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How to anchor to asphalt?

renosteinke | Posted in Construction Techniques on September 7, 2006 06:01am

I need to anchor some metal frames to an new asphalt lot. The usual anchors I use for concrete have not worked very well… it seems that the pavement has too much “give” for a compression-type anchor.

Any sugestions? Epoxy? Long Lag bolts?

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Replies

  1. BUIC | Sep 07, 2006 06:43am | #1

      Is this a temporary or permanent installation?

      What type of frame and "load" on it?

      Asphalt being a pliable mass of tar and stone, it isn't going to cooperate much!

      My first reaction was to butter the frames with tar and stick them in place. Pin them with some commons.

     buic

    1. renosteinke | Sep 08, 2006 02:54am | #3

      The frames are permanent. They support starters for some pump motors. Generally, each frame is about 4 1/2 ft. tall, and has a footprint about 16" square.

      1. ponytl | Sep 08, 2006 03:00am | #4

        honestly... you need to cut that square out of the asphalt and make a concrete pad...

        asphalt will never hold anything...

        the other option is to core drill a 3-4" hole and sink/drive a pipe/post down 18-24" below the asphalt and mount it to that...

        good luck

        p

        Edited 9/7/2006 8:40 pm ET by ponytl

        1. User avater
          PeteDraganic | Sep 08, 2006 03:05am | #6

          Yep, gotta put a concrete pad, maybe even a footer, depending on the size of equipment that will be in permanent placement.

          Anything of substance will eventually sink into the asphalt.

           

          The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits. -Albert Einstein

          No event in American history is more misunderstood than the Vietnam War. It was misreported then, and it is misremembered now. --Richard M. Nixon, 1985

           

      2. BUIC | Sep 08, 2006 03:21am | #7

          If this is permanent and needs to be well done, I gotta agree with doing concrete...Buic

        1. brownbagg | Sep 08, 2006 03:29am | #8

          How to anchor to asphalt? You cant.

  2. bustaduke | Sep 07, 2006 07:15am | #2

    Spiral anchors may work.

    http://bigtopshelters.com/foundation.htm

    busta

  3. jeffwoodwork | Sep 08, 2006 03:02am | #5

    Cut out a section of the aphalt and pour a concrete slab.  Not the fast and easy way but  might be what you need to do.

  4. DanH | Sep 08, 2006 03:30am | #9

    Nails or spikes of some sort.

    If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
    1. Stilletto | Sep 08, 2006 03:33am | #10

      I have hand driven Ramset nails into asphalt with success. 

      I am not sure about what your anchoring down so this may not work in your case.      

      What the problem is? 

  5. rudor teich | Dec 17, 2011 11:35am | #11

    There are now special anchors for asphalt.  See http://www.asphaltAnchors.com

    1. calvin | Dec 17, 2011 05:29pm | #12

      so rudor,

      you selling these anchors?

      If so, what country are you in?

      edit:  I see you are offering sales out of N.J.

      You need to proofread your site a bit-while it looks professional, nothing worse than a mispelled word.

      And if this is just an attempt at running an ad, it's really not wanted on this forum, but it was interesting to see a product like you may or may not be selling.

      thanks.

      1. User avater
        xxPaulCPxx | Dec 18, 2011 01:12am | #13

        As long as he's answering a specific question it should be OK, don't you think?  I figure WE'RE kind of making up the culture here as we go.

        1. DanH | Dec 18, 2011 08:10am | #14

          Though answering a 5-year-old question is a bit suspect.

          1. User avater
            xxPaulCPxx | Dec 19, 2011 03:09pm | #16

            In an industry that is so nototiously conservative... where it might take 80 years for a new idea to become standard practice, I think a 5YO thread is fairly recent - especially if the info isn't completely out of date.

        2. calvin | Dec 18, 2011 08:48am | #15

          paul

          I think these folks should just place the whole enchilada on the table-

          You got a problem?

          We've got the answer.

          "here's a link to something you might find useful"

          Then of course, lay out some free advice once in a while. 

          One thing this google hookup that BT undertook how long ago now?

          .........seems if these businesses do a search that's directed towards their product's specific use, they find this joint and then quick register and plop their info on here.  The broken english goofballs are easy to weed out. 

          Take the drill holster guy.  He at least responded to the questions of his motives, but then now he's gone too.

          So, as far as asphalt guy-provide at least some information free of charge rather than just inserting a link like some lazy aass'd marketing genius.   That and maybe take the time to insure your site is more than just professional looking on the surface layout-proofread it b/4 going out and shilling the public.

          But, I could be wrong.

  6. Meriam33 | Jun 01, 2013 11:09am | #17

    It's really too early to think straight -- I had NO intention of replying/commenting on forums this morning, but this thread begs a comment. Last night, I tried to anchor a treated 6x6 into the asphalt parking lot (landlord okay's this, landlord doesn't want anything fancy like the aforementioned concrete squares). I searched "anchoring wood into" and the word 'asphalt' came up. Perfect! So I'm reading the thread and I see someone puts up a link to a place that sells anchors! Perfect (again!). But then someone comes up b**tchin about putting up a link. That brought back a memory how I totally got chewed out when I said where I worked. It was a relevant topic and I basically said I worked at a place where college students sell textbooks and I hyperlinked textbooks like that (don't worry the "sell textbooks" is just underlined, if you're a student or faculty member, don't get all excited) and a zillion people pounded on me. Now if I didn't say where I worked, people would have complained that I kept it private. So anyway, here's a guy (or gal) who offered up a link (god forbid, right? It's the INTERNET -- absolutely NOT a place for any kind of linking, oh no, the internet should have NO links whatsoever...) and then Mr. Moral jumps out and complains about it. So that's/here's where I jump in and say WELCOME to the link person! Yes, I clicked on it, and it gave me ideas. No, I'm not going to order stuff from the guy's site, but I'm going over to the hardware store (no, not the one advertised to the left of this post, or the advertisement above this post, or the advertisement below this post, or any of the various advertisements all up and down the left side of the page (again, the internet should not only be DEVOID of links, but should also not have any ads whatsoever, it should be FREE and only donations from humanitarians, charity workers, missionaries, and holistic schools should be accepted).... woops, I digress, I'm going over to the hardware store and I'm going to fill the loose asphalt hole with tar/caulk, and then put a screw in instead of the rebar.

    p.s.1. Thanks for the link, it helped

    p.s.2. YES this is a really old thread, but it came up FIRST in the search engine because it's relevant, so if in your perfect world, people should only reply to CURRENT threads, wow this is gonna obliterate your "concepts" LOL.

    1. calvin | Jun 01, 2013 07:34pm | #20

      yo, Merriam

      I hope you're not referring to my questioning the motive of the guy that dropped the link and then never returned.

      Real topic specific and informative links have always been welcome here.  The wacky spammers are not.  Surely you can tell the difference.  The link up there remains active, no?

      You are right on in seeing the need of qualifying your background either in a post or in your profile, as it lends credence to info given.

      thanks

  7. Meriam33 | Jun 01, 2013 05:15pm | #18

    Here's what I am currently trying. I'm not anchoring anything substantial (nothing load-bearing), but I do want to make the length of re-bar that popped out of the ground to stay there when I pound it back in. So I found a piece of dowel the exact width of the hole in the asphalt, and then as soon as my neighbor comes over, I'll have him sledgehammer the re-bar back into the hole (which now has the wooden dowel in it). I'm thinking the dowel will act somewhat like a "wall anchor" and the rebar will stay put in the ground. Of course, this idea is not something I would recommend to anyone, because over time, I know it will work its way loose again, and it won't support anything (can't rely on it), but for my purposes (cosmetic only), the re-bar should stay put in the ground, at least through the rest of the summer  :-)

    1. DanH | Jun 01, 2013 05:40pm | #19

      You could also buy a caulk tube of anchor adhesive and fill the hole with that, before inserting the rebar.

  8. jeffrice | Sep 08, 2014 11:35am | #21

    Attaching post to asphalt

    There is a new product out where you can drill a hole -- epoxy an anchor into the hole - then screw your bracket to the anchor.  Never tried myself.  Price of this product was to high for my job.   I will cut the asphalt -- dig down 18" -- and fill with concrete and will use a template to place SS bolts to hold an iron  starter handrail.

  9. skard | Apr 23, 2022 01:16am | #22

    Well, it's 2022, and I'm faced with this issue (specifically about securing a scooter in an asphalt parking lot), and those asphalt anchors that Rudor mentioned about 11 years ago are an option.

    They are basically steel sleeves, internally threaded to fit several standard bolt sizes, and threaded with a very coarse, shallow thread on the outside that don't actually thread into anything, but just allow purchase for the grout or epoxy that fixes the anchor in a larger hole you drill.

    The advantage is that you can unscrew whatever bolt whatever you screwed into the anchor, and the anchor leaves a flush surface. Also it's rated for some incredible amount of pull force. The disadvantages are that you need to drill a big hole (1 1/2" for an anchor that takes 5/8" bolts), and each anchor costs over $20 EACH.

    Another option is to drill narrower holes directly into the asphalt, fill with anchor epoxy, and drive long bolts (maybe 12") directly into the holes. That's cheaper and faster (because the holes are narrower) but maybe less guaranteed, because engineering.

    One twist for me is that I want to attach a particular piece of hardware, the Kryptonite Stronghold anchor point for security chains, that has a shackle with mounting holes, then a cover that fits tightly over the shackle. So the cover has to clear the mounting bolt, so not any bolt will do. And the bolts have to be long, like 12", and preferably stainless steel. And tamper-resistant. That's a tall order. Or I could forget the Kryptonite thing and just use a big surface mount toggle ring, like this:

    https://www.amazon.com/Buyers-Products-BDB125015-Pintle-Ring/dp/B004KZ7EA0

    So I'm stuck. What would the FH fam do?

  10. bobbomax | Apr 24, 2022 02:31pm | #23

    In a situation like this, it's useful to distinguish between types of loading. The OP was looking at long-term, more or less constant force loading. As several respondents noted, in that situation, the asphalt will eventually ooze out of the way, hence the recommendations for concrete. Also important to remember the asphalt is usually only a few inches thick, laid over gravel or sometimes dirt.

    Skard is dealing with short-term loading- the only time their ring sees a load is when a determined thief comes by. I'd use something like 12" carriage bolts or spikes driven through oversize holes at several angles ( see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIPEUPis-xw) The round heads won't take a wrench and while the carriage bolts can be pried out of the ground, it would be time consuming and most thieves want to leave the scene ASAP.

    AND remember, the thief will attack the weakest link- a $10 chain and a $40 lock won't do you any good.

    AND, remember to call 811 BEFORE you dig ( https://call811.com/ ). It's free, which is a lot cheaper than any repair.

  11. bobbomax | Apr 24, 2022 02:37pm | #24

    And, now about Rudor Teich and "broken english goofballs." Remember, if someone has a accent, it's usually because they speak several languages. You're not entitled to get snarky until you speak several languages like a native. I remember being frustrated with a homeowner's accent at a Habitat for Humanity site. Then in an attempt to help me understand, he wrote out what he was talking about, in three languages with three alphabets.

  12. Apkshut | Apr 25, 2022 09:40pm | #25

    You could also buy a caulk tube of anchor adhesive and fill the hole with that, before inserting the rebar.
    Must visit https://apkshut.com/

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