Post-Installed Anchors: ICC-ES Accreditation and Inspection

Post-installed anchors (PIA) are anchors placed in holes that are drilled into existing concrete or masonry members, i.e. installed after the concrete/masonry has been set. These anchors can be either mechanical anchors or adhesive anchors. Mechanical anchors such as expansion anchors rely on the friction developed between the sides of the hole and the anchor wedges or sleeve to transfer loads. Other types of mechanical anchors include screw anchors. Adhesive anchors rely on an adhesive placed in the hole before an anchor rod is inserted, which once cured bonds the anchor rod and concrete/masonry substrate together.

The installation and requirements of inspection for post-installed anchors in New York City can be found in the 2022 NYC Building Code, and in relevant NYC Buildings Bulletins that have been issued over the years. As per the 2022 NYC Building Code section 1705.37, the installation of post-installed mechanical anchors, adhesive anchors, and screw anchors shall comply with Table 1705.37. This table states that adhesive anchors in concrete installed horizontally or upwardly inclined to resist sustained tension loads require continuous inspection during installation. All other post-installed anchor installations (all anchors installed in masonry or stone, and all mechanical anchors installed in concrete) require only periodic inspection. The table, including the applicable code references can be seen here.

The relevant Buildings Bulletins related to PIA are 2014-018 and 2014-019 (PIA in concrete), 2015-027 (adhesive anchors in concrete), and 2016-005 (PIA in masonry). All of these Buildings Bulletins require that anchors used in NYC must be ICC-ES accredited.

The ICC-Evaluation Service (ICC-ES), a subsidiary of the International Code Council, is a nonprofit, public-benefit corporation that performs technical evaluations of building products, components, methods, and materials. ICC-ES evaluation reports provide evidence that products and systems meet specific performance requirements of the building code. Using ICC-ES accredited anchors in the appropriate substrate leads to more consistent results, meaning that if the item is hung from a slab with an anchor that has been ICC-ES accredited to be able to carry that load in tension, and it is installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s installation instructions, then we can assume the item will stay put in the slab and not be a hazard to people below.

When conducting Post-Installed Anchor inspections, the first thing EPIC will be looking for will be if the anchors are ICC-ES accredited. As stated above, all anchors used in New York City must now have an ICC-ES accreditation for the way they will be used on site. For example, if an anchor is ICC-ES accredited for use only in concrete, but it is being used in a brick wall, EPIC will call this out as a non-conformance. Once it is confirmed that the anchors being used are properly accredited, the next step is to witness a representative test installation. All mechanical anchor installations require this to ensure that the anchor is being installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s installation instructions. Adhesive anchors in concrete require more thorough inspection as they require continuous inspections, rather than periodic. All adhesive anchors being installed in concrete require full-time inspection to ensure that a certified installer (certified by the ACI/CRSI Adhesive Anchor Installer Certification program or equivalent) is doing the installation and that the Manufacturer’s Printed Installation Instructions (MPII) are being followed. These steps are required for each trade where sustained tension loads will be applied to the anchors.