Cyclic loads are a characteristic feature of actions acting on structures and anchorages during earthquakes. For this reason, seismic qualification of post-installed concrete anchors according to the internationally recognized American Concrete Institute (ACI) standard ACI 355 is based on cyclic load tests. The protocols for these tests, however, have limited scientific basis. Therefore, in the present paper newly-developed test protocols with stepwise-increasing load amplitudes are utilized to more realistically evaluate anchor seismic performance. The study focuses on the load-displacement behavior of common anchor types installed in cracked concrete and subjected to both cyclic tension and cyclic shear actions. The results confirmed robust behavior for anchors loaded in cyclic tension even in the presence of crack widths in the anchorage material larger than currently required by ACI 355. In addition, the critical influence of low cycle fatigue on the performance of anchors loaded in cyclic shear is demonstrated.

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This paper presents the technical background for the seismic qualification procedures for post-installed anchors in the European Technical Approval Guideline (ETAG 001) seismic annex issued in 2013. We discuss requirements for a comprehensive guideline and reference supporting documentation. Numerical studies to generate new simulated seismic protocols for anchors are summarized with focus on their application to Europe. To reduce the time and cost of anchor product qualification testing while fulfilling the requirement of European building codes to assess two performance categories, we combine the results of our numerical studies to generate novel testing protocols that allow for the assessment of anchor behavior at multiple levels in a unified protocol. Validation tests demonstrate that the unified protocol results in anchor performance comparable with that achieved in multiple, single-performance-level tests.

Fire safety is a critical performance aspect of construction products, and post-installed anchors and rebars are no exemption in that regard. During their service life, anchors and rebars are subjected to different kinds of load actions, so they have to be qualified and designed for critical safety performance. While the qualification guidelines for static and seismic loading have matured to conclusive requirements over the past two decades, the requirements for determining the resistance to fire are just about to consolidate. This contribution strives to provide clarity on the fire rating of post-installed anchors and rebars. For this, the current status of the regulations, as well as the underlying background, is reviewed after a brief introduction. Typical examples of fire ratings in the field of post-installed anchors and rebars are given, and recent research undertaken to close the last regulative gaps is briefly presented.