Thread: What is the best way to bolt into asphalt?

Maybe an odd question for this forum... Not sure where to post it otherwise.... I fabricated a bicycle rack for a local business. Today was installation and my contractor had the issue of using wedge type anchors holding secure in asphalt.

I called a few contractors and suppliers to find out what would work. I heard epoxy, but it seems that would not hold to the dirt underneath. I heard sleeve type bolt, 16" rebar spikes, 1/2" plate...

What would you use?

Thanks! JG

Long spikes.

Toenailed...

I think you should contact the asphalt manufacture. There are different types and thicknesses. There may be no one solution.

If you are lucky, the asphalt is a veneer over concrete.

Failing that, you may need to remove small areas of asphalt, install the auger-type mobile home anchors, and then patch the asphalt.

You cannot stop a thief, only slow them down.

Good Luck,
Steve

Here are some asphalt anchors:
Asphalt Anchors Home Page

Do an internet search for Asphalt Anchors and bunch more will show up. Contact your local asphalt supplier and ask who sells this stuff in your locality.

I have found that with the exception of installing light decorative items there is no good reliable way of anchoring to or in asphalt. You have to anchor to what is under the asphalt. In dirt you need to cut out the asphalt in an area larger than each pad of the rack then use a post hole digger to make a suitable hole for concrete. If I was installing it would be no less than 1ft deep for each pad. The rest you can figure out.

We make and install decorative and pipe railings every week. Several years ago I quit using expansion and sleeve anchors when Red Head went Chinese. We use a concrete drill and turkey baster to make and clean a hole then shoot in some quick set epoxy and a cut to length stainless threaded rod. Never had a rust problem since and the epoxy is super strong.

Walter

Maybe a couple feet of threaded rod pounded in? Might even have something with a fin on it to keep it from spinning.

Originally Posted by Walter A

I have found that with the exception of installing light decorative items there is no good reliable way of anchoring to or in asphalt. You have to anchor to what is under the asphalt. In dirt you need to cut out the asphalt in an area larger than each pad of the rack then use a post hole digger to make a suitable hole for concrete. If I was installing it would be no less than 1ft deep for each pad. The rest you can figure out.

Pretty much our experience as well. We make advertising/bus stop benches for one of our main customers and they always mount them to a concrete pad; usually installed specifically for the bench. They've tried to save money in a couple locations by anchoring to asphalt but nothing works well. Putting in the auger type anchors is almost as much work as putting in a concrete pad and if you don't get them in exactly the right place the protruding studs won't line up with the mounting holes in the bench...

Thanks for all the replies!

I too wanted to bolt to concrete but that is out of the owners budget. There is two end pieces that are existing and are bolted in at this point. They don't move much, as is seems they were installed with sleeve type anchors. The units I made will fit between these end units, so we intend to weld a long section of angle from one end unit, to the new ones and the other end unit. We will also use sleeve anchors or spikes to anchor the new units down as well. With one massive piece, over 13' long, it will be about as solid as we can get it given the circumstances....

Thanks once again!
JG

Originally Posted by jimmysgarage

Maybe an odd question for this forum... Not sure where to post it otherwise.... I fabricated a bicycle rack for a local business. Today was installation and my contractor had the issue of using wedge type anchors holding secure in asphalt.

I called a few contractors and suppliers to find out what would work. I heard epoxy, but it seems that would not hold to the dirt underneath. I heard sleeve type bolt, 16" rebar spikes, 1/2" plate...

What would you use?

Thanks! JG

Asphalt is defined as 'flexible' as far as pavements go. Might not seem so if one takes a face-first header onto it, but it WILL 'move' when stressed by fasteners.

If you look around, you'll see MANY places - largely carparks - where it has been core-drilled or square-cut to get a largish hunk of concrete emplaced for holding stuff. Said concrete may be simply working on mass - or may go much deeper than the pavement.

Cheapest method for lighter loads of the bicycle-rack race is probably steel pipe driven fairly deeply into the subgrade. Fencing firms have the mini-pile-drivers wanted. A BFH is right tedious, and pre-drilling is a good idea either way...

Work that so there is a threaded coupling just below the surface, patch over it to not be obvious to casual thieves, yet make life easier w/r tire damage if/as/when the rig wants removal or relocation. Determined thieves will bring tools or a cutting torch anyway - part of wot they stole on a prior gig - so there is no point in getting overly expensive about it.

Bill