Field & trade terms
Anchor bolt
Also called: hold-down bolt
An anchor bolt is the connection between something structural and the concrete it sits on: a sill plate to a foundation, a steel column base plate to a pier, a piece of equipment to a housekeeping pad. Some are cast in place, set in the wet concrete in the exact pattern the base plate needs; others are drilled and set with epoxy or a mechanical anchor after the concrete has cured. Either way, position, embedment and the right hardware are what make the connection do its job.
Why it matters
Anchor bolts are the load path from the structure into the ground, and a bolt in the wrong spot, set too shallow, or the wrong diameter compromises the whole connection. Cast-in bolts that miss the pattern by even a little can leave a base plate that won't land, and post-installed anchors set in a bad hole or without proper embedment don't develop their capacity.
What an inspector looks at
For cast-in bolts the check is pattern, projection, embedment and that they're held in place before the pour; for post-installed anchors it's hole size and cleaning, embedment, the correct adhesive or anchor, and proper torque. Layout is checked against the base plate or plan, not eyeballed.
Because RTI closes items on a photo, anchor bolts are documented at the right moment — cast-in bolts shown set in the forms before the pour, post-installed anchors shown before the connection covers them, the proof the connection was made right.
Standards it's verified against
Checklists that put anchor bolt to work
Free, field-ready checklists, each with the photo every item needs before it can be submitted.
Related terms
- Embed plateA steel plate with anchors cast flush into concrete so later steel, connections or supports have something to weld or bolt to.
- FormworkThe temporary molds and bracing that hold wet concrete in shape and position until it's strong enough to stand on its own.
- Reinforcement (rebar)The steel bar and mesh cast into concrete to carry the tension the concrete can't, placed to a drawing before the pour buries it.
- GroutA flowable cementitious or resin mix used to fill voids, bed plates and cells, or pack the joints between tile or masonry units.
- MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing)The mechanical, electrical and plumbing trades — the systems run through a building's structure that get inspected at rough-in and again at final.
- FirestoppingSealing openings where pipe, conduit or cable pass through a fire-rated wall or floor so the assembly's rating is restored.
Knowing the term is step one. Proving it is the job.
RTI holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and the photos are attached, then chains the record so it can be proven untouched later.