Truly an asset you may not always like paying for but one you surely cannot live without. All manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, in fact all those involved in the “stream of commerce” should have adequate product liability insurance. Product liability insurance is an insurance policy that would provide protection against liabilities, within the policy limits, for any damages or injury resulting from the use of the insured’s goods or services. Now you might find it interesting that Portland Bolt, a manufacturer of fasteners, might bring up the topic of product liability insurance. Well, truth be told, it is an asset we are excited to highlight as it not only benefits Portland Bolt, it benefits every customer of ours and every customer of theirs. We obviously do not intentionally put ourselves or our products in jeopardy of not conforming, but as life happens, so do accidents. We are well prepared to stand behind our name, our products, and our reputation for being the best custom fastener manufacturer in North America.

A 2009 Insurance Coverages Survey showed that 3% of the respondents did not carry liability insurance of any kind. However, the more startling statistic showed that 65% of respondents carried a policy with a maximum limit of $1-$2 million per occurrence. We all know how costs can add up quickly when dealing with a claim involving product failure or injury. That same study showed that only 22% of the respondents have coverage exceeding $3 million per occurrence. You should find yourself happy to know that Portland Bolt & Manufacturing Company carries a policy providing for a total of $6 million per occurrence. We carry what we believe to be more than adequate insurance, which coincidentally goes along with our motto to under promise and over deliver. There are likely several companies that have reduced and/or eliminated their coverage as a cost cutting move in these tough economic times in order to stay competitive. However, insurance coverage is not an asset you want to be short on, or without all together, if something goes wrong.

A question you may be asking yourself right now is, “Is my company protected if a problem arises?” Now would be a good time for you to make sure your business is not “left holding the bag” if something goes awry. If you have purchased a product from an uninsured or underinsured party and the product fails, your course of action will be to go after the insurance available and then the vendor itself. In some circumstances, there may not be much to go after and therefore the one covering the majority of the losses will be you. Keep in mind, some businesses may believe they do not need product liability insurance since they do not manufacture the products they sell, however all parties in the “stream of commerce” should have adequate insurance, not just the manufacturer. No company should let the irresponsibility of others end up costing them. The timeliness of this issue could not be any better as Portland Bolt just recently received word that a new OEM customer was having us provide their product going forward. The reason being is that the current supplier refused to obtain product liability insurance and the engineer of record would not allow the OEM to utilize parts supplied by an uninsured supplier. This circumstance forced the OEM to return to the marketplace to search for a bolt supplier that could not only meet the pricing, lead time, & quality needs of the OEM, but also the ability and desire to stand behind the product with the proper product liability insurance.

We make this investment in ourselves, so that our customers do not have to think twice about investing their time and money into their fastener vendor. Make sure you are confident in your vendor and if you have not provided us the opportunity to earn your business, we ask that you give us a chance to show you what we are all about.

Another way to safeguard against utilizing the insurance policy is to make sure your vendors have proper risk management techniques in place to verify the products are produced within proper specifications and inspected for quality during the manufacturing process. This becomes tougher to do when you are not buying directly from the manufacturer, but it doesn’t lessen the importance. At Portland Bolt, we not only are certain that we are within all the proper specifications, our product is inspected several times throughout the process to ensure it is made right the first time. We are so confident in our process, that we welcome you to come take a look for yourself. We would be happy to show you just how your bolts are made.

Answer: Since the new chemicals (alkaline copper quat [ACQ], copper azole [CBA-A and CA-B], and sodium borates [SBX]) now being used in pressure treated wood have been shown to be up to two or three times more corrosive then the previously used chromate copper arsenate (CCA), the recommended galvanizing thickness for materials being used with the new pressure treated wood was increased from about 0.75 to 1.56 mils thick. However, ASTM specifications A153 and F2329 say that any individual specimen above 3/8″ diameter must have an average galvanizing thickness of 1.7 mils. This means any material galvanized to either A153 or F2329 will be more than adequate for use with pressure treated timbers.

That double or even triple dipped galvanized fasteners are required for corrosive environments is a frequent misconception. Fasteners with external threads cannot be double or triple dipped galvanized. This is because it would lead to excessive build up of zinc on the threads and not allow the nuts to screw on to the bolt. Galvanized nuts and washers are already tapped oversize to account for the thickness of the zinc coating, and would have to be custom made to accommodate a double or triple dipped fastener.

Answer: No. The products manufactured by Portland Bolt do not fall under the umbrella of products that would require a UL listing or ICC-ES report. There are three main governing bodies that cover specifications for fasteners. ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) covers primarily bolts and fasteners for construction applications. SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) covers fasteners for automotive, machinery, and OEM applications. ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) standards B18.2.1 and B18.2.1 cover dimensional tolerances for square and hex head bolts, screws, and nuts. Portland Bolt manufactures fasteners to these three sets of specifications (ASTM, SAE, and ASME). A fourth specification group that is also applicable is AASHTO (American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials). AASHTO specifications are typically only called out on highway projects and many AASHTO designations can be directly converted to an ASTM equivalent.

ICC (International Code Council) is the primary governing body responsible for writing and maintaining building, plumbing, mechanical, and fire codes adopted by local and state municipalities, and the federal government. ICC-ES (International Code Council-Evaluation Services, Inc.) is the branch of ICC responsible for performing technical evaluations of building products, components, methods, and materials to ensure that they meet the requirements of the codes. This evaluation process culminates in an ICC-ES report that provides evidence that the evaluated product or system meets code requirements. However, in the case of most anchor bolts and fasteners, the applicable sections of the codes (International Building Code, International Residential Code, International Property Maintenance Code, Etc.) direct you to the ASTM specifications covering said anchor bolts or fasteners. As the ASTM specifications already cover anchor bolts and fasteners in detail, there is no reason for ICC to write their own specifications for these items. For the same reason, ICC-ES does not need to perform evaluation testing of anchor bolts or fasteners. As long as the bolts meet the applicable ASTM specification(s), they will meet the applicable Code section(s).

UL Listings are a service provided by Underwriters Laboratories Inc (UL). Manufacturers submit products to UL for testing and safety certification on a voluntary basis. There are no laws specifying that a product must be tested and given a UL Mark. While there are many municipalities that have laws, codes or regulations which require a product to be tested by a nationally recognized testing laboratory (such as UL) before that product can be used within their jurisdiction, anchor bolts and fasteners are typically not among these products. This is for two reasons; the first being that products required to be tested and receive a UL Listing are typically potentially hazardous products, including marine products, life saving devices, fire suppression and containment products, chemicals, and industrial, mechanical and automotive equipment. The second reason is that, just as with ICC-ES, the ASTM specifications already cover bolts and fasteners in depth, and it would be redundant to re-cover the same information.

In summation, as long as a bolt or fastener is manufactured to the correct ASTM, SAE, ASME, and/or AASHTO specification, there is no need for it to be tested or evaluated by ICC-ES, UL, or other similar listing services. Portland Bolt maintains its own in-house testing facilities to ensure that all of our manufactured products meet the applicable ASTM, SAE, ASME, and AASHTO specifications. You can be confident that when you purchase from Portland Bolt you will receive a complete certification package, ensuring that your product meets the applicable specification(s).

Answer: Altering a bolt’s length or configuration in the field is acceptable as long as it does not change the length originally specified by the designer or engineer. If a bolt is longer than what was originally needed, the bolt can be cut down in the field. How the bolt is cut is important to consider. One common, acceptable method to cut down a fastener in the field is to use a type of saw. Another method used to cut steel in the field is a flame torch. Before doing this, it is important to make sure that the material being cut is not a heat treated material. In other words, if the bolt grade gets its strength through a heat treating process and heat is introduced to it in an uncontrolled environment (such as flame cutting), the mechanical properties can potentially be altered, which may compromise the strength of the fastener.

Certain grades of fasteners, such as A325 and A490 structural bolts have specific thread lengths associated with them, so altering the length may not be an option. There are also certain grades of anchor bolts that require a permanent grade and manufacturer’s stamp. If this end of the anchor bolt was to be cut down, the stamp would no longer be present; therefore the requirements of that particular specification would not be met.

Answer: While these two bolts are virtually identical in terms of chemical and physical strengths and properties, there are several differences between the two. The Grade 5 specification falls under the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) classification system, while A325 is an ASTM specification. ASTM A325 bolts are more commonly specified by engineers for use in structural steel connections on heavy construction projects, while SAE Grade 5 bolts are more common in OEM-type applications.

Grade 5 bolts are most typically made, and are most readily available in a finished hex bolt configuration. A325 bolts are required to have a heavy hex head. The same thing applies for the compatible nuts. Grade 5 nuts are a finished hex pattern, and A194-2H or A563-DH heavy hex nuts are required for use with A325 bolts.

Another difference is that Grade 5 bolts may be specified from 1/4″ diameter up to and including 1-1/2″ diameter. The A325 specification covers bolts from 1/2″ up to and including 1-1/2″ diameter. For bolts larger than 1-1/2″, ASTM A449 should be specified.

Lastly, the required thread lengths are different. Grade 5 fasteners, like most grades, have a standard thread length of twice the diameter plus 1/4″ for bolt lengths less than or equal to 6″ and twice the diameter plus 1/2″ for bolt lengths 6″ and longer. A325 bolts have specific thread lengths, based on the diameter of the bolt, that are shorter than most other bolt grades.

Answer: To answer this question, you first need to know some basic information about stainless steel. “Stainless Steel” is the general name for a large family of alloy steels that contain at least 10.5% chromium as part of their composition. At and above this level of chromium, a complex chrome-oxide surface layer forms that prevents further oxygen atoms from penetrating into the steel and thus protects the iron in the matrix from rusting. This layer is what makes the steel “stainless.” Higher levels of chromium and the addition of other alloying elements such as molybdenum and nickel enhance this protective barrier and further improve the corrosion resistance of the stainless steel. There are many different types of stainless, but by far the most popular and widely used are the 300 series stainless steels, also known as the austenitic stainless steels.

The 300 series designation contains many different compositions of alloy steel (303, 304, 305, 316, 321, 347, etc.) but the common factors among them are:

• Their carbon content is generally held to a maximum of 0.08%
• They (generally) have 18% chromium
• They (generally) have 8% nickel
• They are non-magnetic
• They cannot be hardened by heat treatment
• They can be hardened by cold working the material (“work hardening.”)

The term “18-8″ is often used to designate products made from 300 series stainless. This “18-8″ call out is referring to the 18% chromium/8% nickel alloy mixture of the steel. “18-8″ is not an actual specification, as it only refers to two different alloys in the steel. While all 300 series stainless steels share this 18/8 mix, slight differences in chemical composition between the different grades of the 300 series do make certain grades more resistant than others against particular types of corrosion. In the fastener industry the term “18-8″ is often used as a designation for a bolt, nut, or washer manufactured from 300 series stainless steel material that has the 18% chromium/8% nickel alloy mixture. However, a fastener manufactured from stainless material that meets the 18/8 alloy mix does not necessarily meet the other slight differences in chemistry required to certify it as Type 304 stainless. Type 304 is by far the most popular of the 300 series stainless steels.

The second most popular type of stainless, after Type 304, is Type 316. In Type 316 stainless, the chromium content is lowered from 18% to 16%, however, the nickel content is raised to 10% and 2% molybdenum is added to the mixture. This change in the chromium/nickel ratio and the addition of the molybdenum increases the resistance to chlorides. This is why Type 316 stainless is often used in more corrosive environments where the material will be exposed to chemical, solvent, or salt water corrosion and makes it the preferred material for marine construction.

Although fasteners can (and often are) ordered as simply Type 304 or Type 316 stainless, the actual ASTM specifications that cover stainless steel fasteners are A193, A320, and F593. A discussion of the differences between these ASTM specifications can be found in another FAQ.

Portland Bolt can manufacture rods, bent bolts, and headed bolts from both Type 304 and Type 316 stainless steel. If you would like a quote on stainless product, you can submit a quote request through our website right now!

When a large diameter or small quantity of bolts is required, Portland Bolt will saw cut the steel round bar to create the cut lengths for the finished fastener. A saw cut end is smooth and free of any deformities, but is a time consuming labor process.

Product examples with saw cut ends:

• Anchor rods
• Anchor bolts
• Headed bolts
• Unfinished hardware
• Drift pins
• Swedged rods

Sheared end

A sheared end is produced by a mechanical guillotine-like cutting process in which round bar is chopped, rather than cut. Shearing is a much faster and more cost effective process in comparison to saw cutting, especially for large quantities of parts. Due to the pressure of the process, the end of the round bar may have a small deformity at the cut end. This small lip and slightly oval end is typically removed when the bolt is threaded or chamfered, and only in a few instances will the finished product have a sheared end. Portland Bolt shears round bar up to 2″ in diameter and up to 100″ in length.

Product examples with sheared ends:

• Drift pins
• Sheared round bar
• Barrier pins
• Swedged rods
• Rods with thread each end
• Rods with thread one end

Chamfer

A chamfer is a conical surface at the starting end of the thread. A grinding process removes the first thread of the fastener to create a bolt that will easily accept a nut. The first thread can be easily damaged in packaging, shipping, or general handling in the field and by removing it, the manufacturer ensures the fit of the nut. Most imported and mass produced fasteners are chamfered. Portland Bolt chamfers virtually all galvanized bolts to eliminate the possibility of the first thread becoming damaged during the galvanizing process. However, galvanized bolts with rolled thread do not need to be chamfered since the roll threading process naturally creates a rounded end that is work hardened and resistant to deformities and damage.

• All thread rod
• Galvanized hardware
• Anchor bolts
• Anchor rods
• Headed bolts
• Cut threaded product

Semi-cone point

A semi-cone point describes an end that is similar to a chamfer, but has more material removed. Think of a semi-cone point as a “half point”. In the case of a semi-cone point, the material has been removed at either a 45 or 60 degree angle to about a length equal to the diameter of the bolt. Bolts with semi-cone points are very common in the pole line industry, allowing long bolts to be more easily installed in wooden poles and cross arms. Lag bolts that must be custom made due to their large diameter, length, domestic requirement, or nonstandard thread length are also a bolt that has a semi-cone point. Since large diameter lag bolts must be installed in pre-drilled pilot holes, they do not need a threaded point (gimlet point) or a cone point (full point) to physically displace the wood. Instead, custom lag screws are manufactured with a semi-cone point to allow the bolt to be inserted and threaded into a pilot hole. Semi-cone points are often used on drift pins, highway median barrier base pins, timber spikes and other pins that are being pushed through a material like wood, asphalt or soil.

• Pole line hardware
• Cross arm bolts (square head bolts)
• Double arming bolts
• Lag screws
• Washer head bolts
• Highway barrier base pins

Cone point

A true cone point with a pointed tip is at times required for greater penetrating capability for drift pins and some other hardware. A full cone point, depending on diameter and size of the bolt, can be more labor intensive to produce. Often a semi-cone point is sufficient for the function of the bolt and often a cone point is unnecessary. In fact, “semi-cone point” and “cone point” are relative terms that should be defined before a fastener can be produced.

• Drift pins
• Timber spikes

Gimlet point

A gimlet point is a threaded point on the tip of a lag bolt. They are necessary for small screws and lag bolts to displace the wood and physically drill a hole for the bolt itself. Common mass-produced lag bolts from 3/4″ diameter and smaller come with a gimlet point, but they are often unnecessary. Large diameter lag bolts must have a pilot hole drilled before the bolt can be installed. (See our pilot hole chart for lag bolts) A gimlet point is unnecessary for larger lag bolts since no wood will actually be displaced by the gimlet point since the drilling for the pilot hole has already removed the wood. Any lag bolt that Portland Bolt manufactures will not have a gimlet point, but will have a semi-cone point instead.

• Lag bolts

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:

Note: the formulas below do not depend on the finish of the fastener.

Ultimate Yield Strength:

Take the minimum yield in psi of the ASTM grade (see our Strength Requirements by Grade Chart for this value), multiplied by the stress area of the specific diameter (see our Thread Pitch Chart). This formula will give you the ultimate yield strength of that size and grade of bolt.

Example: What is the ultimate yield strength of a 3/4″ diameter F1554 Grade 36 rod?

This is the minimum requirement for F1554 grade 36. In other words, a 3/4″ diameter F1554 grade 36 anchor rod will be able to withstand 12,024 pounds force (lbf) without yielding.

Ultimate Tensile Strength:

Take the minimum tensile strength in psi of the ASTM grade, multiplied by the stress area of the diameter. This formula will give you the ultimate tensile strength of that size and grade of bolt.

Example: What is the ultimate tensile strength of a 3/4″ diameter F1554 Grade 36 rod?

This is the minimum requirement for F1554 grade 36. In other words, a 3/4″ diameter F1554 grade 36 anchor rod will be able to withstand 19,372 pounds force (lbf) without breaking.

Shear Strength:

First, find the ultimate tensile strength using the formula above. Take that value and multiply it by 60% (0.60). It is important to understand that this value is only an estimate. Unlike tensile and yield strengths, there are no published shear strength values or requirements for ASTM specifications. The Industrial Fastener Institute (Inch Fastener Standards, 7th ed. 2003. B-8) states that shear strength is approximately 60% of the minimum tensile strength. For more information, please see our FAQ on bolt shear strength considerations.

Answer: A bolt that has already been used in a given application may or may not be reused, depending on the grade, application, and recommendation of the “Engineer of Record”. There are a tremendous number of conflicting opinions on this subject, but the only definitive published information we can find on this issue from a reputable source is in regards to ASTM A325 and A490 structural bolts.

According to the Research Council on Structural Connections, Section 2.3.3:

“Reuse: ASTM A490 bolts and galvanized ASTM A325 bolts shall not be reused. When approved by the Engineer of Record, black ASTM A325 bolts are permitted to be reused. Touching up or re-tightening bolts that may have been loosened by the installation of adjacent bolts shall not be considered to be a reuse.”

“Pretensioned installation involves the inelastic elongation of the portion of the threaded length between the nut and the thread run-out. ASTM A490 bolts and galvanized ASTM A325 bolts possess sufficient ductility to undergo one pretensioned installation, but are not consistently ductile enough to undergo a second pretensioned installation. Black ASTM A325 bolts, however, possess sufficient ductility to undergo more than one pretensioned installation as suggested in the Guide (Kulak et al., 1987). As a simple rule of thumb, a black ASTM A325 bolt is suitable for reuse if the nut can be run up the threads by hand.”

When reusing bolts, it is critical to involve an engineer since the reuse of the fastener depends on a variety of factors including bolt type, application, grade, finish, installation method, etc. If the bolts have been tensioned beyond their yield point, they enter the “plastic zone” (where they elongate and do not contract once the load is removed), which means they may be subject to premature failure. Since it is virtually impossible to determine visually if a specific fastener has entered its plastic zone when previously used, the decision to reuse a fastener will be determined by the price to replace it versus the potential cost and/or liability of that fastener failing.

Spending a few hundred dollars replacing structural bolts supporting an overhead sign structure on the freeway makes sense when evaluating the potentially devastating consequences and liability involved in reusing bolts that may ultimately fail. On the other hand, attempting to reuse a few hundred dollars worth of bolts instead of replacing those fasteners on a noncritical pump or other piece of equipment might make sense when a failure would only result in the piece of equipment not working.

Answer:

Hex bolts are often ordered as a type 304 stainless and not to a specific ASTM specification. When bolts are ordered under the raw material grade (type 304) and not to an ASTM fastener specification, there are no specific requirements other than that they meet the chemical and physical requirements of 304 stainless steel and ASME B18.2.1 dimensional requirements for hex bolts. National coarse thread will typically be provided unless otherwise specified.

Type 304 stainless steel hex bolts that are ordered under the ASTM fastener specification A193 grade B8 are required to be both carbide solution annealed and stamped per the A193 specification. Carbide solution annealing is a process of heating the material up to a temperature of 1,950 degrees or above and maintaining the temperature long enough for the chromium carbides to go into the solution. This process will bring the bolts back to their optimal corrosion resistant condition after the forging (heading) process. The heads of bolts and one end of rods must be marked with “B8″ and a unique manufacturer’s identifier. The A193 specification also requires 8 threads per inch above one inch diameter unless specified otherwise.

A type 304 stainless steel hex bolt that is ordered as ASTM F593 Group 1 must have additional processes performed that exceed the requirements of A193 grade B8. These bolts must be stamped with a manufacturer’s identifier, “F593″, and the proper condition designation, and must also be carbide solution annealed. Additionally, F593 bolts must pass an intergranular corrosion test, which is not required when bolts are ordered as type 304 stainless or under the ASTM A193 grade B8 specification. F593 does not have the same 8UN series thread requirement above 1″ diameter as A193 grade B8, and is typically provided with Unified National Coarse threads. The F593 specification is also characterized by a maximum diameter of 1-1/2″.

When headed stainless steel bolts are required, the hot forging process turns the heads of stainless steel bolts black and creates surface scale. This darkening of the stainless steel occurs when the round bar is heated to forge the bolt heads. Surface cleaning is optional and is performed through descaling (wheelabrating), pickling (acid treatment to remove heat-tinted surface steel layers), and passivating (restoring the chromium-rich complex, oxide film on the surface of the steel). Pickling and passivating is never a requirement when headed bolts are ordered under either ASTM specification (A193 grade B8 or ASTM F593), nor is it a requirement when simply ordering type 304 stainless steel headed bolts. Therefore, pickling and passivating is optional and should be specified by the purchaser at the time of inquiry and order. Pickling and passivating will increase the cost of the bolts and add to the lead time required to manufacture the product.