Articles
for Specifiers
Articles from the Construction Fixings
Association
From time to time articles from the Construction Fixings Association are
published directly on this website or in the trade press - a series in
Fastener & Fixing magazine is a good example -
all may be accessed here and downloaded. If you have ideas for an article
feel free to contact us.
Our authors. Articles written for the CFA may come from specialists within
member companies, their details will be outlined with each article. Others,
including those for Fastener & Fixing magazine, are written by our General
Manager.
Fastener & Fixing magazine has become an authoritative source of
articles and information on the use and distribution of construction fixings
since the introduction of a series of articles on behalf of the Construction
Fixings Association in January 2005.
COPYRIGHT. CFA and F & F articles are protected by copyright. Downloads are allowed for personal reference only. Reproduction or publication via any medium may be allowed with prior permission from the Construction Fixings Association or, where relevant, from Fastener & Fixing magazine depending on the context and with suitable acknowledgement.
The
Following Articles for Download related to Specifiers
Changing Fixing Specifications
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Changing the specification of a fixing at the site stage is a common occurrence but we should not allow familiarity to breed contempt. It is of course acceptable to change the specification of a fixing if there is good reason but anyone carrying out such a change effectively takes on the responsibilities of the specifier and the liability should anything go wrong. This article sets out the procedure that should be followed in order to make sure such changes are made safely and without risking anyone's liability or anyone's life.
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Fixing Failures - Introduction
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Fixing failures are rare but when they happen the consequences can be catastrophic - injury, death or just serious financial losses. If you are in the fixings chain as specifier, distributor, contractor or installer you may be involved in the aftermath if not the cause. The effect on those indirectly involved can be almost as serious as for those directly affected. This series of articles sets out some of the causes of fixing failures and the steps which can be taken to avoid them. See also "Fixing failures - Case Study 1, etc."
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Fixing Failures - Case Study 1
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The "Big Dig" is a massive road tunnel construction project driving a major road under Boston USA. The failure of fixings made into the concrete roof structure and supporting heavy concrete ceiling panels in one of the tunnels caused the death of the lady passenger in a car travelling beneath. This article discusses the possible causes of this failure and while it goes into technical detail it concerns all in the fixings chain from specifier to installer including the distributor.
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Fixing Failures - Case study 2
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If you substitute a slightly shorter fixing for the one specified you might save 50p a fix. If that causes someone's death how will you feel? This article highlights two different potential causes of fixing failure - changing the fixing specification (and how to do it safely) and unexpected loads during erection/installation.
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Fixing Failures - Case Study 3
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When a ceiling collapsed in a school in the West Midlands while the room was empty no one was hurt. Had the room been full of children it would have made headlines on the 10 o'clock news and the consequences for all in the fixings chain from supplier to contractor and installer would have been far worse than they were. This article delves into aspects of traceability of supply, which affects distributors, and the affect of fixing patterns which is of concern to both specifiers and contractors. This picture shows a correct fixing pattern with the first line of hangers set close to the walls.
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Fixings that outlive fire
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In this article, written when he was Technical Manager of fischer fixings UK Ltd, Simon Poole explains how manufacturers are providing data to enable fixings to be specified in applications requiring fire ratings.
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Resin anchor formulations
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The development in resin anchor technology continues apace and part of this story is the regular introduction of new resin formulations. Confused? Well, this article by Matt Cleaver of 2K polymer systems ltd, which describes the various characteristics of the main resin types, should overcome that.
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