HILTI ANCHORING SYSTEMS MAKING IT EASY TO COMPLY WITH THE NCC

Here at Hilti, we believe in making things as simple as possible for our customers. Our products are innovatively designed, tested and approved to the latest industry benchmarks and regulations. This is especially true in areas like design engineering, where work is complex enough without having to worry about whether or not the anchor fastenings you're using are going to be up to the task. 

That's why it's such an important step forward to have a new standard for concrete anchoring incorporated into the National Construction Code (NCC). In the past, we've had standards for concrete and standards for concrete and steel, but it wasn't until December 2015 when SA TS 101 was introduced for safety critical fastening applications that connect the two. Finally in May 2018, it was converted from a technical specification to an Australian standard AS 5216:2018.

SA TS 101 was  first drafted by the Australian Engineered Fasteners and Anchors Council (AEFAC) before being introduced into the NCC in May 2016, this technical specification was developed through consultation with industry experts. Finally in May 2018, it was converted from a technical specification to an Australian standard  AS 5216:2018. Now that there's a firm set of rules to follow when designing and using anchors, all engineers can now enjoy a level playing field that clearly lays out what is and isn't acceptable. From the standard anchor testing regime, through to more technical specifications such as load capacity, it's now easier than ever to compare different fasteners and work out which is right for a particular job.

This wasn't always the case in days gone by, when different test techniques could be used throughout the industry - creating confusion and an inability to really know what was what. The team at Hilti has always striven for utmost accuracy and consistency across countries, using the European Technical Assessment (ETA) as a benchmark for every one of our products. This automatically meets the Australian requirements under the new standard, and the ETA seal of approval is what design engineers should always be looking for when designing an anchor system.

In addition to the standard making it easier to choose a quality anchor, it also makes the process of connecting steel and concrete safer. This is of importance, as with there also being new directions on how to design anchors, we'll all be able to enjoy the benefits as we start to see a difference in quality of work with everybody now complying to a higher assessment criteria.