Sleeve Bolt or Anchor Bolt

[snico]

Any advice on what type of bolt would be best to use in my case?

I am erecting a pergola over my koi pond and attaching 4x4 posts to the corners of the pond wall, using post shoes.

The wall is concrete blocks laid on side, topped with a very hard dense type concrete coping.

I cant attach straight to the coping stone as the weight would probably rip them off ina strong wind.

I want to go through the coping stone, through the small layer of mortar into the concrete block (dense block)

I have looked at using anchor bolts and going straight through, but I have also seen sleeve bolts. Not sure which would be best to use as I know drilling into a dense block, you usually dont end up awitha perfect hole.

Any other ideas would be helpful!

 

[urbanite]

If you are fixing into a block wall the wind/vibraion on the pergola will lift the block, over time this will break the mortar bond as it is designed to work under compression load. You should be anchoring into the ground.

If you have enough wall to give you a decent weighted base then consider fixing a 35x5 galvanised strap down the face of the wall, similar to how they fix down timber wall plates for roofs and continue up the side of the post. Not pretty i know, but you could paint them or cover with a timber detail.

how high is the block wall before the capping? What size is your pergola, Im assuming it a square/rectangle shape

 

[snico]

The wall is 6 blocks high, laid on the side for more strength.

I could do into the ground but it would be a bit arkward due to the pipework from filters etc.

There pergola wont have a roof, just the beams, so i'm thinking wind wont be too much of a problem.

 

[Norcon]

Thunderbolt anchors are the best. 150mm long.

 

[snico]

Thunderbolt anchors are the best. 150mm long.

Got some 120mm today, just the job,, thanks!

 

[leew2]

Make sure the structure is well braced/triangulated so there are no twisting forces on the post bases. Don't rely on the post bases to keep the structure upright, the structure should stand up on it's own before being fixed into the bases.