Superplus BLS provides an assured anchoring solution for MMC

An innovative range of heavy-duty anchors from EJOT UK can deliver important cost and time savings onsite in a wide variety of MMC projects without compromising performance. Paul Papworth, structural anchoring specialist at EJOT UK, explains why.

Foundation design and the method adopted for securely fixing structures or volumetric buildings to them is fundamental to any MMC project. And where the design requires anchoring into concrete or other hard base materials, any Google search will reveal numerous options capable of meeting the performance requirements.  But which factors matter most in the design and specification process and how can best value be achieved?

MMC’s key advantages of installation speed and rapid project delivery, coupled with high quality construction, can be leveraged further with the right anchoring choice. And the one range which has the potential to tick all the boxes, while also enabling significant cost savings, is the LIEBIG Superplus BLS.  One of the world’s most used heavy duty anchors of its kind, Superplus BLS is approved for use in cracked and non-cracked concrete, offering assured high capacity anchoring in a wide variety of applications and conditions. These range from nuclear power plants and industrial sites to facades, structural steelwork, base plates and – of course – offsite construction and MMC.

There are four key reasons why the Superplus BLS represents amongst the best choices for anchoring in MMC.

1. Cost savings – more “kN per £”

The Superplus BLS is the only self-undercutting anchor that, without special tools, creates its own undercut. It works in a slightly different way to all other types of concrete attachment products to deliver game-changing results.  This means the Superplus BLS will provide more ‘kN per £’, with the assurance of ETA and UKTA certified performance but without the price tag usually associated. The product is capable of offering significantly improved tensile performance at 200% that of other heavy duty type anchors, 300% of the performance possible with throughbolts and 250% that of the largest concrete screws.
The is because the anchor comprises several core components or modules that can be sized and assembled to meet the specific needs of an application. This is an immediate cost efficiency benefit, driven by EJOT’s ability to manufacture non-standard sizes in short lead times at a fraction of what it would cost for bespoke sized anchors.

2. Flexibility to adapt to onsite challenges

Superplus BLS is suitable for shallow concrete depths and can be used at closer spacings or closer to the edge of the concrete than is typically possible. Such factors have previously been major hurdles to cost effective anchoring because they usually result in the need for custom-made anchors with lengthy lead times and a cost premium.
These challenges are overcome thanks to the anchor’s relatively small diameter and a design that enables two embedment depths per anchor diameter. This gives far greater flexibility to the designer to enable the embedment depth necessary to satisfy the design criteria, without a need to change baseplate design.

3. Installation simplicity

The role ‘simple installation’ plays in ensuring the project outcomes match the design intent, specification goals and budget is often undervalued.  For example, specifying a highly engineered, premium quality component or system where installation is specialist  in itself, could result in a solution failing to deliver on its promise. And there could be the need for costly remedial work unless it is fitted by a team with specialist knowledge.

Design innovation, therefore, is not only about a product’s performance capability – it should also seek ways to make installation as simple as possible to reduce risk. That is the thinking behind the Superplus BLS.  Its modular design and self-undercutting cone means no special tooling is needed to install it. Costly and complex installation processes have effectively been ‘engineered-out’. The self-undercutting mechanism is also not hole depth dependent, which eliminates the need for another special tool – setting equipment.

4. Application versatility

Whilst there is no one size fits all approach to concrete anchoring, the modular approach of the BLS means it is possible to use a single product for multiple different purposes on the same project.
The key to its versatility is the ability to choose different variants of the core parts of the anchor. The length and diameter of the threaded bolt and the distance sleeve can be sized within a wide range and the head styles can be chosen to suit the specific application requirements.
It all adds up to an application-specific anchoring solution that can be configured in a way that is normally associated only with 100% bespoke anchors, which are notoriously costly in small volumes and incur long lead times.

These four major benefits make the LIEBIG Superplus BLS an ideal choice for MMC as its innovative design mirrors the advances that many offsite and prefabricated products are making in transforming construction. 

To learn more about the range or discuss its use in a future project, please contact EJOT UK on 01977 687040

or CLICK HERE to email EJOT

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE