by Joe Nasvik | Concrete Construction
Setting anchor bolts may sound like a simple task in preparing a slab or foundation for placement. But for industrial/commercial concrete contractors it can become a very complicated and important detail. Some contractors are selected specifically because they can accurately and efficiently set anchor bolts for heavy machinery and steel columns. Locating and installing anchor bolts can have a tremendous impact on the rest of the project. Here are some of the steps that professionals take.
Layout
When Lavy Concrete Construction, Piqua, Ohio, decided to purchase a robotic total station (a surveying instrument that combines the features of a digital theodolite and electronic distance measuring (EDM) technology) for its commercial/residential concrete foundation business, it also began working for other construction companies to lay out anchor bolts for machine pads and steel columns. Ben Lavy, the company’s layout specialist, says they start by drawing out the locations with computer assisted design (CAD) software, correcting any errors on plans, and making the inevitable changes that occur in most projects. Dimensions are included for all anchor bolt locations, which CAD automatically converts to x-y coordinates. The coordinates are loaded into the data collector of the robotic total station. Then the layout person does the layout work alone on the jobsite.
Read the full article at Concrete Construction.