Fasteners Testing
Testing services for your products and materials
What is a fastener?
A fastener is a hardware device or tool that mechanically joins or fixes two or more objects or surfaces together. Fasteners can be non-permanent or permanent, depending on whether they can be removed easily or not without damaging the joined materials.
Fasteners include various products such as screws, bolts, nuts, buckles, buttons, clasps, etc. Fasteners are used in many engineering-related applications and are an alternative to welding.
What is fastener testing?
Fastener testing is the process of evaluating the mechanical properties of fasteners, such as tensile strength, yield strength, and fatigue strength. Fastener testing is important to ensure that fasteners are fit for purpose and will not fail under load.
There are many different types of fastener tests, each designed to measure a different property of the fastener. Some of the most common fastener tests include:
- Tensile testing: Tensile testing is used to measure the tensile strength of a fastener. Tensile strength is the maximum amount of tensile stress that a fastener can withstand before it breaks.
- Yield testing: Yield testing is used to measure the yield strength of a fastener. Yield strength is the stress at which a fastener begins to deform plastically.
- Fatigue testing: Fatigue testing is used to measure the fatigue strength of a fastener. Fatigue strength is the maximum amount of cyclic stress that a fastener can withstand before it fails.
- Torque testing: Torque testing is used to measure the torque required to tighten a fastener to a specific preload. Preload is the amount of force that is applied to a fastener when it is tightened.
- Corrosion testing: Corrosion testing is used to measure the resistance of a fastener to corrosion. Corrosion can cause fasteners to fail prematurely, so it is important to ensure that fasteners are resistant to corrosion in the environment in which they will be used.
Fastener testing is an important part of the quality assurance process for fasteners. By testing fasteners, manufacturers can ensure that their fasteners are fit for purpose and will not fail under load.
Here are some of the benefits of fastener testing:
- Ensures that fasteners meet the required specifications: Fastener testing can help to ensure that fasteners meet the required specifications, such as tensile strength, yield strength, and fatigue strength.
- Identifies potential problems: Fastener testing can help to identify potential problems with fasteners, such as manufacturing defects or material flaws.
- Improves quality: Fastener testing can help to improve the quality of fasteners by identifying and correcting problems early in the manufacturing process.
- Reduces costs: Fastener testing can help to reduce costs by preventing the use of defective fasteners and by improving the quality of fasteners.
Fastener Testing Plans
The following is a list of tests that are often included in testing plans for fasteners:
| Property | Material | ASTM / Method | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pullout Strength | Concrete | ASTM C900 | Pullout Strength of Hardened Concrete An insert is either cast into fresh concrete or installed in hardened concrete. This method provides requirements for the inserts that are used to properly determine pullout strength of the concrete. |
| Tensile Strength / Yield / Elongation / Area Reduction | N/A – Material Test | ASTM E8 | Tension Testing of Metallic Materials Provides guidance on sample preparation and testing of a variety of metallic material types to evaluate their tensile strength. Provides the yield strength, yield point elongation, tensile strength, elongation, and reduction of area. |
| Tensile Strength / Shear Strength | Concrete / Masonry | ASTM E488 | Strength of Anchors in Concrete Elements Provides tensile and shear strengths of cast-in-place or post-installed anchors. Can be tested in cracked or uncracked concrete. Describes procedures for static, seismic, fatigue, and shock testing. Also describes environmental exposure conditions including freezing/thawing, moisture, elevated temperatures, and corrosion. |
| Tensile Strength / Shear Strength | Concrete / Masonry / Steel | ASTM E1190 | Strength of Power-Actuated Fasteners Installed in Structural Members Provides procedures for static tensile and static shear tests for evaluating the performance of power-actuated fasteners in various substrates. |
| Withdrawal Strength / Lateral Resistance Strength | Wood | ASTM D1761 | Test Methods for Mechanical Fasteners in Wood and Wood-Based Materials Provides procedures for evaluating nails, staples, and screws that are installed in wood or wood-based products. Provides withdrawal strength and lateral resistance (shear) strength, as well as procedures for testing bolted or timber connector joints. |
| Hardness / Yield Strength / Axial Tension / Wedge Tension / Tensile Strength / Total Extension at Fracture / Single Shear Strength / Compression Load / Embrittlement / Carburization | N/A – Material Test | ASTM F606 | Mechanical Properties of Externally and Internally threaded Fasteners, Washers, Direct Tension Indicators, and Rivets Provides a wide variety of procedures for testing the components described above. See individual product standards/specification for the specific requirements for any fastener requiring testing. |
| Tensile Strength / Shear Strength | Steel | AISI S904 | Tensile and Shear Strength of Steel Screws Provides procedures for evaluating the tensile strength of steel screws when secured in a universal testing machine. Provides the shear strength of steel screws using a single shear test setup with the screws secured between steel plates. |
| Pullout Strength / Pullover Strength / Shear Strength | Steel | AISI S905 | Strength and Deformation Characteristics of Cold-Formed Steel Connections Provides installation descriptions, test fixtures, loading apparatus, failure modes, etc. for evaluation of fasteners that form connections between pieces of cold-formed steel. |
Fasteners Testing Standards
Standards and acceptance criteria related to fastener testing:
- ASTM C900 – Pullout Strength of Hardened Concrete
- ASTM D1761 – Mechanical Fasteners in Wood and Wood-Based Materials
- ASTM E8 – Tension Testing of Metallic Materials
- ASTM E488 – Strength of Anchors in Concrete Elements
- ASTM E1190 – Strength of Power-Actuated Fasteners Installed in Structural Members
- ASTM F606 – Determining the Mechanical Properties of Externally and Internally Threaded Fasteners, Washers, Direct Tension Indicators, and Rivets
- AISI S904 – Tensile and Shear Strengths of Steel Screws
- AISI S905 – Strength and Deformation Characteristics of Cold-Formed Steel Connections
More Information on Fasteners Testing
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