Here at Meadows Analysis and Design, we use a specialized engineering tool to help us calculate where an anchor bolt should be positioned and what types of stresses are on it. We can use this tool, among others, to analyze pre-existing equipment or the base of installation for new equipment.
If you’d like to learn why we use this tool and how it can help you, keep on reading to get to the nitty-gritty.
Anchor Bolt
Let’s start off with a brief description of what an anchor bolt is and what it might be used for.
In a very basic way, an anchor bolt is a means of attaching one item to another. More specifically in our world, the anchor bolt is a way of transferring a load of weight from a non-structural item to a structured one.
An example of an important anchor bolt would be a catwalk or platform of any height connecting one piece of equipment to another. You would not want to have any safety concerns with an employee (or several) walking back and forth across that structure numerous times daily.
Finite Element Analysis
Meadows Analysis understands how important it is to you to keep safety as a number one priority in your field of business.
In 2016, the United States Department of Labor reports that approximately 19% of all manufacturing injuries in the workplace were due to falls, trips, and slips.
With FEA, we are able to analyze the structure and integrity of the equipment and the anchor. This tool allows us to be certain that the placement of the anchor bolts will utilize the most effective portion of the structure to keep the equipment safe for operation.
You might be asking yourself, “Why trust a machine and not a real-life test”? The answer is easy: safety. We can run the diagnostics, analyze the data, and determine exactly the information we need without putting anyone at risk of injury.
Putting someone at risk also means that they will require a higher pay incentive. With this 3D technology, we’re using the computer to test out the logistics without the added risk.
Safety First
The biggest reward of using Meadows Analysis to help analyze stress on anchor bolts is safety. It truly is a detrimental scenario when structural integrity is not safely designed and analyzed.
In 1940, though many years ago, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, aka Galloping Gertie, collapsed due to insufficient anchoring. No one expected the collapse because the technology didn’t exist back then.
Galloping Gertie was an advanced, state-of-the-art design in her time. But the engineers did not do their due diligence in understanding what the lack of proper anchors and high wind speeds would do to the massive bridge.
In today’s world, there’s no excuse for being careless. Feel free to reach out to us with any questions you might have.
We’ve been in business for over 18 years, gaining valuable experience across multiple fields. There’s no project we can’t handle, and we’d love to have the opportunity to wow you with our FEA tools.