Shear capacity of anchor bolt 1

[J1D]

In anchor bolt design, we usually use a standard anchor bolt schedule (detail chart). Recently I realized the shear capacities given are very conservative. For example, a 1” dia. anchor bolt embedded into a 4350psi concrete base the allowable shear capacity is only 2.7 kips!

I check with the author, he explained that the capacity is bearing capacity of concrete behind the bolt, the effective bearing area considered is only 1.5 diameter deep, somehow, according to UBC-91. Have you ever heard about this and done this way?

I did a lot of shear design of Nelson studs, when checking the bearing, I always used diameter times depth of studs.

 

[PEStructural]

A good reference for anchor bolt design is ACI 318-02 Appendix D. It goes through and gives you allowables for all the different ways that an anchor bolt could fail.