At OneMonroe, we know that the basics of construction fasteners include figuring out the type of material for the job, such as carbon steel, alloy steel, stainless steel and others. The construction industry uses fasteners to join two or more things together, and that could be just about anything. That’s why we have an inventory of over 30,000 items and the experience to help you find the fasteners for your construction project and budget. Our fastener experts can help you decide what type of material will be needed for your fasteners.
Fastener Applications
In determining which fasteners are needed, you should take into consideration the particular application it will be used for and then we can help you select the correct fastener material by looking at:
- What type of materials are being joined
- Accessibility of the area
- Weight of the materials
- Surrounding environment, such as temperature and exposure to the water and the wind
- Reusability of the fasteners
After we have a better understanding of your construction project we can determine what types of fasteners are needed. Now, let’s take a look at the basics of construction fasteners.
Construction Fasteners
- Anchors attach material to concrete. There is a threaded end that is attached to a nut and a washer.
- Studs have no head and are used as a threaded rod to attach nuts to.
- Bolts are placed through a drilled hole into a material and need a nut to tighten it on the other end.
- Nuts tighten the bolt or threaded rod at the threaded hole center.
- Screws use their helical surface thread to pierce into the material.
- Washers distribute the weight of a threaded fastener. They are thin plates with a hole that are used for locking devices, springs, wear pads and spacers.
Construction Fastener Material
Fasteners are made from different material and offer strengths for different applications.
Carbon Steel: Some fasteners are made of carbon steel and offer good workability along with strength and affordability.
Stainless Steel: This material can resist corrosion and heat, and yet remain strong. It can be chemically modified for different projects’ needs. It is an austenitic, nickel-chromium-iron-silicon alloy. It is resistant to oxidation and carburization up to 2200°F but still retains its strength.
Aluminum: The weight to strength ratio of aluminum exceeds most other materials. It is also non-magnetic with electrical and thermal conductivity, and it can be easily hot and cold forged.
Brass: This type of copper-based alloy is affordable, stronger, and ductile. Known for its strength and resistance to corrosion, 360 brass is one of the most popular copper alloys.
Silicon Bronze: These materials offer strength and toughness along with corrosion resistance and non-magnetic properties. It is often used for fasteners for naval construction, particularly minesweepers. Cold-formed fasteners made from silicon bronze should be stress relieved to reduce the risk of corrosion failure.