Concrete – Can concrete screws or the holes be reused

concretescrews

So we drilled into concrete to bolt down steel bases with several Titen 3/8" x 3" Titen heavy duty Screw Anchor.

I'll be replacing the base, so I will need to remove the screw, remove the base, and then re-bolt the new base to the concrete. I will probably use new screws, but can I reuse the hole? I would be using the same exact screw.

Best Answer

If you look at the information on the manufacturer's web site, they are careful to say not to re-use the fastener, but they do not specifically say not to re-use the hole.

I am a bit surprised and even find it odd that Simpson, whose instructions and product information is usually very thorough, would leave this in a gray area.

I personally would not re-use the hole if you need to rely on these fasteners delivering their rated pullout value. To be honest, I have used lots of this type of fastener and I find them very convenient to use, but I don't have great confidence in them. If you wobble a little when drilling a hole in masonry, it's going to be a little oversized, and that could significantly weaken the hold of this kind of anchor.

If you just need it to resist shear, I would not worry about it. If pullout strength is critical, you could easily re-drill the hole bigger for use with a different type of anchor.