500 p.s.i. compressive strength. Available in 1/16" (1.59mm), 1/8" (3.17 mm), and 1/4" (6.35 mm) thicknesses. Specify bolt size.
 
 

No. 443 Steel Shims: Heckmann stocks steel shims in standard sizes, and custom fabricates them for special applications. Shims should be as long as the vertical legs of angles to prevent the angles from deflecting under load. 1/16" (1.59 mm), 1/8" (3.17 mm), and 1/4" (6.35 mm) thick shims are available in mill galvanized (1/8" max.), plain, hot dip galvanized, and stainless steel.

TEST DATA TEST 1

Method of Test: Two inserts of each kind were cast in concrete blocks intended to be of 3,000 psi compressive strength. Companion 6" x 12" cylinders tested at the time the inserts were tested showed an actual compressive strength of 3,010 and 3,280 psi. The inserts were cast flush with the 16" x 16" surface of blocks having a thickness of 10". A short length of 1/2" reinforcing bar was placed thru the insert loop in the concrete. Blocks were allowed to cure under room conditions for 28 days. Tests were made loading the bolts in two different directions, directly outward (perpendicular to the surface in which the inserts were cast Pullout), and also downward (parallel to the same surface Shear).
 

PULLOUT TEST: Bolts were loaded in a direction perpendicular to the surface with the bolts at the midpoint of the slots in the inserts.

5/8 Insert Failure at 9,320 lbs Concrete Broke around the inserts, then the concrete block cracked in the vicinity of the reinforcing steel bar. Insert did not break.

3/4 Insert Failure at 9,830 lbs Concrete broke around insert body and cracked at reinforcing steel bar. Insert did not break.

3/4 Long Insert Failure at 12,860 lbs Lips along slot of insert broke. Concrete broke along side of body. Insert did not pull out of concrete.

SHEAR TEST: The tests pulling in a direction parallel to the surface of the concrete were made with a heavy angle block bolted at the mid point of the slot of the insert. The load was applied 2" out from the surface of the concrete. This would place some tension on the bolt, but would primarily tend to force the bolt to slip downward in the slot. The following results were obtained:

5/8" Insert 5,240 lbs Bolt slipped in slot 1/16"
6,600 lbs Bolt slipped in slot 3/16"
7,600 lbs Bolt slipped in slot 3/8". No failure in insert or concrete, but bolt was bending slightly.
14,000 lbs Maximum Load. Concrete broke around body of insert.
3/4" Insert 7,600 lbs Bolt slipped in slot 1/16"
10,500 lbs Bolt slipped in slot 3/16"
10,960 lbs Bolt slipped in slot 3/8". No failure in insert or in concrete, but bolt was bending slightly.
11,100 lbs Maximum Load. Threads stripped on bolt.
3/4" Long 5,660 lbs Bolt slipped in slot 1/16"
7,140 lbs Bolt slipped in slot 3/16"
7,840 lbs Bolt slipped in slot 3/8". No failure in insert or in concrete, but bolt was bending slightly.
19,150 lbs Maximum Load. Bold had slipped to bottom of slot and head sheared.

TEST 2

Shear Test: METHOD OF TEST: ASTM E 488-76 Shear Strength of Anchor in Concrete. Parallel to Concrete Face from top of Anchor.
 

Concrete Fractured in all specimens, but insert did not fail. Compressive strength of concrete used at 28 days was 5,860 psi.

TEST 3

Pullout Test: METHOD OF TEST: ASTM E 488-76 Test for Strength of Anchors in Concrete.
 

TEST 4 - 3/4" Long Insert Only

Concrete was poured into molds measuring 11-1/2" x 20" x 20". One insert was imbedded in the center of each mold. The inserts were malleable iron to the ASTM A-47 Grade 32510 specifications. No additional reinforcement, such as hairpins or rebar, were used in the concrete or inserts. The concrete used was 5,000 psi high early mix with the following proportions:
 

Pullout tests were performed 6 days later when the concrete had reached a compressive strength of 4,758 psi as recorded from laboratory testing of 6" x 12" cylinders.

A Pair of I-Beams were used to span the concrete molds with a steel channel acting as a bridge. The channel held a 30 ton hydraulic jack powered by a manual pump. A hardened 3/4-10 NC threaded rod ran through the jack and bridge threading into the nut in the insert. Pressure readings were obtained using a certified calibrated gauge connected to the pump. The inserts were pulled to failure:

Specimen 1         11,030 lbs         Specimen 2         10,140 lbs

Malleable Iron Specifications: ASTM A47-B4 Ferratic Malleable Iron Castings
Class/Grade 32510 Min Tensile Strength - PSI 50,000
Min. Yield Strength - psi 32,500 Elongation in tension 10%
Microstructure is Temper carbon and ferrite
For additional information on Specifications of Shelf Angle Inserts
refer to the following:

NCMA TEK 93 - National Concrete Masonry Institute - Curtain and Panel walls of Concrete Masonry. 1977
BIA TECH NOTE 28B - Brick Institute of America - Brick Veneer Panel and Curtain Walls. February 1980
ANSI B18.2.1 1965 revised 1970 - Askew Head Bolts - American National Standards Institute.
 

Heckmann Building Products Inc.
1501 N. 31st Avenue
Melrose Park, IL 60160-2911
Toll-Free: (800) 621-4140
Tel: (708) 865-2403
Fax: (708) 865-2640
E-mail: heckmann@worldnet.att.net
Web site: http://www.heckmannbuildingprods.com