Category 2

Rapid Industrial Fasteners as Premier distributors for the Fischer FIS EM resin system, used with the Fischer FRA Rebar anchor, opens entirely new opportunities for structural engineers.

Often, existing buildings are extended or rebuilt. This means in practice that the reinforcement of old and new sections of buildings must be connected. Holes to a depth up to two meters can now be drilled for post-installed rebar.

Rapid now offers two special systems which make the installation of post installed rebar a straightforward process; the original fischer Injection Mortar System FIS V, a high-performance vinyl ester hybrid mortar and the latest combination of Injection Mortar System FIS EM, epoxy mortar with rebar anchor FRA.

The systems have European Technical Approval (ETA) and General Construction Approval by the ‘Deutsches Institut für Bautechnik (DIBt). Based on best performance epoxy resin mortar the FIS EM is suitable for rebars up to Ø 40 mm and the FRA anchor.

The rebar anchor system has been designed especially for extreme tension loads, e.g. at a column base, which can’t be transmitted to the concrete element by conventional anchors. The system is composed of a rebar connected to a stainless steel threaded rod by friction welding which makes it suitable for outdoor use and allows extremely high tensile loads.

As recently appointed members Rapid is helping to promote the work of the CFA by alerting those involved in the specification and installation of safety critical fixings, to the serious consequences of “getting it wrong”.

We are all familiar with this engineering teaser:

Question: What is the most important component on a car?

Answer: The nut that holds the steering wheel in place!

Take away the humour element, and the reality is the same when you apply this to countless structural scenarios. The sombre truth is that life and limb are the ultimate casualties when either the correct specification or installation process fails.

“The selection, installation, testing and certification of construction fixings on any construction project is comparatively small in terms of time and resource when taking the overall project into consideration. Yet, at Rapid we have seen on countless occasions, the results of wrongly specified fixings and the many mistakes that have presented a serious threat to life.

“Incidents such as tunnel collapses, scaffold collapses and ducting/ME failures due to incorrectly specified, installed or set safety critical fixings can easily be avoided. It is vital that the correct anchoring system is chosen and that it is installed to the manufacturers recommendations; that includes drilling and preparation of the installation hole through to insertion and setting of the anchor. The Code of practice for the selection and installation of post-installed anchors in concrete and masonry, BS 8539:2012, is a valuable document and the source of reference for safety critical fasteners”.

Corroded rebar in concrete

Established in 1979, the CFA is non-profit making industry-wide body comprising of major manufacturers of construction fixings.  Rapids team assist in the specification to installation chain, with a thoroughly comprehensive service in providing a high-quality selection and testing of safety critical fixing installation.

As a trade association, the CFA is providing education, advice, training and technical support to all functions involved in the provision of safety critical fixings in the industry.  Here at Rapid Industrial Fasteners, we are delighted to now be involved with this process” of educating our customers in best practice.