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New European generation at PFEIFER-Befestigungstechnik - The new DB anchor 682 for permanent fixing

Products from Pfeifer for permanent fixing in precast construction have been available to users for many years. Distinction must be made here between fixings with building authority relevance and so-called constructive fixings. PFEIFER socket dowels and PFEIFER polyamide sockets are ideal for constructive fixings.
The PFEIFER DB anchors are used for fixings with building authority relevance (fig.1). Fixings are considered to have building authority relevance if their failure could lead to a danger to life and limb or to considerable economic damage (figs. 2/3).
However, all these PFEIFER products have one thing in common – they are already set in the concrete during its pouring. Once the concrete is hardened, any kind of fixing can be realised by simply screwing in.

There is a choice of two PFEIFER DB anchors: the DB682 waved anchor and the DB682 foot-mounted anchor for particularly thin elements. Both anchor variants are available in a galvanised version for dry interior areas and a stainless steel version for increased protection against corrosion.

So far there has been a general building authority approval for PFEIFER DB anchors issued by the DIB (German Institute of Building Technology). On basis of this approval, the anchorings were calculated by hand or using the software provided free of charge by PFEIFER in accordance with the European Technical Approval, Appendix C (ETAG 001). The obligation to provide verification was thus satisfied for the German sphere of influence. Naturally these verifications were not wrong in the rest of Europe, but they were not formally usable, since the calculations were based on a national approval.

With immediate effect there is now a European Technical Approval (ETA-11/0288) for the PFEIFER DB anchors. This document, which is valid throughout Europe, now makes it possible to use these anchors without restriction in all member states. All necessary verifications for the anchoring can be furnished on the basis of the ETA.

A complete verification includes calculations for the steel load capacity of the anchor, the concrete outbreak, the pulling out and the splitting of the concrete. Distinction is made here between two load directions – tension and shear force. The rated resistances of the steel load capacity depend on the size and diameter of the selected anchor and the quality of the fixing bolt, but are independent of the type of installation. Conversely, the following verifications are to be performed, depending on the placement of the anchor, the size/version of the anchor and the quality of the concrete used:

1. Conical concrete outbreak
2. Pull out/pull through
3. Splitting
4. Concrete edge breakage
5. Concrete outbreak on the side facing away from the load

This form of calculation has been well-known for years and is used in particular for subsequent fixings using drilled dowels. For simplified calculation, dimensioning software is available to the user free of charge from Pfeifer, with which all necessary verifications for the professional use of the PFEIFER DB anchor can be generated in the shortest time.

The casting of the PFEIFER DB anchor in the concrete results not only in the advantage of an extraordinarily high load capacity, but also the possibility to place auxiliary reinforcement that can be activated  (figs. 4/5). If the verification ‘concrete edge outbreak’ is not possible, this reinforcement can be hooked into the PFEIFER sign clip and tied to the rest of the reinforcement with wire. Once it is set in the concrete, the anchor can be loaded with considerably higher shear loads according to the indication of the direction arrow on the data clip (fig. 6). 

Advantages of the PFEIFER DB anchor at a glance:

• European Technical Approval (ETA)
• Minimum edge and intermediate distances
• Maximum rated resistances (maximum load capacities)
• Auxiliary reinforcement that can be activated
• Available in galvanised and stainless steel versions
• CE marking

Further information is available from Pfeifer Seil- und Hebetechnik GmbH, Dr.-Karl-Lenz-Straße 66, 87700 Memmingen, Telephone 08331/937-290, Telefax 08331-937-937, E-Mail: bautechnik@pfeifer.de.