Ask the Expert

Question: What information do I need to provide when ordering bolts or requesting a quotation to ensure that I receive the correct product?

Answer: Below is list of information to provide and an explanation of how each factor effects price and lead time. Read More

Question: Can welding be performed on high strength anchor bolts and fasteners?

Answer: The short answer is that in most cases, welding is not allowed on high strength bolts. Read More

Question: Can high strength bolts be hot-dip galvanized?

Answer: Some high strength bolts can be galvanized while others cannot. Read More

A comprehensive look at the differences between fastener manufacturers and fastener distributors. This article covers potential considerations to take when choosing a bolt supplier, as well as comparisons between several different types of bolt suppliers. Read More

Have you ever had a fastener company try and talk you into substituting A193 grade B7 all thread rod for F1554 grade 55 anchor rods, claiming it's "better?" Read More

Question: Will imported A307 grade A hex bolts meet the requirements of F1554 grade 36?

Answer: Anchor bolts which are embedded in concrete and used for structural anchorage purposes can assume several forms. Read More

Question: What information do I need to provide when ordering tie-rods or requesting a quotation to ensure that I receive the correct product?

Answer: Tie-rod assemblies can be very complicated and confusing to someone who does not deal with them on a routine basis. Read More

Question: What is the difference between a bolt with rolled threads and one with cut threads and does a fastener with a reduced body and rolled threads meet ASTM specifications?

Answer: Threads of a mechanical fastener, regardless of whether it is a headed bolt,rod, or bent bolt, can be produced by either cutting or rolling.  Read More

Question: Can a rod with a welded nut be substituted for a bolt with a forged head?

Answer: When a rod with a nut is substituted for a bolt with a forged head, two issues come into play. In-house mechanical testing performed by Portland Bolt on headed bolts versus rods with a nut, both from the identical lots of steel, the rod with a nut developed up to 12% less strength than the comparable headed bolt. Read More

Question: Does commercially available mild steel all thread rod meet ASTM F1554 grade 36?

Answer: In almost all cases, commercially available all thread rod will not meet F1554 grade 36. Read More

Question: Are SAE Grade 2, 5, and 8 bolts available in diameters over 1½"?

Answer: No, SAE only covers bolts up to and including 1½" diameter. SAE J429 (1999), the specification that covers Grade 2, 5, and 8 fasteners, states, "This SAE standard covers the mechanical and material requirements for inch-series steel bolts, screws, studs, SEMS, and U-bolts used for automotive and related industries in sizes to 1½ in. inclusive." Read More

Question: How do I determine the strength of a specific diameter of bolt?

Answer: In most cases, the strength of a given material used to make a fastener has strength requirements or parameters described as pounds per square inch (psi) or thousands of pounds per square inch (ksi). This is helpful when analyzing what grade of material should be used for a given application, but this doesn't tell us the actual strength of that diameter of material. In order to calculate the actual strength values of a given diameter, you would use the following formulas: Read More

Question: How much thread engagement is recommended, i.e. how many threads should extend beyond the nut?

Answer: This is a difficult question to answer. Depending on your application, the answer could be anywhere from ¾ engagement, up to having two full threads extend beyond the nut. Look at these conflicting answers found in three separate technical publications. Read More