SECTION 5: STEEL DESIGN 5-21

5.17—ANCHOR BOLT CONNECTIONS C5.17

This Article provides the minimum requirements for

design of steel anchor bolts used to transmit loads from
attachments into concrete supports or foundations by means
of tension, bearing, and shear.
Figure 5-1 shows a typical steel-to-concrete double-nut
connection. Figure 5-2 shows a typical single-nut
connection.

Figure 5-1. Typical Double-Nut Connection

Figure 5-2. Typical Single-Nut Connection

5.17.1—Anchor Bolt Types C5.17.1

Cast-in-place anchor bolts shall be used in new Research (Jirsa et al., 1984) has shown that headed
construction. cast-in-place anchor bolts perform significantly better than
hooked anchor bolts, regarding possible pull-out prior to
The following requirements shall apply: development of full tensile strength. Caution should be
exercised when using deformed reinforcing bars as anchor
• Anchor bolts may be headed through the use of a bolts, because no fatigue test data are available on threaded
preformed bolt head or by other means, such as a nut, reinforcing bar. The ductility of deformed reinforcing bars,
flat washer, or plate; as measured by elongation, can be significantly less than
most other anchor bolts.
• Hooked anchor bolts with a yield strength not
exceeding 380 MPa (55 ksi) may be used; and
• Deformed reinforcing bars may be used as anchor
bolts.

5.17.2—Anchor Bolt Materials C5.17.2

Anchor bolt material, not otherwise specified, shall Steel with yield strengths greater than 830 MPa
conform to the requirements of ASTM F 1554, Standard (120 ksi) have been found to be susceptible to stress
Specification for Anchor Bolts, Steel, 36, 55 and 105-ksi corrosion in most anchorage environments (ACI 349–90
Yield Strength. 1995). Galvanized steel with tensile strengths greater than
For hooked smooth bars, the yield strength shall not 1100 MPa (160 psi) are more susceptible to hydrogen
exceed 380 MPa (55 ksi). embrittlement.

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5-22 STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS FOR STRUCTURAL SUPPORTS FOR HIGHWAY SIGNS, LUMINAIRES, AND TRAFFIC SIGNALS

Reinforcing bar material used for anchor bolts shall Threaded reinforcing bars (ASTM A 706, Standard
conform to ASTM A 615 or ASTM A 706. The yield Specification for Low-Alloy Steel Deformed and Plain Bars
strength shall not exceed 550 MPa (80 ksi). for Concrete Reinforcement) may be used for anchor bolts.
Typical anchor bolt design material properties are Reinforcing bars conforming to ASTM A 615, Standard
provided in Table 5-4. Specification for Deformed and Plain Billet Steel Bars for
Concrete Reinforcement have been used in the past.
However, because of possible low toughness, ASTM A 615
reinforcing bars should not be used for nonredundant,
fatigue susceptible support structures such as cantilevers
and high-mast luminaries. Anchor bolts conforming to
ASTM F 1554 usually have satisfactory fracture toughness.
Charpy V-Notch impact testing is not required for anchor
bolt material.

Table 5-4—Typical Anchor Bolt Material

Yield Strength Minimum Tensile Strength

Material Specification MPa (ksi) MPa (ksi)
ASTM F 1554 Rods 250 (36) 400 (58)
ASTM F 1554 Rods 380 (55) 520 (75)
ASTM F 1554 Rods 725 (105) 860 (125)
ASTM A 706 Bars 415 (60) 550 (80)

Note: ASTM A 615 bars are not recommended for anchor bolts when subject to fatigue.

5.17.3—Design Basis C5.17.3

The anchor bolts and their anchorage shall be designed Anchor bolts are susceptible to corrosion and fatigue,
to transmit loads from the attachment into the concrete which have been identified as a mode of failure in several
support or foundation by means of tension, bearing, and supports for highway signs, luminaires and traffic signals.
shear, or any combination thereof. For a design life of 50 yr, a minimum of six anchor bolts
should be considered at the base plate connection of
cantilever structures, and a minimum of four anchor bolts
should be considered at each foundation of overhead
noncantilevered bridge structures. The minimum number of
anchor bolts does not apply to structures founded on
breakaway supports.
The design of the anchor bolt and its anchorage shall A ductile connection to concrete fails by yielding of
ensure transfer of load from anchor to concrete. The the steel anchor. A nonductile failure will occur by a brittle
anchorage system shall be proportioned such that the load fracture of the concrete in tension or by the anchor slipping
in the steel portion of the anchorage will reach its minimum in the concrete without the steel yielding. All anchor bolts
tensile strength prior to failure of the concrete. should be designed for a ductile steel failure prior to any
sudden loss of capacity of the anchorages resulting from a
brittle failure of the concrete.
The following modes of failure shall be considered in NCHRP Report 469 presents Recommended
the anchorage design: Specification for Steel-to-Concrete Joints Using ASTM
F 1554 Grades 36, 55 and 105 Smooth Anchor Rods; and
• bolt failure, ASTM A 615 and A 706 Grade 60 Deformed Bars. There is
also a complete commentary available for the above
• load transfer from the anchor to the concrete, specification in NCHRP Report 469. The NCHRP
• tensile strength of concrete, Report 469 specification is in a Load and Resistance Factor
Design format.
• lateral bursting of concrete, and
• base plate failure.

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SECTION 5: STEEL DESIGN 5-23

The design strength of an anchor bolt connection shall This Article of the Specification includes design
be equal to or greater than the effect of the design loads on provisions from NCHRP Report 469, converted to an
the connection. The design strength of an anchor bolt Allowable Stress Design format where necessary. However,
connection shall be calculated from equilibrium and this information is not intended to provide comprehensive
deformation compatibility. coverage of the design of anchor bolt connections. Other
The design of anchor bolt connections should consider design considerations of importance to the satisfactory
possible lateral loads during erection. performance of the connected material, such as block shear
rupture, shear lag, prying action, and base plate stiffness and
its effect on the performance of the structure, are beyond the
scope of this Specification and commentary and shall be
designed in accordance with an appropriate specification.
The axial force in anchor bolts that are subject to Prying effects of the base plate should be taken into
tension, or combined shear and tension, shall be calculated consideration in the design strength of anchor bolt
with consideration of the effects of the externally applied connections. However, research (NCHRP Report 412) has
tensile force and any additional tension resulting from shown that if the base plate thickness is equal to the anchor
prying action produced by deformation of the base plate. bolt diameter, these prying effects may be neglected.

5.17.3.1—Double-Nut Anchor Bolt Connections C5.17.3.1

The design stresses on anchor bolts shall be determined

in accordance with Article 5.17.4.1. In determining the
compression effects, bearing of the base plate on concrete
or grout shall be neglected. The allowable stresses for the
anchor bolts shall be as determined in Article 5.17.4.2.
Anchor bolts in double-nut connections should be
pretensioned according to Article 5.17.5.
If the clear distance between the bottom of the bottom In double-nut-moment connections, the portion of an
leveling nut and the top of concrete is less than the nominal anchor bolt between the concrete surface and the bottom of
anchor bolt diameter, bending of the anchor bolt from shear the leveling nut may be subject to local bending. Therefore,
forces or torsion may be ignored. If the clear distance it is desirable to maintain the clear distance between the
exceeds one bolt diameter, bending in the anchor shall be concrete surface and the bottom of the leveling nut equal to
considered according to Article 5.17.4.3. or less than one anchor bolt diameter. Research (NCHRP
Report 412) has shown that for this clear distance the
bending effects may be neglected.

5.17.3.2—Single-Nut Anchor Bolt Connections C5.17.3.2

For anchor bolt connections in tension or flexure, the Pretension of the anchor bolt in single-nut connections
design tensile stress on contributing anchor bolts shall be will allow part of the uplift axial load to be transferred
determined in accordance with Article 5.17.4.1. The through partial unloading of the concrete or grout within
bearing strength of the base plate on the concrete shall be the range of service loads. However, at ultimate uplift load,
greater than the total compression effects, including axial the base plate may separate from the concrete or grout;
load and flexure. The allowable stresses for the anchor bolts therefore, the anchor bolts must be designed for the entire
shall be as determined in Article 5.17.4.2. Anchor bolts in factored uplift load. At this point, the stress from the
single-nut connections can be either pretensioned or snug- pretension has vanished because the concrete is no longer
tightened according to Article 5.17.5, although reacting against this pretension. Therefore, the effect of
pretensioned bolts have shown better service performance. pretension is ignored in all design calculations, and it is
also neglected in the fatigue design, even though it is
clearly beneficial in reducing the actual load range in the
anchor bolts at service load levels.

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5-24 STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS FOR STRUCTURAL SUPPORTS FOR HIGHWAY SIGNS, LUMINAIRES, AND TRAFFIC SIGNALS

The contributions to the connection strength from The compression force over the concrete may develop
bearing and shear friction of the base plate on the concrete shear friction. The contribution of the shear friction for
or grout shall be calculated in accordance with the Standard single-nut connections shall be based on the most
Specifications for Highway Bridges. Shear friction strength unfavorable arrangement of loads that is also consistent
should be calculated using the load combination that gives with the lateral force that is being evaluated.
minimum possible compression from dead load along with Single-nut connections may resist the shear force
the maximum uplift that is consistent with the lateral load through shear friction, and consequently anchor bolts in
that is being evaluated. The effect of wind load should not those connections need not be designed to contribute to the
be included when calculating the shear friction strength shear strength. If the shear friction strength is smaller than
unless the wind load causes the lateral load or uplift. the shear force in the connection, anchor bolts shall be
The connection shear strength or torsional strength designed to transmit all the shear force (i.e., it is not
may be taken as the larger of: permitted to combine the strength from the friction and
from the anchor bolts because these two peak load
• The friction strength between the base plate and the resistances may occur at different slip or deformation levels
concrete surface; or and therefore may not be simultaneously active).
• The smaller of the sum of the steel shear strengths of
the contributing individual anchor bolts or the concrete
shear strength of the anchor group.
The combination of the friction strength and the shear
strength of the anchor bolts is not permitted.

5.17.3.3—Use of Grout C5.17.3.3

Grout, when specified under base plates in a load- Compressive load from the base plate in double-nut
carrying application, shall be nonshrink. Grout shall not connections should be supported directly by the anchor
contain any chlorides or other harmful additives that could bolt–leveling nuts. Fuchs et al. (1995) indicates that, in
cause corrosion of the anchor bolts. Grout shall not be practice, many base plates are placed on a grout bed. For
considered as a load-carrying element in double-nut this type of installation, a grout failure may occur before
connections. any other type of failure.
Experience has indicated that anchor bolts may
experience corrosion if cracking occurs in the grout packed
beneath the base plate or if adequate drainage is not
provided.

5.17.3.4—Wind-Induced Cyclic Loads

For the structure types specified in Section 11,

“Fatigue Design,” anchor bolts shall be designed for wind-
induced cyclic loads, in accordance with the provisions of
Section 11.

5.17.4—Anchor Bolt Design

5.17.4.1—Distribution of Anchor Bolt Forces C5.17.4.1

For checking allowable tension and compression, axial In double-nut connections, the bolt axial stress may be
stresses in anchor bolts included in an anchor bolt group calculated using the equation N/A ± Mc/I, where N is the
may be calculated assuming an elastic distribution of forces axial compressive load, A is the area of the bolt group, M is
and moments. Double-nut connection distribution shall be the applied moment, c is the distance from the centroid of
based on the moment of inertia of the bolt group. The the bolt group to the centroid of the outermost bolt, and I is
design tensile stress on contributing anchor bolts in single- the moment of inertia of the bolt group about the axis of
nut connections shall be determined in accordance with bending. Experimental work (Kaczinski et al., 1998)
equilibrium and deformation compatibility. indicated that this procedure is valid provided the clear
distance between the bottom of the leveling nut and top of
the foundation is less than one bolt diameter.

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Duplication is a violation of applicable law.
SECTION 5: STEEL DESIGN 5-25

For checking allowable shear, shear stresses in anchor The bolt shear force from torsion may be calculated
bolts included in an anchor bolt group may be calculated using the equation Tr/J, where T is the applied torsion, r is
assuming an elastic distribution of forces and torsion, the radial distance from the centroid of the bolt group to the
which is based on the polar moment of inertia of the bolt outermost bolt, and J is the polar moment of inertia of the
group. bolt group about the bolt group centroid. The shear stresses
in the anchor bolts from torsion should be combined to the
shear stresses from direct shear forces.

5.17.4.2—Allowable Stresses for Anchor Bolts C5.17.4.2

The allowable tension stress on the tensile stress area

shall be:

Ft = 0.50 Fy (5-21a)

The allowable compression stress on the tensile stress

area shall be:

Fc = 0.60 Fy (5-21b)

for anchor bolts with a clear distance between the bottom of

the lower nut to the concrete surface equal to or less than
four anchor bolt diameters. If this clear distance exceeds
four bolt diameters, buckling of the anchor bolt shall be
considered using column design criteria of Article 5.10.

The allowable shear stress on the tensile stress area

shall be:

Fv = 0.30 Fy (5-22)

The tensile stress area of a threaded part shall be

calculated as:

A=
π
4
(
( D − 0.9382 P ) 2 mm 2 ) (5-23)

2
A=
π⎛
⎜D−
4⎝
0.9743 ⎞
n ⎠
⎟ ( in )
2

where D is the nominal diameter of the bolt, P is the thread

pitch in mm, and n is the number of threads per in.
For a single anchor bolt subjected to combined tension Eqs. 5-24 and 5-25 are interaction equations that
and shear, the following equation shall be satisfied: provide a check so that the upper limit for combined shear
and tension, or shear and compressions, is not exceeded.
2 2
⎛ fv ⎞ ⎛ ft ⎞
⎜⎝ F ⎟⎠ + ⎜⎝ F ⎟⎠ ≤ 1.0 (5-24)
v t

For a single anchor bolt subjected to combined

compression and shear, the following equation shall be
satisfied:

2 2
⎛ fv ⎞ ⎛ fc ⎞
⎜⎝ F ⎟⎠ + ⎜⎝ F ⎟⎠ ≤ 1.0 (5-25)
v c

© 2009 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. All rights reserved.
Duplication is a violation of applicable law.