Anchors for Asphalt

[jmellc]

Has anyone found anchors that are good for asphalt? I have used plastic anchors that work OK for awhile but they work loose.

Thanks for any ideas.

 

[John120/240]

What exactly are you trying to anchor to asphalt ? Height of the object ? Is your location subject to high winds ?
Would freeze/thaw/freeze cycles affect the integrity of your anchors ? What is the profile of your object ?

 

[dereckbc]

What exactly are you trying to anchor to asphalt ? Height of the object ? Is your location subject to high winds ?
Would freeze/thaw/freeze cycles affect the integrity of your anchors ? What is the profile of your object ?

Ditto, a whole lot more info needed. FWIW it is almost impossible to anchor anything securely to asphalt. A flange and glue is better than an anchor in asphalt.

Question back at you. Is the asphalt a veneer over concrete? If it is drill and use Hilti Concrete anchors.

If not veneer, consider removing small area of asphalt, install the auger-type mobile home anchors deep into the earth, and then patch the asphalt.

 

[GoldDigger]

Ditto, a whole lot more info needed. FWIW it is almost impossible to anchor anything securely to asphalt. A flange and glue is better than an anchor in asphalt.

One problem with asphalt is that is will always remain slightly soft and plastic. Loads in compression will not be a big problem if spread over a large enough area, but any steady load in tension will eventually just lift that part of the asphalt, especially if subject to warm weather and sun.

 

[jmellc]

Short pieces of unistrut for a conduit. About a 20 foot run.

 

[gadfly56]

Short pieces of unistrut for a conduit. About a 20 foot run.

Is this asphalt as in a driveway or as in an asphaltic roof/membrane?

 

[jmellc]

Is this asphalt as in a driveway or as in an asphaltic roof/membrane?

Outer edge of a parking lot.

Someone mentioned adhesives. That makes sense. A similar material would stick to asph and move with it as temperature changes. Next time I see anyone paving, I will ask him about this.

I have also wondered about extra long spikes to drive into the compacted ground underneath. Still open to ideas anyone may have.

 

[__dan]

Outer edge of a parking lot.

Someone mentioned adhesives. That makes sense. A similar material would stick to asph and move with it as temperature changes. Next time I see anyone paving, I will ask him about this.

I have also wondered about extra long spikes to drive into the compacted ground underneath. Still open to ideas anyone may have.

If the holding force required is low, you just want to bolt strut to the asphalt, I would consider doweling with 5" or so long cut pieces of 3/8" threaded rod. Drill the hole and tap the threaded rod into it with some PL polyurethane adhesive. Holding in shear will be a lot and pullout holding will be some. You can go up on the threaded rod size if the anchor will be getting abuse.

 

[Smart $]

...

Someone mentioned adhesives. That makes sense....

http://www.epoxysystems.com/702.htm

 

[GoldDigger]

http://www.epoxysystems.com/702.htm

If you look at reflective markers on roads that have been knocked loose by snow plows, you will see that either the plastic breaks or the epoxy pulls a thin (usually) layer of asphalt off with it.

 

[mgookin]

Short pieces of unistrut for a conduit. About a 20 foot run.

Vertical pieces of unistrut for a horizontal 20' run of conduit?

How high is the conduit above the asphalt?

 

[Smart $]

If you look at reflective markers on roads that have been knocked loose by snow plows, you will see that either the plastic breaks or the epoxy pulls a thin (usually) layer of asphalt off with it.

And those are just "glued" down. Depending on the potential for abuse, that may be enough. If a more secure attachment is desired, embed threaded rod anchors mentioned earlier with the same epoxy.

Another option is to simply forego the strut and epoxy the conduit directly to the pavement.